California is already the most populous state in the country and it will only continue to grow by 2060, the state said in new projections. The new study also found that Hispanics will soon outnumber whites in the state.
The state’s Department of Finance predicts that California will cross the 50 million threshold by 2049, notes The Los Angeles Times. By 2060, it will reach 52.7 million, a growth of 39 percent from today. The study notes that this population growth alone is equal to what would be the fifth most populous state in the Union.
California will also experience a major demographic change just in the next year. By early 2014, Hispanics will make up a majority. By 2020, Hispanics will be 41 percent of the population, with whites only making up 37 percent, reports The Associated Press. Looking even further ahead, Hispanics will make up 50 percent by 2060.
However, the study found that Asians will make up just over 13 percent of the population by that time even as the Asian population continues to grow.
Overall, the U.S. Census Bureau says that the population of Hispanics and Asians will double by 2060 and by 2043, minorities will make up a larger part of the population than whites, according to Bloomberg.