STATE POPULATION RANKINGS SUMMARY SOURCE OF DATA: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Population Division, Population Paper Listing #47, Population Electronic Product #45. WYOMING'S POPULATION PROJECTIONS: 1995 TO 2025 OVERVIEW * Wyoming had a population of 480 thousand people in 1995. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state ranked as the 51st most populous. By 2000, it is projected to be the 50th most populous with 525 thousand people. By 2025, it is projected to be the 49th most populous with 694 thousand people. * Over the three decades, Wyoming's total population is expected to increase 214 thousand people. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state's net gain ranks as the 42nd largest. Its rate of population change, at 44.6 percent, ranks as the 11th largest. From 1995 to 2000, the state would have a net increase of 45 thousand people, which would rank as the 43rd largest net gain in the nation. * 0.2 percent of the nation's population resided in Wyoming in 1995 (ranked 51st largest among the 50 states and District of Columbia), compared with 0.2 percent in 2000 (ranked 50th) and 0.2 percent in 2025 (ranked 49th). * Wyoming is expected to gain 2 thousand people through international migration between 1995 and 2025, placing it 51st largest among the net international migration gains among the 50 states and District of Columbia. (more) -2- * Wyoming is projected to rank 22nd largest among the 50 states and District of Columbia in the number of persons gained through net internal migration between 1995 and 2025, gaining 111 thousand persons. * During the 1995 to 2025 period, Wyoming could have 244 thousand births and 160 thousand deaths. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state could rank 50th largest in births and 50th largest in deaths. It could rank 42nd largest in terms of its natural increase (birth minus deaths). AGE GROUPS * The number and proportion of Wyoming's population that is aged 18 and over is expected to increase from 344 thousand or 71.6 percent in 1995 to 386 thousand or 73.6 percent in 2000. This population is expected to increase to 525 thousand or 75.6 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 Wyoming's population classified as youth is projected to decrease from 31.7 percent in 1995 to 27 percent in 2025. Its rank among the 50 states and District of Columbia is expected to be the 7th largest proportion of youth in 1995 and the 12th 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 Wyoming's population classified as elderly is expected to increase from 11.1 percent in 1995 to 20.9 percent in 2025. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the state is projected to have the 44th highest proportion of elderly in 1995 and the 18th highest proportion of elderly in 2025. * Wyoming'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 74.7 in 1995 to 91.7 in 2025. The 1995 and 2025 ratios rank the state as the 16th largest and 7th largest, respectively, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. (more) -4- RACE AND ETHNIC GROUPS * By 2025, non-Hispanic Whites would comprise 83.7 percent of Wyoming's population, down from 90.8 percent in 1995. Non-Hispanic African Americans would comprise 1 percent of the state population in 2025, up from 0.7 percent in 1995. Non-Hispanic American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleut would comprise 2 percent of the 1995 state population and 3.6 percent of the 2025 state population. Non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders would increase from 0.7 percent of the 1995 state population to 1.4 percent of the 2025 state population. Persons of Hispanic origin, who may be of any race, is projected to increase from 5.9 percent of the 1995 state population to 10.3 percent of the 2025 state population. * Between 1995 and 2025, the number of non-Hispanic Whites residing in Wyoming is projected to increase by 146 thousand, compared to a gain of 4 thousand for non- Hispanic African Americans, a gain of 15 thousand for non- Hispanic American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleut, a gain of 6 thousand for the non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders, and a gain of 43 thousand for persons of Hispanic origin. (more) -5- * The numeric change in Wyoming's non-Hispanic White population from 1995 to 2025 ranks as the 30th largest gain among the 50 states and District of Columbia. In the same period, the non-Hispanic African American population change ranks as the 46th largest gain, while the non-Hispanic American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut population change ranks as the 15th largest gain. The non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander population change ranks as the 48th largest gain, while the Hispanic population change ranks as the 37th largest gain. * During the 30 year period, Wyoming's non- Hispanic White population grew by a rate of 33.4 percent. The non-Hispanic African American population grew by 105.4 percent, the non-Hispanic American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut population grew by 161.8 percent, the non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander population grew by 198.7 percent, and the Hispanic population grew by 152.8 percent. Among the 50 states and District of Columbia, the rate of growth for non-Hispanic Whites ranks 3rd largest. The non-Hispanic African American growth rate ranks 3rd largest, while the non-Hispanic American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut growth rate ranks 1st largest. The non- Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander growth rate ranks 2nd largest, while the Hispanic growth rate ranks 17th largest. (more) -6- * The number and proportion of Wyoming's voting age population that is non-Hispanic White is projected to be 351 thousand or 90.8 percent in 2000. Comparable figures for the other race and ethnic groups are 3 thousand and 0.8 percent for non-Hispanic African Americans, 7 thousand and 1.8 percent for non-Hispanic American Indians, Eskimos, and Aleut, 3 thousand and 0.8 percent for non-Hispanic Asians and Pacific Islanders, and 22 thousand and 5.8 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).