According to new U.S. Census Bureau figures, the United States added a population of more than 1.7 million people in 2023, with migration being a major contributor. The year marked the largest population gain for the U.S. since 2018.
The U.S. started 2024 with nearly 335.9 million residents. The U.S. population does not include citizens living overseas. It does include those residing in the U.S., even if they're not U.S. citizens.
According to the Census Bureau, net international migration adds one person to the U.S. population every 28.3 seconds. Migration is helping to add to the U.S. population as the frequency of deaths has nearly caught up to the frequency of births in recent years.
Eight U.S. states lost population from 2022 to 2023, with New York having the largest percentage per capita drop in residents.
“U.S. migration returning to pre-pandemic levels and a drop in deaths are driving the nation’s growth,” Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau, said in a press release. “Although births declined, this was tempered by the near 9% decrease in deaths. Ultimately, fewer deaths paired with rebounding immigration resulted in the nation experiencing its largest population gain since 2018.”
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While final migration data for 2023 has not been released, 2022 data showed the U.S. added 2 million foreign nationals. California had the most new foreign nationals in 2022, adding over 300,000. Florida and Texas ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
The 2018-22 American Community Survey, which was released in December, estimated that 13.7% of the nation’s total population is foreign-born.
The ratio of live births versus deaths is dramatically different globally. While the U.S. generally has one birth every 9.0 seconds and one death every 9.5 seconds, 4.3 births and 2.0 deaths are expected worldwide every second, according to the Census Bureau.
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