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The past year's population growth rate in the U.S. was the slowest it's been since World War I.
That's according to figures released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau, which indicates the number of people in the U.S. grew by just a half percent in 2019. The last time it was that low was in 1917 and 1918, when the country was involved in the first World War. Among the reasons for the drop, according to the bureau, are declining births and a drop in immigrants moving into the U.S.
“Some of these things are locked into place. With the aging of the population, as the Baby Boomers move into their 70s and 80s, there are going to be higher numbers of deaths,” William Frey said. “That means proportionately fewer women of child bearing age, so even if they have children, it’s still going to be less.”
Another interesting thing to note is also the lackluster amount of international migration this year.
“Immigration is a wildcard in that it is something we can do something about,” Frey said. “Immigrants tend to be younger and have children, and they can make a population younger.”
Deaths outnumbered births in four states -- West Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont -- while ten other states experienced population drops when residents moved away, the Census report indicates.
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