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Arkansas Population by Race and Ethnicity
Arkansas the 33rd largest U.S. state by population has a racially and ethnically diverse population. As of 2020, White (Non-Hispanic) are the largest group in Arkansas followed by African Americans.
also read about the Population of Arkansas
Ethnic and Racial Percentage
In 2020, the White alone (non-Hispanic) population was the largest racial or ethnic group in Arkansas, comprising 68.52% of the total population. It was followed by the Black or African American population whose share was 14.94%.
Hispanic or Latino was the third largest group at 8.53%. Two or more races were at 4.89% and Asians at 1.70%
The ethnic composition of Arkansas is as follows
| Race and Origin | Actual Population | Percentage 2020 |
| White alone | 2,063,550 | 68.52% |
| Black or African American alone | 449,884 | 14.94% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 256,847 | 8.53% |
| Two or more races | 147,157 | 4.89% |
| Asian alone | 51,210 | 1.70% |
| American Indians and Alaska Natives alone | 20,549 | 0.68% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 14,280 | 0.47% |
| Some Other Race alone | 8,047 | 0.27% |
| Total | 3,011,524 |
Source: US Census 2020
also read about religion in Arkansas
*US Census recognized five racial categories (White, Black or African American, Asian American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) as well as people of two or more races. It also classified respondents as "Hispanic or Latino" or "Not Hispanic or Latino", identifying Hispanic and Latino as an ethnicity (not a race), which comprises the largest minority group in the nation.
Ancestry in Arkansas
As per Census Studies and estimate Irish, German, English, and Scottish have made the largest ancestry groups in Arkansas. In 2020, 9.40% of the population considered themselves to be of only American ancestry (regardless of race or ethnicity). Many of these were of English or Scotch-Irish descent; however, their families have lived in the state for so long that they choose to identify as having “American” ancestry or do not know their ancestry.
The Largest Ancestry in Arkansas is as follows
| # | ANCESTRY | Estimate | Percentage |
| 1 | American | 282,576 | 9.4% |
| 2 | Irish | 255,460 | 8.5% |
| 3 | German | 252,063 | 8.4% |
| 4 | English | 216,783 | 7.2% |
| 5 | scottish | 48,505 | 1.6% |
| 6 | French (except Basque) | 42,964 | 1.4% |
| 7 | Subsaharan African | 42,549 | 1.4% |
| 8 | Italian | 42,492 | 1.4% |
| 9 | Scotch-Irish | 31,658 | 1.0% |
| 10 | Dutch | 28,896 | 1.0% |
| 11 | Polish | 23,242 | 0.8% |
| 12 | Welsh | 15,696 | 0.5% |
| 13 | Norwegian | 14,303 | 0.5% |
| 14 | Swedish | 11,576 | 0.4% |
| 15 | Danish | 5,735 | 0.2% |
| 16 | French Canadian | 5,074 | 0.2% |
| 17 | Arab | 4,836 | 0.2% |
| 18 | Czech | 4,569 | 0.2% |
| 19 | Swiss | 4,257 | 0.1% |
| 20 | Russian | 3,550 | 0.1% |
| 21 | West Indian (excluding Hispanic origin groups) | 3,418 | 0.1% |
| 22 | Hungarian | 3,186 | 0.1% |
| 23 | Portuguese | 2,750 | 0.1% |
| 24 | Greek | 2,739 | 0.1% |
| 25 | Ukrainian | 2,339 | 0.1% |
| 26 | Lithuanian | 1,313 | 0.0% |
| 27 | Slovak | 1,304 | 0.0% |
Source: US Census 2020
read about the List of Counties and Cities in Arkansas
Europeans in Arkansas
Non-Hispanics Whites account for nearly 68.52% of Arkansas’s population. Irish, German, English and Scottish Americans have made up Arkansas’s largest European ancestry groups. As per the Census report, Irish Americans made up 8.50% of the population and numbered over 255,460 members.
German Americans made up 8.4 % of the population and numbered over 1.7 million. English Americans made up 7.20 % of the population and numbered over 216,783 followed by Scottish ancestry at 1.6 % of the population and number 48,505.
Beside them Europeans who make good numbers are French 1.4%), Italian (1.4%), Scotch-Irish (1 %), and Dutch (1%).
African Americans in Arkansas
Black or African Americans are the second-largest group in Arkansas after non-Hispanic white. As of 2020, those of African ancestry accounted for 14.94% of Arkansas’s population. African Americans live mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the state.
Pulaski County had the highest number of African Americans (147,543), and African Americans constituted 37.62% of the county’s population. Other counties with a high number of African Americans include Jefferson County (39,006) – 57.16% of the county’s population, and Crittenden County (26,238) – 54.25% of the county’s population.
Little Rock has the City with the largest black population in Arkansas. Next comes Pine Bluff, Jonesboro, Jacksonville, and Conway.
Hispanics and Latinos in Arkansas
Hispanics and Latinos are the third-largest groups in Arkansas after non-Hispanic whites and Blacks. Around 8.53% of Arkansas’s Population claim Hispanic or Latin American ethnicity. The largest groups are Mexican, El Salvador, Puerto Rican, and Cuban.
Sevier County in Southwest Arkansas has the state’s highest proportion of Hispanic Americans, with 5,508 people comprising 34.8% of the County’s population. Benton County in Northwest Arkansas has the most Hispanic residents, with 50,540, or 17.8% of the County’s population.
Asian Americans in Arkansas
Asian Americans are a sizable minority group in Arkansas. Americans of Asian descent formed 1.70% of the population. Its ethnic Asian population has grown rapidly since the late 1990s; the majority is Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Indian.
The County with the largest Asian population is Benton (12042), Pulaski (9150), Washington (6752), and Sebastian (6035). Sebastian County (4.7%) is the County with the highest percentage of Asians in Arkansas followed by Benton (4.1%) and Scott (3.3%)
Multi-Race in Arkansas
Multiracial individuals are also a visible minority in Arkansas. People identifying as multiracial comprise 4.89% of the population and around 147,157 people.
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