Immigration to the United States in 2024 propelled the nation’s population growth to its fastest rate since 2001, pushing the total number of residents past 340 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Census Bureau announced on Dec. 19 that the population of the United States grew by nearly 1 percent in 2024, marking a stark contrast with the record low 0.2 percent in 2021, a year defined by strict pandemic-related travel restrictions.
Net international migration accounted for 84 percent—or 2.8 million—of the nation’s 3.3 million population increase this year, according to the Census Bureau’s count.
Natural increase—births outnumbering deaths—contributed 519,000 to the population growth, an improvement from the historic low of 146,000 in 2021 but still lagging behind levels seen in prior decades….