Earlier this year, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, Pew Research Center released an article by D’Vera Cohn and Andrea Caumont compiling some of its recent demography-related findings. As is so often the case with Pew-gathered data, the findings point to repercussions for marketers and advertisers, government officials and marketing researchers.
Americans are more racially and ethnically diverse than in the past. Further, the U.S. is projected to be even more diverse in the coming decades. In fact, Pew says, by 2055, the U.S. will not have a single racial or ethnic majority.
Asia has replaced Latin America (including Mexico) as the biggest source of new immigrants to the U.S. In a reversal of one of the largest mass migrations in modern history, net migration flows from Mexico to the U.S. turned negative between 2009 and 2014, as more Mexicans went home than arrived in the U.S. Meanwhile, Asians are now the only major racial or ethnic group whose numbers are rising mainly because of immigration. And while African immigrants make up a small share of the U.S. immigrant population, their numbers are also growing steadily – roughly doubling every decade since 1970.
America’s demographic changes are shifting the electorate – and American politics. The 2016 electorate will be the most diverse in U.S. history due to strong growth among Hispanic eligible voters, particularly U.S.-born youth.
Millennials, young adults born after 1980, are the new generation to watch. They are the most racially diverse generation in American history: 43 percent of Millennial adults are non-white, the highest share of any generation.
The role of women in the labor force and leadership positions has grown dramatically. Mothers were the sole or primary breadwinner in a record 40 percent of all households with children in 2011.
The American family is changing. After...