The Anticipated Changes in the U.S. Population Size
The U.S. population is set to expand and evolve over the next several years, with estimates pointing to substantial growth. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest report, the population grew by more than 1.75 million in 2023, and as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day, it is expected to reach 335,893,238.
As we usher in 2024, the population will have expanded by 1,759,535 since January 1, 2023, representing a 0.53% increase. Compared to the April 1, 2020 Census Day, the population has seen an increase of 4,443,957 individuals. Significant growth has been observed in the South and West regions of the U.S., with more modest increases in the Midwest and Northeast.
In the upcoming months, the U.S. is poised to witness one birth every 9 seconds, one death every 9.5 seconds, and an additional person being added to the population through international migration every 28.3 seconds. Collectively, this translates to a net increase of one person to the U.S. population every 24.2 seconds.
The Census Bureau’s projections indicate that the U.S. population is expected to peak at nearly 370 million by 2080. However, after that point, a slight decline is anticipated, with the population settling at around 366 million by 2100.
Despite the anticipated growth, the United States remains the third most populous country in the world, lagging behind China and India. The Census Bureau’s Population Clock reveals that Indonesia and Pakistan round out the top five. Globally, the population is projected to exceed 8 billion by the upcoming New Year, a significant milestone after reaching 7 billion in 2011.
According to the United Nations, the new year will see an average of 4.3 births and 2 deaths occurring worldwide every second, contributing to the expected growth that will see the world’s population exceeding 10 billion in the next six decades.
For real-time updates on both the U.S. and global population counts, the Census Bureau provides a tracking tool that can be accessed through their official website.
