The population of Cambridge has grown by 5.8 percent in the past deacade, according to recently released population statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau compiled from the 2000 Census.

Ethnic diversity is on the rise in the Bay State, the census findings indicate. Between the years 1990 and 2000, the African-American population has grown 32.8 percent, compared to a 1.2 percent increase for whites. The Asian and Hispanic communities have experienced an explosive increase of 86.3 percent and 49.1 percent, respectively.

Of the current statewide population over the age of 18, 86.2 percent is reported to be white, 4.9 percent is black and 3.7 percent is Asian. And 5.6 percent of the same population is considered Hispanic, a category that crosses racial boundaries.

According to the Census Bureau's website, the Hispanic category covers persons from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South America and other locations.

In a population projection for the years 1995 to 2025, Massachusetts is expected to have the eighth largest gain in Asians and Pacific Islanders of the whole United States. The state is also expected to experience the ninth largest gain in Hispanic population over the same period.

Massachusetts is expected to achieve a population of 6.9 million by the year 2025, but will drop in rank on notch to become the 14th most populous state.

But the results of the census do indicate some problems with previous population projections.

In estimates based on the 1990 Census, the city of Cambridge was expected to experience a 3 percent decline in population by the year 1999.

The 2000 results contradict expectations, showing an increase by 5.8 percent over the past decade. A similar decrease of 3.3 percent had been predicted for the city of Boston. Instead, the city has grown by 2.6 percent.

According to the latest findings, the city of Boston ranks first in the state for population figures with more than 589,000 inhabitants, while Cambridge follows at a not-too-distant fifth with more than 101,000.

The census results indicate a healthy mix of racial groups in Cambridge. Of the current Cantabrigian stock, 69,000 are white; 12,000 are black; 12,000 are Asian; and more than 7,000 are Hispanic.