“The Growing Diversity of Black America” (2021)

“The Growing Diversity of Black America” (2021)

AP African American Studies Guide

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Topic 4.16

Excerpts and Charts from Christine Tamir, “The Growing Diversity of Black America,” Pew Research Center (2021)

The Black population of the United States is diverse. Its members have varied histories in the nation – many are descendants of enslaved people, while others are recently arrived immigrants. The Black population also has nuanced ethnic and racial identities reflecting intermarriage and international migration. As a result, there are key distinctions in demographic and economic characteristics between different parts of the national Black population, highlighting its diverse multitude of backgrounds.

The U.S. Black population is also growing. In 2019, 46.8 million people in the U.S. identified their race as Black, either alone or as part of a multiracial or ethnic background. That is up from 36.2 million in 2000.[1] The Black share of the U.S. population is higher today than in 2000 as well. About 14% of the national population said they were Black in 2019, up from 13% who did so in 2000. . . .

The nation’s Black population is changing in other ways too. A growing share are foreign born, the population is aging (though some segments are significantly younger), and a growing share are college graduates. These trends and more are explored in this report. . . .

Footnote

  1. The 2000 decennial census is the first to allow Americans to select more than one race when asked about their racial background (for more, see “Race and Multiracial Americans in the U.S. Census”). Prior to 2000, decennial censuses allowed for only one race selection.

Figures and Data from the Pew Research Center

Mountain chart showing change over time in Black (single race, non-Hispanic or Latino), Multiracial Black (non-Hispanic or Latino), and Black Hispanic or Latino populations, in beige, green, and tan, respectively.
Horizontal stacked bar chart showing differences in Black population by generation, and differentiating between Black (single race, non-Hispanic or Latino), Multiracial Black (non-Hispanic or Latino), and Black Hispanic or Latino populations by generation.
Map of the contiguous US (with Alaska and Hawaii as a smaller inset) broken up by region, with percentages of the Black population in each region. Key metropolitan areas are noted with red circles and population callouts.
Stacked bar charts with US Black population by decade in the South (dark green) and other regions (light green), from 1900 through 2019.
Stacked bar charts with percentage of Black US adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree (dark green) or a master's or higher (light green), from 2000 to 2019. Below is a line chart of total population of each group, from 2000 to 2019.
Line chart representing increase in Black immigrant population from 2000 to 2019. Below, a pie chart of Black US immigrants from the Caribbean (dark green), Africa (light green), other origins (gray)
Horizontal stacked bar chart showing percentages of Black household earning categories, from less than $25,000 to $100,000+.

 

U.S. Black Population, 2000 to 2019.
Note: Populations rounded to the nearest 100,000. Population numbers may not sum to total for a given year due to rounding. “All” refers to all people who self-identify as Black, inclusive of single-race Black, multiracial Black and Black Hispanic people. “Single race” refers to people who self-identify as Black alone and do not identify as Hispanic or Latino. “Multiracial” refers to people who self-identify as Black and one or more races in combination, but do not identify as Hispanic or Latino. “Black Hispanic” refers to people who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino and as Black (multiracial or otherwise).
  All Single race % Multiracial % Black Hispanic %
2000 36,200,000 33,700,000 93% 1,500,000 4% 1,000,000 3%
2006 39,200,000 36,400,000 93% 1,700,000 4% 1,000,000 3%
2007 39,600,000 36.600,000 92% 1,900,000 5% 1,100,000 3%
2008 40,300,000 36,800,000 91% 2,100,000 5% 1,400,000 4%
2009 41,000,000 37,200,000 91% 2,300,000 6% 1,500,000 5%
2010 42,100,000 37,900,000 90% 2,500,000 6% 1,700,000 4%
2011 42,600,000 38,200,000 90% 2,700,000 6% 1,700,000 4%
2012 43,200,000 38,500,000 89% 2,800,000 6% 1,900,000 4%
2013 43,700,000 38,900,000 89% 2,900,000 7% 1,900,000 4%
2014 44,300,000 39,300,000 89% 3,100,000 7% 1,900,000 4%
2015 44,700,000 39,700,000 89% 3,100,000 7% 1,900,000 4%
2016 45,200,000 39,800,000 88% 3,400,000 7% 2,000,000 4%
2017 45,900,000 40,100,000 88% 3,500,000 8% 2,200,000 5%
2018 46,300,000 40,400,000 87% 3,600,000 8% 2,300,000 5%
2019 46,800,000 40,700,000 87% 3,700,000 8% 2,400,000 5%

Source: Christine Tamir, “The Growing Diversity of Black America,” Pew Research Center, March 25, 2021. Read the full report on the Pew Research Center website.