US Population Surpasses 340 Million As Immigration…

US Population Surpasses 340 Million As Immigration Drives Record Growth In 2024

Migrants mostly form Central America wait in line to cross the border at the Gateway International Bridge into the US from Matamoros, Mexico to Brownsville, Texas, on June 4, 2024. (Credit: Getty Images)

The U.S. Census Bureau revelaed Thursday that due to immigration in 2024, the United States' population growth rose at its fastest pace in 23 years, with its population surpassing 340 million.

This year's growth rate was nearly 1%, the highest since 2001. It marked a major shift from the record-low growth of 0.2% in 2021, which occurred during strict travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, as per the annual population report, AP News reported.

In 2024, immigration added nearly 2.8 million people to the U.S. population. This increase was due to a new method of counting people admitted for humanitarian reasons. Immigration made up 84% of the country's total population growth of 3.3 million between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, there were about 519,000 more births than deaths in the U.S. This was a massive improvement from the low of 146,000 in 2021, but still much lower than the higher numbers seen in past decades.

A demographer at the Brookings Institution, William Frey, said immigration immensely impacted population growth in the U.S., especially in the 16 states where it was the sole reason for growth.

Without immigration, these states would have experienced population losses due to more residents moving away or deaths outnumbering births.

Experts noted that while some of this growth was linked to an increase in asylees and humanitarian migrants during a unique year, the numbers highlight how immigration played a key role in boosting population in areas that might otherwise face slow growth or declines.

Jennifer Van Hook, a Penn State demographer, said, "What has happened over time is that immigration has changed. You have numbers of people coming in who are claiming asylum and being processed at the U.S.-Mexico border from across the globe."

The south continued to be the fastest-growing region in the United States in 2024, adding 1.8 million new residents -- more than all other regions combined. Texas saw the largest increase with 562,941 new residents, followed by Florida, which added 467,347 people.

The District of Columbia had the highest growth rate in the country at 2.2%. Meanwhile, three states -- Mississippi, Vermont, and West Virginia -- lost population, though the declines were small, ranging from 127 to 516 people.

This year, fewer people moved out of coastal urban states like California and New York to Sunbelt states like Florida and Texas compared to the peak of the pandemic years.

California and New York both saw population increases this year after previous declines, growing by 232,570 and 129,881 people, respectively, mainly due to immigration.

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