2010 Census: More diverse, older by 2060

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WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- The U.S. Census Bureau said Wednesday the 2010 Census shows the country's population likely will be more ethnically and racially diverse and much older by 2060.

The acting director of the Census Bureau, Thomas L. Mesenbourg, said, "The next half century marks key points in continuing trends -- the U.S. will become a plurality nation, where the non-Hispanic white population remains the largest single group, but no group is in the majority."

The population is expected to increase much slower between 2012 and 2060 due to a projected lower birth rate and changes in international migration trends, the census showed.

The group of people age 65 and older is expected to grow from 43.1 million in 2012 to 92 million in 2060, and will represent approximately one-fifth of the population in 2060, up from one-seventh in 2012.

Baby boomers – those born between 1946 and 1964 – today represent approximately one quarter of the U.S. population, but by 2060, they will comprise only 0.6 percent of the population.

The peak of the non-Hispanic white population is projected for 2024, at 199.6 million, up from 197.8 million in 2012. The Hispanic population, however, is projected to more than double to 128.8 million in 2060, up from 53.3 million in 2012.

The country's total population is likely to exceed the 400 million mark in 2051 and reach 420.3 million in 2060.