STATE POPULATION RANKINGS SUMMARY SOURCE OF DATA: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population Division, Population Paper Listing #47, Population Electronic Product #45. RHODE ISLAND'S POPULATION PROJECTIONS: 1995 TO 2025 OVERVIEW * Rhode Island had a population of 990 thousand people in 1995. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state ranked as the 43rd most populous. By 2000, it is projected to be the 43rd most populous with 998 thousand people. By 2025, it is projected to be the 43rd most populous with 1.1 million people. * Over the three decades, Rhode Island's total population is expected to increase 151 thousand people. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state's net gain ranks as the 45th largest. Its rate of population change, at 15.3 percent, ranks as the 37th largest. From 1995 to 2000, the state would have a net increase of 8 thousand people, which would rank as the 50th largest net gain in the nation. * 0.4 percent of the nation's population resided in Rhode Island in 1995 (ranked 43rd largest among the 50 states and District of Columbia), compared with 0.4 percent in 2000 (ranked 43rd) and 0.3 percent in 2025 (ranked 43rd). * Rhode Island is expected to gain 113 thousand people through international migration between 1995 and 2025, placing it 24th largest among the net international migration gains among the 50 states and District of Columbia. (more) -2- * Rhode Island is projected to rank 39th largest among the 50 states and District of Columbia in the number of persons gained through net internal migration between 1995 and 2025, losing 94 thousand persons. * During the 1995 to 2025 period, Rhode Island could have 423 thousand births and 318 thousand deaths. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state could rank 43rd largest in births and 43rd largest in deaths. It could rank 45th largest in terms of its natural increase (birth minus deaths). AGE GROUPS * The number and proportion of Rhode Island's population that is aged 18 and over is expected to increase from 752 thousand or 76 percent in 1995 to 753 thousand or 75.5 percent in 2000. This population is expected to increase to 871 thousand or 76.3 percent in 2025. * All states and the District of Columbia are projected to show a decline in the proportion of youth (under 20 years old) in their populations. The percentage of Rhode Island's population classified as youth is projected to increase from 26.3 percent in 1995 to 26.4 percent in 2025. Its rank among the 50 states and District of Columbia is expected to be the 47th largest proportion of youth in 1995 and the 18th largest proportion of youth in 2025. (more) -3- * As the Baby Boom generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) reaches retirement age, the growth of the elderly population (65 and over) is expected to accelerate rapidly. The size of the elderly population is projected to increase in all states and the District of Columbia over the 30 year period. The proportion of Rhode Island's population classified as elderly is expected to increase from 15.7 percent in 1995 to 18.8 percent in 2025. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state is projected to have the 3rd highest proportion of elderly in 1995 and the 34th highest proportion of elderly in 2025. * Rhode Island's dependency ratio, the number of youth (under age 20) and elderly (ages 65 and over) there would be for every 100 people of working ages (20 to 64 years of age), could rise from 72.6 in 1995 to 82.6 in 2025. The 1995 and 2025 ratios rank the state as the 21st largest and 27th largest, respectively, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. (more) -4- RACE AND ETHNIC GROUPS * By 2025, non-Hispanic Whites would comprise 73.5 percent of Rhode Island's population, down from 87.7 percent in 1995. Non-Hispanic African Americans would comprise 5.2 percent of the state population in 2025, up from 3.8 percent in 1995. Non-Hispanic American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleut would comprise 0.4 percent of the 1995 state population and 0.7 percent of the 2025 state population. Non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders would increase from 2.1 percent of the 1995 state population to 5.2 percent of the 2025 state population. Persons of Hispanic origin, who may be of any race, is projected to increase from 6.1 percent of the 1995 state population to 15.4 percent of the 2025 state population. * Between 1995 and 2025, the number of non-Hispanic Whites residing in Rhode Island is projected to decrease by 29 thousand, compared to a gain of 22 thousand for non- Hispanic African Americans, a gain of 4 thousand for non- Hispanic American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleut, a gain of 39 thousand for the non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders, and a gain of 116 thousand for persons of Hispanic origin. (more) -5- * The numeric change in Rhode Island's non-Hispanic White population from 1995 to 2025 ranks as the 43rd largest gain among the 50 states and District of Columbia. In the same period, the non-Hispanic African American population change ranks as the 38th largest gain, while the non-Hispanic American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut population change ranks as the 32nd largest gain. The non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander population change ranks as the 32nd largest gain, while the Hispanic population change ranks as the 29th largest gain. * During the 30 year period, Rhode Island's non- Hispanic White population shrank by a rate of 3.4 percent. The non-Hispanic African American population grew by 57.5 percent, the non-Hispanic American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut population grew by 115.4 percent, the non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander population grew by 190.9 percent, and the Hispanic population grew by 192.6 percent. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the rate of growth for non-Hispanic Whites ranks 47th largest. The non-Hispanic African American growth rate ranks 19th largest, while the non-Hispanic American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut growth rate ranks 2nd largest. The non- Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander growth rate ranks 3rd largest, while the Hispanic growth rate ranks 3rd largest. (more) -6- * The number and proportion of Rhode Island's voting age population that is non-Hispanic White is projected to be 661 thousand or 87.8 percent in 2000. Comparable figures for the other race and ethnic groups are 26 thousand and 3.4 percent for non-Hispanic African Americans, 3 thousand and 0.3 percent for non-Hispanic American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleut, 17 thousand and 2.2 percent for non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders, and 47 thousand and 6.3 percent for persons of Hispanic origin. Source: Figures are from Series A (the Preferred Series) as reported in Campbell, Paul R., 1996, "Population Projections for States, by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin: 1995 to 2025," Report PPL-47, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population Division. Most of these data are available in files found on the Population Projections section of the World Wide Web's Census Bureau Home Page (http://www.census.gov).