Although racial minorities in North Dakota continue to represent a relatively small proportion of the state’s total population (fewer than one in 10), the racial minority population has grown by one-fourth during the past nine years.

This month’s “Population Bulletin,” a monthly publication from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University, presents the July 1, 2009, population estimates by race and ethnicity as released from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population Division.

These estimates reveal a continuing increase in population diversity throughout North Dakota.

The state’s racial minority population (people who are nonwhite or report multiple races) totaled 57,732, which is 9 percent of the state’s total population. While the racial minority population in North Dakota grew 27 percent (12,250 people) from 2000 to 2009, the white population decreased by 1 percent (7,606 people).

“The increased diversity we are seeing in North Dakota reflects a larger trend appearing throughout the nation,” says Richard Rathge, State Data Center director. “This change, although relatively small in numbers, is happening in rural as well as urban areas of our state.”

The American Indian population, North Dakota’s largest racial minority, grew by 4,818 (15 percent). During the same period of time, the black population grew by 3,656 people (88 percent), Asian by 1,734 (44 percent) and people of multiple races by 2,042 (34 percent).

The Hispanic population (an ethnic category reported separately from race) represents 2 percent of North Dakota’s total population and grew by 6,932 people (89 percent) from 2000 to 2009.

Nationally, the Hispanic population grew 37 percent from 2000 to 2009.

NDSU Agriculture Communication