By Andrew Mackinnon
Last updated: 17th August, 2025
United States of America – Ethnic composition – Populations in millions
Ethnic group | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 |
White | 110 | 116 | 132 | 153 | 170 | 180 | 188 | 195 | 197 | 200 |
Hispanic | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 35 | 50 | 61 |
Black | 12 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 30 | 35 | 39 | 44 |
Asian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 20 |
American Indian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Total | 122 | 131 | 150 | 180 | 205 | 226 | 249 | 278 | 304 | 329 |
United States of America – Ethnic composition – Populations as percentages
Ethnic group | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 |
White | 90 | 88 | 87 | 85 | 83 | 79 | 75 | 70 | 64 | 61 |
Hispanic | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 19 |
Black | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Asian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
American Indian | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Sources of data:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_racial_and_ethnic_demographics_of_the_United_States
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_ethnicity_in_the_United_States
Notes:
The ethnic group “White” incorrectly includes Jewish (i.e. Edomitish) people, so that numbers relating to the ethnic group “White” are incorrectly overstated.
I first compiled these numbers some time in 2021. The data in the sources above has changed since that time, however these numbers can be relied upon to provide an indicative portrayal of changes in the ethnic composition of the population of the United States of America, in terms of both absolute numbers and percentages.