According to the U.S. Census Bureau, immigration significantly contributed to the U.S. population growth in 2024, marking the most rapid increase in 23 years as the country surpassed 340 million residents. This year alone saw a growth rate of 1%, the highest since 2001, highlighting a stark contrast to the historic low of 0.2% reached in 2021 during the peak of pandemic travel restrictions.
This year’s immigration figures surged by nearly 2.8 million people, aided in part by a new counting method that includes individuals admitted for humanitarian purposes. Net international migration represented a substantial 84% of the total increase of 3.3 million people in the U.S. between 2023 and 2024.
Between 2023 and 2024, the United States saw births outnumber deaths by approximately 519,000, a significant improvement over the 146,000 net increase in 2021, though still lower than figures from previous decades.
Demographer William Frey from The Brookings Institution noted that immigration had a crucial effect at both national and state levels, with 16 states experiencing population growth solely due to immigration, despite potential losses from residents leaving or the death rate exceeding births.
Frey stated, “While some of the surge may be attributed to border crossings of asylees and humanitarian migrants in an unusual year, these numbers also show how immigration can be an important contributor to population gains in many parts of the nation that would otherwise be experiencing slow growth or declines.”
As has been the trend in the 2020s, the South led the nation in population growth in 2024, adding 1.8 million new residents—more than all other regions combined. Texas experienced the largest influx, gaining 562,941 residents, while Florida welcomed 467,347 newcomers. The District of Columbia recorded the highest growth rate at 2.2%.
Only three states—Mississippi, Vermont, and West Virginia—saw a population decline this year, losing small numbers of residents ranging from 127 to 516.
The group included in the international migration estimates consists of individuals who enter the U.S. under humanitarian parole—an option provided for over 70 years by both Republican and Democratic administrations for those unable to utilize standard immigration routes. The Migration Policy Institute reported that over 5.8 million people were admitted under various humanitarian policies from 2021 to 2024.
Estimating the number of new immigrants is one of the most challenging aspects of the annual U.S. population estimates. The Census Bureau’s recent changes in methodology come as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, a figure who has previously promised mass deportations of undocumented individuals in the country.
There has been a significant discrepancy between the Census Bureau’s estimate of 1.1 million immigrants entering the U.S. in 2023 and the 3.3 million estimated by the Congressional Budget Office. Following the new calculation method, last year’s immigration figures have been adjusted to 2.3 million, revealing an increment of 1.1 million people.
Historically, the Census Bureau’s method for estimating foreign-born immigration has only captured individuals residing in households, therefore neglecting a vast number of humanitarian immigrants who often take years to establish stable living situations. Jennifer Van Hook, a Penn State demographer involved in altering the counting methodology, commented, “What has happened over time is that immigration has changed. There are now many people claiming asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border from all over the world.”
The annual population estimates serve as official population counts, bridging the gap between the decennial census for the United States, individual states, counties, and metropolitan areas. These statistics are crucial for determining the distribution of trillions in federal funding.
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