Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

US becomes 'more racially and ethnically diverse' as white population shrinks

US becomes 'more racially and ethnically diverse' as white population shrinks

THE white population in the US has decreased for the first time in history with significant increases among multi-racial, Hispanic, and Asian people between 2010 and 2020, according to the latest census data.

The data released on Thursday (12) underlined that the US became "more racially and ethnically diverse" and more urban in the past decade.


The latest figures from the US Census Bureau also marks the start of what will be a fierce partisan battle over redistricting, as states use the local data to begin drawing congressional and state legislative districts for the next 10 years.

According to the data, the non-Hispanic white population, which remains the largest race or ethnic group, shrank by 8.6 per cent over the decade and now accounts for 57.8 per cent of the US population - the lowest share on record.

People who identify as multi-racial increased by 276 per cent, from 9 million in 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020.

The Asian-American population meanwhile jumped 35.5 per cent to include 20 million people (six per cent of the US population). Native Americans comprise 1.1 per cent of the population.

African Americans represent some 12.4 per cent of the population (41 million people), a percentage that remained stable over the past decade, the data revealed.

For the first time as a US state, California's largest ethnic group is Hispanic, at 39.4 per cent of the population, according to the data. In Texas, another large state, the non-Hispanic white population stood at 39.7 per cent, just slightly larger than the Hispanic population at 39.3 per cent.

"While no data is perfect, we are confident that today's redistricting results meet our high data quality standards," said Ron Jarmin, the bureau's acting director.

The figures also offered new details on the country's slowing rate of population growth, which was the lowest of any 10-year period save the Great Depression in the 1930s.

More than half of all US counties lost population from 2010 to 2020, census officials said, and almost all growth occurred in metropolitan areas. As in recent decades, the South and West saw more growth than the Midwest and Northeast.

New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix are the five largest US cities; Phoenix, which grew faster than any other city in the top 10, pushed Philadelphia down to No. 6.

The fastest-growing cities across the US are in suburban areas, data showed. Buckeye, a suburb of Phoenix, saw its population increase by nearly 80 per cent to lead the nation.

The Villages, a retirement community in Florida, is the fastest-growing metro area in the country, the census said.

The data, which offers demographic and racial details of every community down to the block level, arrived months later than originally expected after the census took longer to complete due to the coronavirus pandemic. The delay has forced some states to go to court to postpone their redistricting deadlines.

States use the data to redraw district lines for the US House of Representatives after each decennial census, based on where people now reside.

In April, the bureau published state-level totals, showing that six states will gain congressional seats next year based on increased populations, as well as additional Electoral College votes starting with the 2024 presidential election. Another seven states will lose seats next year.

Electoral analysts have said Republicans, who control more statehouses than Democrats, could potentially erase the Democrats' thin advantage in the House through redistricting alone.

Some experts have questioned whether the census data may have undercounted certain populations, given both the pandemic as well as the Trump administration's unsuccessful effort to add a citizenship question to the survey. Civil rights groups had expressed concern that the failed attempt could nevertheless have dissuaded some immigrants from filling out census forms.

More For You

Rajnath Singh

The council that approved the initiation of procurement for arms and equipment is headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

India starts process to procure arms worth $12.31 billion

INDIA’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the initiation of procurement for arms and equipment worth $12.31 billion (£9.05 billion), the defence ministry said on Thursday.

The council is headed by India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Forecasts indicate that the weekend will be unsettled

Getty Images

Cooler conditions bring relief as UK heatwave ends

Key points

  • UK's second heatwave of 2025 ends with cooler temperatures setting in.
  • Tuesday recorded the year’s highest temperature at 34.7°C in London.
  • No return to heatwave conditions forecast for early July.
  • Showers expected in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, with drier weather ahead.

UK heatwave fades as cooler weather returns

Following a stretch of record-breaking heat, the UK has now entered a cooler phase, with no heatwave conditions forecast for the first half of July. This change comes after Tuesday became the hottest day of the year so far, with 34.7°C recorded in London’s St James’s Park.

However, the high temperatures that marked the start of July have now given way to more comfortable conditions. In many parts of the country, temperatures have dropped by more than 10°C, bringing relief from the extreme heat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Families slam Hancock's 'insulting' care home defence at Covid inquiry

Matt Hancock arrives ahead of his latest appearance before the Covid-19 Inquiry on July 02, 2025 in London, England.(Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Families slam Hancock's 'insulting' care home defence at Covid inquiry

BEREAVED families have condemned former health secretary Matt Hancock as "insulting" and "full of excuses" after he defended the controversial policy of moving untested hospital patients into care homes during the early days of the Covid pandemic.

Speaking at the Covid-19 inquiry on Wednesday (2), Hancock described the decision to discharge patients into care homes as "the least-worst decision" available at the time, despite the devastating death toll that followed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Getty

Starmer has said the NHS must 'reform or die' and promised changes that would control the rising costs of caring for an ageing population without increasing taxes. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Starmer outlines 10-year NHS reform strategy

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer will on Thursday launch a 10-year strategy aimed at fixing the National Health Service (NHS), which he said was in crisis. The plan seeks to ease the pressure on overstretched hospitals and shift care closer to people’s homes.

The NHS, which is publicly funded and state-run, has faced difficulties recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. It continues to experience annual winter pressures, repeated waves of industrial action, and a long backlog for elective treatments.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Reeves-Getty

Starmer and Reeves during a visit to Horiba Mira in Nuneaton, to mark the launch of the Government's Industrial Strategy on June 23, 2025 in Nuneaton. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Reeves ‘going nowhere’, says Starmer after tears in parliament

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer on Wednesday said that Chancellor Rachel Reeves would remain in her role for “a very long time to come”, after she appeared visibly upset in parliament as questions were raised about her future.

Reeves was seen with tears rolling down her face during Prime Minister’s Questions, after Starmer did not confirm whether she would remain chancellor until the next general election, expected in 2029.

Keep ReadingShow less