The population of the US continues to grow today, driven by a high level of immigration. Statistical modeling methods are applied to the most recent census data to give an up-to-date picture of how the population of America changes between censuses. Every year, the Census Bureau also releases annual population estimates. National and State governments also use the information to plan services - for example, if they know that the population in an area is growing rapidly, they can plan to build more housing, schools, and hospitals.

The first purpose is to ensure that each seat in Congress represents roughly the same amount of people. The information collected in the census is used for many purposes. The last census was held in 2010, and the next census will be held in 2020. The United States census is held once every ten years, to count the number of people in the country along with gathering basic information, including age, sex, and race. The population grew rapidly moving forward, and when the first official census was held in 1790 shortly after independence, the population had grown to nearly 4 million. United States Population Growthįormal censuses were not carried out during the colonial era, but records show that the colonial population grew from a shaky start of just 3,800 in 1610 to over 1 million in 1750. Additionally, more post- World War II baby boomers are reaching old age, increasing the number of deaths.ĭespite a decrease in the population growth rate in recent years, the population is still expected to grow continuously.

This is because of a decrease in the number of total births over the year. The population grew 0.60% in 2019 the lowest rate the U.S. The United States population grows on average about 0.9% every year. The population growth in the United States is mainly attributed to high rates of immigration, which have decreased since 2016, and the natural increase (the difference between births and deaths). population is expected to surpass 400 million people. Unlike China and India, the United States population is expected to continue to grow throughout the century with no foreseeable decline.

Population density map of us