U.S. Population Growth Slows Due to Historic
Decline in Net International Migration
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/population-growth-slows.html
Population growth in the United States has slowed
significantly with an increase of only 1.8 million, or 0.5%, between July 1,
2024, and July 1, 2025, according to the new Vintage 2025 population estimates
released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
This was the nation’s slowest population growth since
the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the population grew by a
historically low 0.2% in 2021. The slowdown also comes after a sizeable uptick
of growth in 2024, when the country added 3.2 million people and grew by 1.0%,
the fastest annual population growth rate since 2006.
“The slowdown in U.S. population growth is largely due
to a historic decline in net international migration, which dropped from 2.7
million to 1.3 million in the period from July 2024 through June 2025,” said
Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for Estimates and Projections at
the Census Bureau. “With births and deaths remaining relatively stable compared
to the prior year, the sharp decline in net international migration is the main
reason for the slower growth rate we see today.”