(NewsNation) — Population growth in the United States has slowed significantly amid reduced international migration, according to new Census Bureau estimates.
The U.S. population grew 0.5% or by 1.8 million between July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026, the slowest population growth since 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reduced population growth comes on the heels of 2024, when the country added 3.2 million people and grew by 1%, the fastest annual population growth rate since 2006.
Population growth decline ‘largely due to a historic decline in net international migration’
“The slowdown in U.S. population growth is largely due to a historic decline in net international migration, which dropped from 2.7 million to 1.3 million in the period from July 2024 through June 2025,” said Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for estimates and projections at the Census Bureau, per Axios.
“With births and deaths remaining relatively stable compared to the prior year, the sharp decline in net international migration is the main reason for the slower growth rate we see today.”
The 2024-25 numbers, spanning two administrations, offer some insight into the effects of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts in the early months of his second term.
Which states grew the most?
South Carolina, Idaho and North Carolina were the fastest-growing states, while the populations in California, Hawai’i, New Mexico, Vermont and West Virginia all shrank.
