American Indian & Alaska Native Populations: A Statistical Portrait: Population

The nation’s American Indian and Alaska Native resident population grew by 456,292 between 2000 and 2010, to 2.9 million.

[SOURCE: Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010]

The American Indian and Alaska Native resident population has grown more rapidly than the nation’s population as a whole during the last decade, 18% versus 9.7% between 2000 and 2010.

[SOURCE: The American Indian and Alaska Native Population: 2010]

Despite its steady growth over the last 10 years, the nation’s American Indian and Alaska Native Population remained at 0.9% of the total population in 2010.

[SOURCE: Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010]

According to population projections, the nation’s American Indian and Alaska Native resident population will grow to 6.3 million by 2060. This means that this race group will increase its population by more than half from now to 2060, and will increase its percentage of the total population from 1.2% to 1.5%.

[SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau Projections Show a Slower Growing, Older, More Diverse Nation a Half Century from Now]

43.8% of the American Indian and Alaska Native population reported multiple races in 2010. The only race group with a higher percentage of individuals reporting multiple races was Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (55.9% reported multiple races) in 2010.

[SOURCE: Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010]

About 63% of the American Indian and Alaska Native population who reported having multiple races, reported one race combination: White and Native American and Alaska Native. White and Native American and Alaska Native is the fourth largest multiple-race combination in the United States in 2010. 1.4 million people have this race combination.

[SOURCE: Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010]

The nation’s American Indian and Alaska Native resident population is young, with an estimated median age of 29 years in 2010, 8 years lower than the median for the population as a whole.

[SOURCE: Profile America: Facts for Features -- American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2011]

There were an estimated 266,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives age 65 and over residing in the United States as of 2012, while 1.3 million American Indians and Alaska Natives are age 19 or younger.

[SOURCE: Statistical Abstract of the United States Table 10: Resident Population By Race, Hispanic Origin, And Age: 2010 And 2012]