Californias changing demographics
Nov. 23, 2005
Highlights of the California Budget Project report "Planning for California's
- The fastest-growing segment of California's population is residents age 65 and
older. That age group is expected to grow by 2.6 million between 2000 and 2020,
a 71 percent increase.
- Older Californians are expected to be healthier than previous generations, but
the sheer number of them - about 6.2 million by 2020- could tax
government-funded programs such as Medi-Cal and In-Home Supportive Services.
- The number of Hispanic and white California residents will become equal in
2010, when each group will account for 39 percent of the population. By 2020, 43
percent of the state's residents will be Hispanic and about 34 percent will be
- The white population is projected to fall by about 1 million people between
2000 and 2020, from more than 16 million to fewer than 15 million. About one in
four white residents will be age 65 or above in 2020.
- By 2014, half the children in public schools will be Hispanic. Researchers say
a sizable minority of those students will be English-language learners.
- Asians will make up the second-fastest growing demographic, with a 48 percent
increase by 2020. By that time, about 12.7 percent of the population will be of
Asian descent, the report said.
- The percentage of black residents is projected to remain stable but will be a
relatively young population in 2020, researchers say. About 28 percent will be
under 20 years old, with about 12 percent over the age of 65.
Source: California Budget Project, using U.S. Census and California Department
of Finance data.