If not for growth in the Hispanic population, Nebraska and the nation as a whole would not be growing much at all, the latest data from the Census Bureau shows.
Nebraska added about 10,300 residents between 2022 and 2023, with 8,500 of them Hispanic, according to the latest population estimates. That Hispanic growth accounted for more than 80% of Nebraska's total population gain.
Hispanic residents likewise propelled the nation’s growth last year, accounting for just under three-quarters of the nation's population increase.
“The Hispanic population is expanding at a substantially faster rate than the non-Hispanic population,” said Kristie Wilder, a demographer for the Census Bureau.
Wilder said about two-thirds of the Hispanic population growth nationally is due to births exceeding deaths, with one-third due to migration.
In all, 43 states gained population last year. In 27 of them, Hispanic population growth outpaced the growth of the non-Hispanic population.
Iowa was among 13 states where the Hispanic population growth essentially accounted for all of the increased population. Iowa added an estimated 8,300 Hispanic residents during the year, but the state's total population only grew by 7,300 residents. If not for the increase in Hispanic residents, Iowa would have lost population.
In Nebraska, the numbers showed that the state's Hispanic population grew by 3.4% in 2023 while the rest of the population grew only 0.1%. Nationally, Hispanic population growth was 1.8% and non-Hispanic gains were 0.2%.
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David Drozd, a Nebraska demographer who has long studied the state’s population trends, noted that the Hispanic population has been the biggest driver of Nebraska’s population growth for some time.
But he noted that in the previous decade, Nebraska's Asian population grew at a faster rate than the Hispanic population. That was not true in the latest estimates, which showed that a 1.5% increase for Asians compared with the 3.4% Hispanic gains.
“The Hispanic-Latino population has reasserted itself as the fastest growing population group,” Drozd said.
Taken together, people of color accounted for all of Nebraska’s population growth. The state’s non-Hispanic White population dropped by 2,100 residents. Meanwhile, besides the 8,500 additional Hispanic residents, Nebraska added 1,600 Black residents, just over 800 Asian residents and 1,500 residents of two or more races.
Of Nebraska’s total estimated population of 1,978,000 in 2023, non-Hispanic White residents still remained by far the largest group at just over 76%. Some 13% of the population is Hispanic, 5% Black, nearly 3% Asian and just under 1% Native American.
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Nebraska added about 10,300 residents between 2022 and 2023, with 8,500 of them Hispanic, according to the latest population estimates. That Hispanic growth accounted for more than 80% of Nebraska's total population gain.
Hispanic residents likewise propelled the nation’s growth last year, accounting for just under three-quarters of the nation's population increase.
“The Hispanic population is expanding at a substantially faster rate than the non-Hispanic population,” said Kristie Wilder, a demographer for the Census Bureau.
Wilder said about two-thirds of the Hispanic population growth nationally is due to births exceeding deaths, with one-third due to migration.
In all, 43 states gained population last year. In 27 of them, Hispanic population growth outpaced the growth of the non-Hispanic population.
Iowa was among 13 states where the Hispanic population growth essentially accounted for all of the increased population. Iowa added an estimated 8,300 Hispanic residents during the year, but the state's total population only grew by 7,300 residents. If not for the increase in Hispanic residents, Iowa would have lost population.
In Nebraska, the numbers showed that the state's Hispanic population grew by 3.4% in 2023 while the rest of the population grew only 0.1%. Nationally, Hispanic population growth was 1.8% and non-Hispanic gains were 0.2%.
Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts
David Drozd, a Nebraska demographer who has long studied the state’s population trends, noted that the Hispanic population has been the biggest driver of Nebraska’s population growth for some time.
But he noted that in the previous decade, Nebraska's Asian population grew at a faster rate than the Hispanic population. That was not true in the latest estimates, which showed that a 1.5% increase for Asians compared with the 3.4% Hispanic gains.
“The Hispanic-Latino population has reasserted itself as the fastest growing population group,” Drozd said.
Taken together, people of color accounted for all of Nebraska’s population growth. The state’s non-Hispanic White population dropped by 2,100 residents. Meanwhile, besides the 8,500 additional Hispanic residents, Nebraska added 1,600 Black residents, just over 800 Asian residents and 1,500 residents of two or more races.
Of Nebraska’s total estimated population of 1,978,000 in 2023, non-Hispanic White residents still remained by far the largest group at just over 76%. Some 13% of the population is Hispanic, 5% Black, nearly 3% Asian and just under 1% Native American.
Hispanic residents account for over 80% of Nebraska population growth
If not for growth in the Hispanic population, Nebraska and the nation as a whole would not be growing much at all, the latest data from the Census Bureau shows.
