South dominates US population gains as deaths drop
Immigration powered population gains in the United States for a second year in a row
ByMIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press
December 19, 2023, 12:19 PM
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The number of immigrants to the U.S. jumped to the highest level in two decades this year, driving the nation’s overall population growth, according to estimates released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The United States added 1.6 million people, more than two-thirds of which came from international migration, bringing the nation’s population total to 334.9 million. It marks the second year in a row that immigration powered population gains.
A decline in the number of deaths since the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to the U.S. growth rate.
Population gains stem from immigration and births outpacing deaths.
After immigration declined in the latter half of last decade and dropped even lower amid pandemic-era restrictions, the number of immigrants last year bounced back to almost 1 million people. The trend continued this year as the nation added 1.1 million people.
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