Attribute to: Stella U. Ogunwole, statistician/demographer, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau

We released a report on the population indicating Ethiopian, Nigerian, Haitian, Jamaican, and Trinidadian and Tobagonian ancestry in the United States. The report is based on data from the 2008 to 2012 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates. It presents and compares selected geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics of these groups.

Attribute to: Stella U. Ogunwole, statistician/demographer, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau

These are ancestry groups that have been little-researched in the past, so we wanted to use quality data such as the American Community Survey to document this growing diversity of ethnic groups that have come to the United States.  This information can also be used in making informed decisions by the groups themselves as well as policy makers, local businesses and planners.

Attribute to: Darryl T. Cohen, geographer, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau

The populations with Haitian, Jamaican, and Trinidadian and Tobagonian ancestries were most concentrated in Florida and New York. The largest percentage of Ethiopian ancestry population lived in California while Texas had the largest percentage of Nigerian ancestry population. Within the metro areas, Miami had the largest population with Haitian ancestry.

The New York metro area had the largest concentrations of Nigerian, Jamaican, and Trinidadian and Tobagonians ancestry populations, while the largest population of Ethiopian ancestry was in the Washington metro area.

Attribute to: Stella U. Ogunwole, statistician/demographer, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau

One notable demographic pattern is the younger age structure of the selected ancestry groups compared to the overall U.S. population. The median age of the U.S. population was 37 years compared with a range of about 30 years for Ethiopian, Nigerian, and Haitian ancestry groups to 36 years for those reporting Trinidadian and Tobagonian ancestry. This younger age structure is reflected in the relatively higher labor force participation rates of these groups.

Attribute to: Stella U. Ogunwole, statistician/demographer, Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau

One of the most interesting findings is that 61 percent of the population reporting Nigerian ancestry 25 years and older, had a bachelor's degree or higher. That's more than twice the U.S. rate of 28.5 percent, and the highest among the selected ancestry groups.