Population Distribution by Age, Race, and Nativity, 1860–2010

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

The following table lists the U.S. population from 1860 to 2010 according to age, race, and nativity.

Race and nativity
AgeWhite1
Year Total Under 5 5–19 20–44 45–64 65 and
over
Total Native
born
Foreign
born
BlackOther
races1
Percent distribution
18602100.0%15.4%35.8%35.7%10.4%2.7%85.6%72.6%13.0%14.1%0.3%
18702100.0 14.3 35.4 35.4 11.9 3.0 87.1 72.9 14.2 12.7 0.2
18802100.0 13.8 34.3 35.9 12.6 3.4 86.5 73.4 13.1 13.1 0.3
18903100.0 12.2 33.9 36.9 13.1 3.9 87.5 73.0 14.5 11.9 0.3
1900 100.0 12.1 32.3 37.7 13.7 4.1 87.9 74.5 13.4 11.6 0.5
1910 100.0 11.6 30.4 39.0 14.6 4.3 88.9 74.4 14.5 10.7 0.4
1920 100.0 10.9 29.8 38.4 16.1 4.7 89.7 76.7 13.0 9.9 0.4
1930 100.0 9.3 29.5 38.3 17.4 5.4 89.8 78.4 11.4 9.7 0.5
1940 100.0 8.0 26.4 38.9 19.8 6.8 89.8 81.1 8.7 9.8 0.4
1950 100.0 10.7 23.2 37.6 20.3 8.1 89.5 82.8 6.7 10.0 0.5
1960 100.0 11.3 27.1 32.2 20.1 9.2 88.6 83.4 5.2 10.5 0.9
19702100.0 8.4 29.5 31.7 20.6 9.8 87.6 83.4 4.3 11.1 1.4
1980 100.0 7.2 24.8 37.1 19.6 11.3 83.1 11.7 5.2
1990 100.0 7.6 21.3 40.1 18.6 12.5 83.9 12.3 3.8
2000100.06.821.837.022.012.475.1412.3410.15
20056100.06.820.735.424.612.480.212.847.05
2010100.06.517.526.626.413.075.112.946.2
NOTES: Data exclude armed forces overseas.
(—) Data not available.
1. The racial census data for 1980 and all years following are not directly comparable to those of other years because of changes in the way some persons reported their race, as well as changes in procedures relating to racial classification.
2. Excludes persons for whom age is not available.
3. Excludes persons enumerated in the Indian Territory and on Indian reservations.
4. Includes only those claiming one race only.
5. Includes American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and those claiming more than one race.
6. Estimated.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census. Web: www.census.gov.

National Censuses, 1790–2000PopulationPopulation Explosion Among Older Americans
Population
Sources +