Contrary to the common portrayal in many non-American media, "American" is not an ethnic group. The United States is not a nation with one predominating ancestry. According to the most recent census information, the largest ethnic groups in the USA are: "German(15.2%), "African" (12.9%) "Irish" (10.9%), and "English" (8.7 %). Of course, as these figures are self-reported, they should be taken with a grain of salt. For example, most demographers believe that the actual number of English Americans is considerably higher than the census figures indicate.