Immigration boosts US population growth to two-decade high

The number of people living in the country grew by nearly 1% to 341 million in 2024, according to new estimates from the Census Bureau released on Thursday. Some 2.8 million of the 3.3 million new residents came from outside the US. Births outnumbered deaths by almost 519,000, up from a low of 146,000 in 2021 during the pandemic.

The South remained the country’s largest and fastest-growing region, adding 1.8 million residents, more than all other regions combined. Texas drove much of that growth, adding nearly 563,000 people. The Lone Star State also posted the greatest gains from births and domestic migration in the country.

Only Vermont, West Virginia and Mississippi experienced population declines. California lost nearly 240,000 people to domestic migration, the largest such drop, but gained 361,000 people from international migration alone.

“An annual growth rate of 1% is higher than what we’ve seen over recent years but well within historical norms,” said Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Census Bureau’s Population Division. “What stands out is the diminishing role of natural increase over the last five years, as net international migration has become the primary driver of the nation’s growth.”

The new figures come as President-elect Donald Trump promises to deport many of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US. While much of his initial rhetoric has focused on those accused of violent crimes, Trump has also said he aims to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants.