The white population in the US declined for the first time in history between 2015 and 2016, a report by the US Census Bureau says. According to the document, the trend continued into the following year, with the white population shrinking by 0.2%, to 197.8 million people. The report also noted that the average age of the white population in the US also rose to 43.5 years old.
At the same time, the Hispanic population grew by 2.1%, the African American population by 1.2% and the number of people of Asian origin by 3.1% over the course of the year. The average age of a US citizen reached 38 years in 2017, according to the report.
Molly Cromwell, a Census Bureau demographer, believes the aging baby boomers are the reason for the trend. A low influx of immigrants from Europe paired with a mortality rate overshadowing the birthrate has also contributed to the white population's decline, the report says.
The news comes amid Trump's campaign against illegal immigration. One of his recent moves, the introduction of a "zero tolerance" policy against those who violate the US border, has led to the separation of children of illegal immigrants from their parents. The policy has provoked severe public backlash, eventually leading to Trump issuing an executive order on June 20 to stop the separations.
