Hispanic growth in terms of population size and influence is having a major impact on the broader U.S. population and economy, according to From the Ballot Box to the Grocery Store: A 2016 Perspective on Growing Hispanic Influence in America, a Nielsen report released today. The report, which takes a deep dive into characteristics, attitudes and the potential impact of Hispanic voters in the upcoming election, also covers population growth, bilingualism, educational attainment, the preferences and potential of the Hispanic electorate, and other salient topics relevant to this year’s election. Key findings include:

• Drivers of U.S. Population Growth: Over the next 45 years, Hispanics are expected to account for 65% of total U.S. population growth. By 2060, the Hispanic population is projected to reach 119 million or roughly 28% of the population.
• Bilingual – The Preferred Destination: Younger Hispanics are predominantly bilingual and increasingly English-dominant. While only 4% of Hispanics under the age of 18 are Spanish-dominant, 58% are Bilingual, which means messaging both in English and Spanish are culturally relevant.
• Increasingly Young Electorate: By November, 3.4 million Hispanic eligible voters will have come of age since the last presidential election. That is 14% of the total Hispanic electorate, more than double the rate of non-Hispanic White eligible voters – just 6% of white, 9% of African-American and 6% of Asian-American eligible new voters are in that same 18- to 22-year-old range.
• Evolving Political Identities: As Hispanics become more U.S.-born and English-dominant, they are more likely to identify as Independent. Thirty-nine percent of English-dominant Hispanics consider themselves Independent, compared to 30% of all Hispanics. Of those Independents, 46% have no other political leaning, 35% lean Democrat and 20% lean Republican.

o   A larger percentage of Hispanics surveyed said the Democratic party has the better vision to address major issues such as the economy, jobs, protecting the environment and increasing access to education than said the Republican Party. However, for nearly every issue, the percentage of those who said either both parties have an equally good vision or neither had a good vision on these issues outweighed those who preferred the position of either party. This shows that the extent to which Hispanic Independents are activated to exercise their power at the ballot box will determine the direction of the Hispanic vote.

• Reaching Hispanic Voters – A Generational Divide: Hispanic registered voters aged 35+ are more likely to watch broadcast television, cable television, and read newspapers than Hispanic registered voters aged 18-34. Meanwhile, Hispanic registered voters aged 18-34 are more likely to download movies or shows from the Internet on any device, listen to online radio, and use social media. Both groups are important to reach, because while the younger Hispanic electorate is growing, older Hispanics are more likely to vote.

For more information, please check out the full report here.