U.S. Population Trends
The United States experienced a significant slowdown in population growth, with an increase of 1.8 million people, or 0.5%, between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025. This information is based on the Vintage 2025 population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
This growth rate represents the slowest pace for the nation since the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the population increased by 0.2% in 2021.
This slowdown follows a period of higher growth in 2024, when the country's population grew by 1.0%, adding 3.2 million individuals, marking the fastest annual growth rate since 2006.
Primary Cause: Decline in International Migration
Christine Hartley, assistant division chief for Estimates and Projections at the Census Bureau, stated that the primary factor for the reduced growth is a substantial decrease in net international migration.
Net international migration declined from 2.7 million to 1.3 million during the period from July 2024 through June 2025.
Births and deaths remained relatively stable compared to the previous year, making the decline in international migration the main driver of the slower growth rate.
Widespread Regional Impact
The slower population growth affected most of the country. All four census regions and all states, with the exceptions of Montana and West Virginia, observed either a deceleration in growth or an acceleration in population decline.