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.

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     *    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.

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     *    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.

















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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.









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     *    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.





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     *    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).