Here is how fast America is changing according to U.S. Census projections: By the time today’s teenagers hit their 30s, there will be—for the first time ever—more minorities than whites, more old people than children, and more people practicing Islam than Judaism, Axios reports.
The slow demographic shifts we’ve watched over the decades will finally reach a tipping point in the 2040s, transforming what America looks like. Americans will be older and less white in the 2040s. Only 45% of 30-year-olds will be non-Hispanic whites in 2040. And minorities will become the majority in the U.S. by 2045
There will be more old people than children for the first time because of the falling fertility rates, the Census data shows. More than 1 in 5 Americans will be over the age of 65, putting a new level of stress on the nation’s Social Security and health care systems.
Immigrants will make up a record-breaking share of the population and will have a crucial role in carrying the economic load created by the elderly Boomers and Gen X-ers.
The vast majority of the U.S. population (87%) will live in urban areas, according to UN projections. The nation’s cities will likely continue to accumulate all the power, technology and wealth, while rural areas fall behind. Just 20 years ago, less than half the world lived in urban areas, but in another 20 years close to two-thirds of the world population will live in cities.
