( CNN ) -- Because of their growing numbers and presence in some of the key battleground states , Latinos are expected to play a prominent role in this year 's battle for the White House between President Barack Obama and presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney . By the numbers , here 's a look at Latino voters : . 50.5 million -- Latinos in the United States ( out of 308.7 million people ) 16 -- Percentage of the total U.S. population in 2010 that was Latino . 43 -- Percent increase since the 2000 census of the Latino population in the United States , according to the 2010 census . Would Latino running mate help Mitt Romney ? 29 -- Projected percentage of the U.S. population that will be Latino in 2050 . 131 million -- Total number of voters in the 2008 presidential election . 59.4 -- Percent of Latinos who were registered voters in 2008 . 49.9 -- Percent who voted in the 2008 presidential election . 42.7 -- Percent of the Latino population that is eligible to vote . Obama campaign releases third set of Spanish ads . 22.4 -- Percent of Latinos in the U.S. who are of voting age but who are not citizens . 63 -- Percent of the Latino population in the U.S. from Mexican origins . 82 -- Percent population growth of Latinos in Nevada from 2000 to 2010 . 67 -- Percentage of Latino voters who voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 election . 31 -- Percentage who voted for John McCain . 68 -- Percent of registered Latino voters surveyed in 2011 who said they would support President Obama over Mitt Romney in a presidential match-up in 2012 . 23 -- Percent who answered that they would support Mitt Romney . 38.6 -- Percent of eligible voters in New Mexico who are Latino , the most of any state . 3 -- Number of states tying for lowest number of eligible voters who are Latino , 0.7 % : Kentucky , South Carolina and West Virginia . See racial and ethnic breakdown for all 50 states and D.C. 82 -- Counties with a Latino population majority , out of 3,143 total . Sources for these statistics come from the U.S. Census Bureau , the Pew Hispanic Center and the Brookings Institution .
50.5 million -- Latinos in the United States ( out of 308.7 million people ) 67 -- Percentage of Latino voters who voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 election . 31 percent -- Number of Hispanic registered voters nationwide, according to a Pew Research Center study released last month.