Though racial minorities in North Dakota continue to represent a relatively small proportion of the state’s total population (less than one in 10), their numbers are rising.

This month’s “Population Bulletin,” a monthly publication from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University, presents the July 1, 2006, population estimates by race as released by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Branch. These estimates reveal a continuing increase in population diversity throughout North Dakota. The state’s racial minority population (nonwhite or multiple races) totaled 51,751, which is 8.1 percent of the state’s population of 635,867.

While the white population (which comprises the vast majority of all people in the state) declined 2.1 percent (12,602 people) from 2000 through 2006, the racial minority population in North Dakota grew 13.8 percent (6,269 people).

“We need to keep context in mind when we interpret the growth of our state’s minority population,” says Richard Rathge, State Data Center director. “Even though our racial minority population grew by nearly 14 percent, the actual numeric change is relatively small.”

The American Indian population, North Dakota’s largest racial minority, grew by 2,750 from 2000 through 2006, an increase of 8.7 percent. During the same period, the black population grew by 1,105 (26.6 percent), Asian population by 1,128 (28.8 percent) and people of multiple races by 1,286 (21.5 percent).

The Hispanic population (an ethnic category reported separately from race) represents 1.7 percent of North Dakota’s population and grew by 2,851 people (36.6 percent) from 2000 through 2006. Nationally, the Hispanic population grew 25.5 percent from 2000 through 2006.

NDSU Agriculture Communication