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Show Utah Population by Race, Ethnicity Compiled by Dan Bergantz 2000 Utah Minorities: 10.8% The health status of a population often varies by race and ethnicity. Groups of racial and ethnic minorities often face cultural, economic, and sometimes language barriers when seeking needed healthcare. This problem may be exacerbated in Utah's future due to a recent cut in government spending for ethnic health programs. The percentage of those who are black in Utah is consistent with other Mountain West states. Of these states, Colorado's black population is the highest at 3.8%, while Montana's is the lowest at 0.3%. Additionally, the percentage of those who are of Pacific Island decent (excluding Asian) in Utah is the second highest percentage in the nation at 0.7%. Hawaii has the highest percentage of Pacific Islanders at 9.4%. Most notable is the increase of the Hispanic population both in Utah and the U.S. In Utah, the Hispanic population increased by 4.9 percentage points between 1980 and 2000. This increase, coupled with the barriers to healthcare that ethnic minority groups often face, causes concern over the ability of Utah to meet the healthcare needs of its ethnic populations, especially those of Hispanic origin. Table 6. Percent Population by Race/Ethnicity, Utah and U.S., 1980-2000. Native Asian/ American/ Pacific Alaskan Year White Black Hispanic3 Islander Native Other Utah 1980 94.6% 0.6% 4.1% 1.0% 1.3% 2.4% 1990 93.8% 0.7% 4.9% 1.9% 1.4% 2.2% 2000 89.2% 0.8% 9.0% 2.4% 1.3% 4.2% United States 1980 85.9% 11.8% 6.4% 1990 80.3% 12.1% 9.0% 2000 75.1% 12.8% 12.5% 1.6% 0.6% 3.0% 2.9% 0.8% 3.9% 3.7% 0.9% 5.5% aThose who report Hispanic origin can be of any race. 10% - u.s 2.5% Asian/ Native Pacific American/ Islander Alaskan Native Other -15% J Race/Ethnicity Figure 5. Percent Increase in Population by Race/Ethnicity, Utah and U.S., 1980-2000. Sources: Utah Governor"s Office of Planning and Budget (2002). 2002 Economic Report to the Governor. Salt Lake City: Government Printing Office. U. S. Census Bureau (2002). 2007 Statistical Abstract of the United States. [Online] http://www.census.gov/statab/www/. Retrieved 3/5/02. Utah's Health: An Annual Review Volume VIII 53 |