Nielsen report highlights growth and affluence of African-American households
29th September 2015 · 0 Comments
(Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from Target Market News) – Nielsen released “Increasingly Affluent, Educated and Diverse: African-American Consumers—The Untold Story.” The report was released at a press conference during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.’s 45th Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.
This new report, the fifth in Nielsen’s Diverse Intelligence Series, contains insights about affluent Black consumers with annual household incomes of $75,000 and higher. It upends outdated stereotypes about African Americans, from education and income to media consumption and social engagement. It explores the evolution of upper-income Black Americans as the population continues to grow and change rapidly.
“The size and influence of affluent African Americans is growing faster than that of non-Hispanic whites across all income segments, and the impact is being felt across industries,” said Cheryl Pearson-McNeil, Senior Vice President, U.S. Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engagement, Nielsen. “These larger incomes are attributed to a number of factors including youthfulness, immigration, historic educational attainment and constant, relevant dialogue across various social media channels that have an impact on African Americans’ decisions as brand loyalists and ambassadors. Savvy marketers are taking notice.”
At 45.7 million strong, the nation’s Black population grew at 17.7 percent from 2000 to 2014 — 35 percent faster than the total population and double the 8.2 percent growth rate of the white population. The growth rate of the Black population is partly attributed to the surge in Black immigration from the Caribbean, Africa and some European countries, making the overall population incredibly diverse.
Highlights of “Increasingly Affluent, Educated and Diverse” report include:
Black households $70,000+ top a number of consumption categories by percentage of their annual expenditures:
• Personal insurance and pensions – 14.7 percent
• Retirement, pensions, social security – 13.8 percent
• House furnishings and equipment – 12.5 percent
• Cash gifts – 7.6 percent
Consumption habits outpace other demographics:
Each week, compared to all Americans, African-American adults spend 42 percent more time watching TV; 13 percent more time on a PC; and 15 percent more time on a smartphone than any other demographic.
Educational progression:
• The rate of Black high school graduates enrolled in college increased in 2014 to 70.9 percent, exceeding the rate of all high-school graduates in the nation.
• 23 percent of African Americans with annual household incomes of more than $100,000 search for jobs online (compared to 14 percent of Whites).
• 11 percent of African-Americans with annual household incomes of more than $100,000 take college courses online (compared to five percent of whites).
Income growth rates:
• African-American income growth rates outpaced those of non-Hispanic whites at every annual household income level above $60,000.
• The largest increase for African-American households occurred in the number of households earning over $200,000, with an increase of 138 percent, compared with a total population increase of 74 percent.
Media and technology use:
• 2015 represented a tipping point as avid media consumption, powerful cultural influence and burgeoning population statistics created an unprecedented African-American impact on a broad range of industries, particularly in television, music and social media, as well as on social issues.
Purchasing power: The basket ring (average dollar amount spent per household annually) for African Americans with household incomes of $100,000+ surpasses that of other groups at higher percentage rates with the following top five retail channels:
• Convenience stores – 123 percent
• Toy stores – 40 percent
• Book stores – 32 percent
• Automotive stores -15 percent
• Department stores – 14 percent
Immigration impact: By 2060, one of out of every six U.S. Blacks will be immigrants. Metropolitan areas that are home to some of the nation’s largest Black populations are where the impact of immigration is most apparent. Black immigrants comprise the following percentages for the Black population in these metro areas:
• Miami – 34 percent
• New York – 28 percent
• Washington, D.C. – 15 percent
For more detail and insight and to download Increasingly “Affluent, Educated and Diverse: African-American Consumers—the Untold Story,” visit http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports.html.
*Source: U.S.Census, American Community Survey, 2014. Race alone or in combination.
This article originally published in the September 28, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
