Now 38.1 million strong, African-Americans/Blacks are a growing, vital part of the overall U.S. population. Their growth surged more than 21 percent between 1990 and 2000 – in contrast to the U.S. population, which
grew 13.2 percent during the same time period.

MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
Spending power and market size are expected to grow at rates higher than the rest of the U.S. population.

Skews younger than the U.S. population — The average African-American/Black adult is 30, as compared to 35 for the average U.S. adult.

Heavy magazine consumption — More than eight out of ten African-American/Black adults (85%) are magazine readers, reading 11.9 issues per month, compared to 9.1 issues (per month) for all U.S. adults.

MARKET CHALLENGE
Foreign language is not prevalent among African-Americans/Blacks, which could caused the mindset and cultural nuances of the market’s subcultures to be overlooked.

Sources: American Demographics, April 2001; MRI Spring 2004; Selig Center, Synnovate 2004; U.S. Census Bureau

The African-American/Black population is expected to grow faster than the U.S. average over the next five years – an 11.6% projected increase between 2002 and 2007. From 1990 to 2008, the African-American population is expected to grow by 30.6% compared to a 24.8% increase for total U.S. population. Presently, the African-American/Black population comprises 13% of the total U.S. population.

The percent of African-American/Blacks who are new immigrants continues to grow and contribute to the vitality of the community. Current Census estimates show that eight percent (2.2 million) of the African-American/Black population is foreign born. This represents a slight increase from the 7.4% (1.5 million) of the African-American/Black population who were new immigrants in 1990.

The buying power of African-American/Blacks rose 127% in 14 years, from $318 billion in 1990 to $723 billion in 2003. By 2009, it is expected to reach $965 billion according to the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth.

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