Both Maryland and the nation are moving towards becoming majority-minority, where minorities make up more than 50 percent of the population. Minorities are defined as everyone other than “non-Hispanic white alone.” For Maryland as a whole, minorities make up 45.6 percent of the population, well above the overall U.S. rate of 36.6 percent and ranked seventh among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
It is more than likely that Maryland will become a majority-minority state within the next 10 years. But even right now, Maryland is already majority-minority for almost every single age below 40. This younger age profile of minorities means that there will be an increasing share of minority births as we progress through the current decade. In addition, population growth from net natural increase (births minus deaths) will continue to be greater for minorities than non-Hispanic whites since non-Hispanic whites dominate the older age groups.
Since minorities are younger, and non-Hispanic whites are older, it is likely that growth in the labor force during the next decade will be dominated by minorities. Most entering the labor force will be minority while most leaving the labor force will be non-Hispanic white. Since the future of Maryland is one with an increasing minority labor force, it becomes imperative that policies are in place that ensures that educational, training and job opportunities are accessible to all if Maryland is to effectively compete in the world economy.
It is more than likely that Maryland will become a majority-minority state in next generation.