STATE POPULATION RANKINGS SUMMARY SOURCE OF DATA: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population Division, Population Paper Listing #47, Population Electronic Product #45. ALASKA'S POPULATION PROJECTIONS: 1995 TO 2025 OVERVIEW * Alaska had a population of 604 thousand people in 1995. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state ranked as the 48th most populous. By 2000, it is projected to be the 48th most populous with 653 thousand people. By 2025, it is projected to be the 45th most populous with 885 thousand people. * Over the three decades, Alaska's total population is expected to increase 281 thousand people. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state's net gain ranks as the 40th largest. Its rate of population change, at 46.6 percent, ranks as the 8th largest. From 1995 to 2000, the state would have a net increase of 50 thousand people, which would rank as the 41st largest net gain in the nation. * 0.2 percent of the nation's population resided in Alaska in 1995 (ranked 48th largest among the 50 states and District of Columbia), compared with 0.2 percent in 2000 (ranked 48th) and 0.3 percent in 2025 (ranked 45th). * Alaska is expected to gain 28 thousand people through international migration between 1995 and 2025, placing it 41st largest among the net international migration gains among the 50 states and District of Columbia. (more) -2- * Alaska is projected to rank 37th largest among the 50 states and District of Columbia in the number of persons gained through net internal migration between 1995 and 2025, losing 84 thousand persons. * During the 1995 to 2025 period, Alaska could have 422 thousand births and 105 thousand deaths. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state could rank 44th largest in births and 51st largest in deaths. It could rank 40th largest in terms of its natural increase (birth minus deaths). AGE GROUPS * The number and proportion of Alaska's population that is aged 18 and over is expected to increase from 414 thousand or 68.6 percent in 1995 to 453 thousand or 69.3 percent in 2000. This population is expected to increase to 609 thousand or 68.8 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 Alaska's population classified as youth is projected to decrease from 34.5 percent in 1995 to 34.2 percent in 2025. Its rank among the 50 states and District of Columbia is expected to be the 2nd largest proportion of youth in 1995 and the 1st 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 Alaska's population classified as elderly is expected to increase from 4.9 percent in 1995 to 10.4 percent in 2025. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state is projected to have the 51st highest proportion of elderly in 1995 and the 51st highest proportion of elderly in 2025. * Alaska'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 65.1 in 1995 to 80.6 in 2025. The 1995 and 2025 ratios rank the state as the 47th largest and 35th largest, respectively, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. (more) -4- RACE AND ETHNIC GROUPS * By 2025, non-Hispanic Whites would comprise 57.1 percent of Alaska's population, down from 73 percent in 1995. Non-Hispanic African Americans would comprise 3.9 percent of the state population in 2025, down from 4 percent in 1995. Non-Hispanic American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleut would comprise 15 percent of the 1995 state population and 10.7 percent of the 2025 state population. Non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders would increase from 4.3 percent of the 1995 state population to 21.5 percent of the 2025 state population. Persons of Hispanic origin, who may be of any race, is projected to increase from 3.8 percent of the 1995 state population to 6.7 percent of the 2025 state population. * Between 1995 and 2025, the number of non-Hispanic Whites residing in Alaska is projected to increase by 64 thousand, compared to a gain of 11 thousand for non- Hispanic African Americans, a gain of 5 thousand for non- Hispanic American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleut, a gain of 165 thousand for the non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders, and a gain of 37 thousand for persons of Hispanic origin. (more) -5- * The numeric change in Alaska's non-Hispanic White population from 1995 to 2025 ranks as the 35th largest gain among the 50 states and District of Columbia. In the same period, the non-Hispanic African American population change ranks as the 41st largest gain, while the non-Hispanic American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut population change ranks as the 31st largest gain. The non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander population change ranks as the 14th largest gain, while the Hispanic population change ranks as the 40th largest gain. * During the 30 year period, Alaska's non- Hispanic White population grew by a rate of 14.6 percent. The non-Hispanic African American population grew by 44.6 percent, the non-Hispanic American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut population grew by 5 percent, the non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander population grew by 641.1 percent, and the Hispanic population grew by 162.7 percent. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the rate of growth for non-Hispanic Whites ranks 21st largest. The non-Hispanic African American growth rate ranks 29th largest, while the non-Hispanic American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut growth rate ranks 46th largest. The non- Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander growth rate ranks 1st largest, while the Hispanic growth rate ranks 11th largest. (more) -6- * The number and proportion of Alaska's voting age population that is non-Hispanic White is projected to be 335 thousand or 74 percent in 2000. Comparable figures for the other race and ethnic groups are 18 thousand and 4 percent for non-Hispanic African Americans, 52 thousand and 11.5 percent for non-Hispanic American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleut, 29 thousand and 6.4 percent for non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders, and 19 thousand and 4.2 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).