NCLR
New Mexico
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA www.nclr.org
State Fact Sheet
As the data below show, Hispanics✝ are quickly becoming a population with a national presence. The most dramatic Latino population growth has occurred in "nontraditional" states, and Hispanics are now the largest minority in the country. Given that almost half of Hispanics are under 25 years old, they will constitute a large segment of the future U.S. population, workforce, and electorate.
New Mexico Compared to the Nation ▼ ▼
▼
New Mexico Hispanic Population, by Age: 2003
New Mexico is the state with the eighth-largest Latino population.1 Between 1990 and 2000, the growth rate of the Latino population in New Mexico ranked 46th in the country.1 Of all states, New Mexico has the largest share of Latinos when compared to the total state population.1
U.S.
Growth Rate (1990-2000)1
Total
Hispanic
Hispanic Percent of Population2
282,909,885
39,194,837
13.9%
13.2%
57.9%
36.0 years
26.7 years
1,838,277
797,141
43.4%
20.1%
32.1%
35.6 years
29.2 years
Population (2003)2
New Mexico
Total
Hispanic
Total
Hispanic
Hispanic Proportion Total (2003) Hispanic (2003) of Total In Labor Force Participation Rate* Unemployed Unemployment Rate Population Below Poverty Level Percent of Population Below Poverty Population Under 18 (Children)2 Children Below Poverty Level Percent of Children Below Poverty 2
5-19 yrs. 26.9%
30-44 yrs. 21.6%
20-29 yrs. 15.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2003 American Community Survey
New Mexico Hispanic Population, by Ethnic Subgroup: 2003
Latinos make a significant contribution to the labor force, representing an increasing share of workers and taxpayers, yet they are overwhelmingly vulnerable to economic downturns and experience high poverty rates, especially among working families with children.
3
45-64 yrs. 18.8%
Under 5 yrs. 8.7%
Median Age (2003)2
Economic Well-Being ▼
Over 65 yrs. 8.5%
897,000 64.0% 57,000 6.4%
398,000 66.3% 30,000 7.5%
44.4% -52.6% --
340,196 18.6% 489,683 125,444 25.6%
190,073 24.0% 253,177 78,314 30.9%
55.9% -51.7% 62.4% --
* The Labor Force Participation Rate is calculated using the civilian, noninstitutionalized population, not the total population.
Median Household Income (2003):2 Hispanic Median Household Income (2003):2
$34,805 $28,566
Other Hispanic 42.6%
M exican 55.5% Cuban 0.3% Central and South American 0.6%
Puerto Rican 0.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2003 American Community Survey
New Mexico Hispanic Population, by Citizenship Status: 2000
Foreign-born, naturalized citizens 4.4%
Foreign-born, not yet citizens 10.5%
Native-born citizens 85.1% ✝ The terms "Hispanic" and "Latino" are used interchangeably by the U.S. Census Bureau and throughout this document to identify persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, Dominican, and Spanish descent; they may be of any race.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000