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PHOENIX — Arizona is adding more Hispanics to its population each year than all other groups combined, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The federal agency reported today that 1,878,097 Arizonans identified themselves as Hispanic as of July 1, 2007 — an increase of 89,140, or 5 percent, from last year.

That left 4,460,658 who said they are not of Hispanic origin, a 1.9 percent boost from the prior year, which translates into just 83,926 new residents.

The new estimates indicate nearly 28 percent of Arizonans are Hispanic, nearly twice the national average of 15.1 percent.

The national one-year Hispanic growth rate was just 3.1 percent.

Arizona's percentage of Hispanic population still trails the other three border states: 44 percent of New Mexico's population is Hispanic, followed by California and Texas, each at 35 percent.

The rapid growth of Arizona's Hispanic population between 2006 and 2007 is not an anomaly.

Since the 2000 census, the number of Hispanics has increased by almost 565,000, for a 45 percent change.

Overall, the Census Bureau reported that Arizona's total minority population, which also includes American Indians, blacks and Asians, is nearly 2.6 million, or just shy of 41 percent.

In addition, the new report undermines the perception of Arizona as a state filled with more than its share of retirees.

The 820,391 Arizonans 65 and older as of July 1, 2007, make up just 12.9 percent, only 0.3 percentage points above the national average.

And Arizona is far behind Florida, where 17 percent of residents are at least 65.

The percentage of state residents 85 and older is the same as the national figure.

But the statistics at the other end of the age range paint a different picture.

Nationally, 6.9 percent of Americans are younger than 5; in Arizona, the figure is 7.9 percent. Utah is tops at 9.7 percent.