Unprecedented Demographic Trends Define the 'Next America'

The Paul Taylor and the Pew Research Center have released a new book called The Next America, which describes a country in the “throes of a demographic overhaul.”

1 minute read

April 15, 2014, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Young Driver

An en Alain / flickr

In announcing the new book, The Next America, author Paul Taylor has written a data- and infographic-rich post detailing the unprecedented demographic changes sweeping the country. For instance:

  • “In every society since the start of history, whenever you broke down any population [by age cohort], you’d always get a pyramid.” That long-standing reality of how society ages is about the change, according to Taylor. “But from 1960 to 2060, our pyramid will turn into a rectangle.”
  • More radical changes regarding race: “In 1960, the population of the United States was 85% white; by 2060, it will be only 43% white.” A contributing factor to those changes, is the ongoing influx of non-European immigrants. The number of immigrant in this country is also about to reach new heights: “Our immigrant stock – that’s immigrants and their children – is projected to make up about 37% of our population by mid-century, the highest share in our history,” writes Taylor.
  • And finally, there’s the Millennials: “They’re America’s most racially and ethnically diverse generation ever.”

Thursday, April 10, 2014 in Pew Research Center

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