The racial and ethnic diversity of the U.S. military has evolved over time. The most recent data available indicates the following breakdown of racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. military:
- As of 2017, the majority of active-duty service members were non-Hispanic white, accounting for 57% of U.S. servicemembers. Black and Hispanic adults represented 16% each. Additionally, 4% of all active duty personnel were Asian, and 6% identified as “other†or unknown oai_citation:1,A look at the changing profile of the U.S. military | Pew Research Center.
- By 2017, the share of active duty military who were non-Hispanic white had fallen, while racial and ethnic minorities made up 43% of the active duty force. Within this group, blacks dropped from 51% in 2004 to 39% in 2017, and the share of Hispanics rose from 25% to 36% oai_citation:2,A look at the changing profile of the U.S. military | Pew Research Center.
- In 2021, it was reported that the overall size and racial diversity of the U.S. military remained steady, with a slight increase in the number of women serving in the active-duty force oai_citation:3, Department of Defense Releases Annual Demographics Report — Modest Increase of Women in the Active Duty Force > U.S. Department of Defense > Release .
Please note that the most recent data available for detailed racial and ethnic breakdowns in the U.S. military is from 2017. The overall size and racial diversity of the military were reported to have remained steady as of 2021, but specific percentages for each racial and ethnic group after 2017 are not provided in the sources accessed.