Washington Post
1) The rise of minorities — and decline of whites . In 1980, 80 percent of the U.S. population was white. Now, that’s 63 percent; by 2060, it’s projected to be about 44 percent. Meanwhile, Hispanics have gone from 6 percent in 1980 to 17 percent and are projected to reach 29 percent by 2060. Asian Americans (and “others”) are expected to double from 8 percent now to 15 percent by 2060. The proportion of African Americans, now 12 to 13 percent, is estimated to stay stable.
2) A graying America. People age 50 and older now represent one-third of the population, up from one-fourth in 1980. By 2060, their share is forecast to exceed two-fifths. By contrast, those age 18 to 39 are then expected to be about a quarter of the total.
3) Generational shifts. These are inevitable, of course. The World War II generation is mostly gone (it’s 1 percent of the population). And baby boomers, born from 1946 to 1964, no longer dominate. They’re 24 percent of today’s population, slightly behind “millennials,” born from 1981 to 2000, at 27 percent, and slightly ahead of Generation X, born from 1965 to 1980, at 21 percent.
4) The rise of unmarried voters. This is perhaps the most surprising finding. In 1974, 70 percent of eligible voters were married, 30 percent unmarried. Now, the split is 52 percent married, 48 percent not, reflecting fewer and later marriages, more divorces and more widowed elderly.
