The world population grew by 75 million people over the past year and on New Year’s Day it will stand at more than 8 billion people, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday.
Quick Read
- Global Population Growth: As of New Year’s Day, the world population is expected to surpass 8 billion, marking an increase of 75 million people over the past year. The global growth rate was just under 1%.
- Birth and Death Rates Worldwide: The Census Bureau estimates that there will be approximately 4.3 births and two deaths globally every second at the start of 2024.
- U.S. Population Growth: The United States experienced a growth rate of 0.53% in the past year, about half of the global figure. The U.S. population increased by 1.7 million, reaching 335.8 million on New Year’s Day.
- Historical Perspective: If current trends continue, the 2020s could become the slowest-growing decade in U.S. history, potentially having a growth rate of less than 4% from 2020 to 2030. The current slowest-growing decade was the 1930s, with a 7.3% growth rate.
- U.S. Births, Deaths, and Migration: The U.S. is expected to see one birth every nine seconds and one death every 9.5 seconds at the start of 2024. Net international migration is projected to add one person to the U.S. population every 28.3 seconds, preventing the population from declining. The combination of these factors will result in a U.S. population increase of one person every 24.2 seconds.
The Associated Press has the story:
World Population up 75 million this year, topping 8 billion by Jan. 1
Newslooks- (AP)
The world population grew by 75 million people over the past year and on New Year’s Day it will stand at more than 8 billion people, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday.
The worldwide growth rate in the past year was just under 1%. At the start of 2024, 4.3 births and two deaths are expected worldwide every second, according to the Census Bureau figures.
The growth rate for the United States in the past year was 0.53%, about half the worldwide figure. The U.S. added 1.7 million people and will have a population on New Year’s Day of 335.8 million people.
If the current pace continues through the end of the decade, the 2020s could be the slowest-growing decade in U.S. history, yielding a growth rate of less than 4% over the 10-year-period from 2020 to 2030, said William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution.
The slowest-growing decade currently was in the aftermath of the Great Depression in the 1930s, when the growth rate was 7.3%.
“Of course growth may tick up a bit as we leave the pandemic years. But it would still be difficult to get to 7.3%,” Frey said.
At the start of 2024, the United States is expected to experience one birth every nine seconds and one death every 9.5 seconds. However, immigration will keep the population from dropping. Net international migration is expected to add one person to the U.S. population every 28.3 seconds. This combination of births, deaths and net international migration will increase the U.S. population by one person every 24.2 seconds.
