Demographics of the United States

The United States had an official estimated resident population of 334,914,895 on July 1, 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.[12] This figure includes the 50 states and the District of Columbia but excludes the population of five unincorporated U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands) as well as several minor island possessions. The United States is the third most populous country in the world, and the most populous in the Americas and the Western Hemisphere.[13] The Census Bureau showed a population increase of 0.4% for the twelve-month period ending in July 2022,[12] below the world average annual rate of 0.9%.[14] The total fertility rate in the United States estimated for 2022 is 1.665 children per woman,[3] which is below the replacement fertility rate of approximately 2.1.

Demographics of the United States
Population pyramid of the United States
PopulationIncrease 335,893,238 (est. 2024)[1]
Density86.16/sq mi (33.27/km2)
Growth rateIncrease 0.4% (2022)
Birth rateIncrease 11.0 births/1,000 population (2021)
Death rate10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2021)
Life expectancyIncrease 80.8 years (2023)[2]
 • maleIncrease 78.5 years (2023)[2]
 • femaleIncrease 82.9 years (2023)[2]
Fertility rateIncrease 1.665 children born/woman (2022)[3]
Infant mortality rate5.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2020)[4]
Net migration rate3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020)[5]
Age structure
Under 18 years22.2% (2021)[6]
18–44 years35.9% (2021)[6]
45–64 years25.2% (2021)[6]
65 and over16.8% (2021)[6]
Language
OfficialNo official language at national level. English is designated official in 32 of 50 states (and in all 5 U.S. territories). Hawaiian is official in Hawaii, 20 Native languages are official in Alaska, and Sioux is official in South Dakota.[7] Samoan is an official language in American Samoa,[8] Chamorro is an official language in Guam,[9] Chamorro and Carolinian are official languages in the Northern Mariana Islands,[10] and Spanish is an official language in Puerto Rico.[11]
Spoken
Source: The World Factbook[5]

The U.S. population almost quadrupled during the 20th century – at a growth rate of about 1.3% a year – from about 76 million in 1900 to 281 million in 2000.[15] It is estimated to have reached the 200 million mark in 1967, and the 300 million mark on October 17, 2006.[15][16] Foreign-born immigration caused the U.S. population to continue its rapid increase, with the foreign-born population doubling from almost 20 million in 1990 to over 45 million in 2015,[17] representing one-third of the population increase.[18] The U.S. population grew by 1.6 million from 2018 to 2019, with 38% of growth from immigration.[19] Population growth is fastest among minorities as a whole, and according to the Census Bureau's 2020 estimation, 50% of U.S. children under the age of 18 are members of ethnic minority groups.[20] As of 2020, white people numbered 235,411,507 or 71% of the population, including people who identified as white in combination with another race. People who identified as white alone (including Hispanic whites) numbered 204,277,273 or 61.6% of the population and Non-Latino whites made up 57.8% of the country's population.[21]

Latino Americans accounted for 51.1% of the total national population growth between 2010 and 2020.[22] The Hispanic or Latino population increased from 50.5 million in 2010 to 62.1 million in 2020: a 23% increase and a numerical increase of more than 11.6 million.[22] Immigrants and their U.S.-born descendants are expected to provide most of the U.S. population gains in the decades ahead.[23]

Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial group in America, with a growth rate of 35%. However, multi-racial Asian Americans are the fastest growing group in the country, with a growth rate of 55%, reflecting the increase of mixed-race marriages in the United States.[24][25]

As of 2022, births to White American mothers remain around 50% of the US total, reflecting a decline of 3% compared to 2021.[26] In the same time period, births to Asian American and Hispanic women increased by 2% and 6%, respectively.[27]

The 12 month ending general fertility rate increased from 56.6 to 57.0 in 2022 Q1 compared to 2021 Q4.[28]

Population

On April 1, 2020, the United States had a population of 331,449,281, according to the 2020 United States census.[29]

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook estimated as of 2018,[5] unless otherwise indicated.

Note: Population estimate of United States excluding overseas armed forces.[30][31]

Population pyramid by race of the United States over time from 1900 to 2020

Age and sex distribution

Proportion of Americans under the age of 18 in each county of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as of the 2020 United States Census
Proportion of Americans under the age of 5 in each county of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as of the 2020 United States Census
Age and sex distribution as of 2021[32]
age (years)total (in thousands)% of US pop.males (in thousands)females (in thousands)% male% femalesex ratio: male/female
03,5641.1%1,8221,74351.1%48.9%1.05
< 518,8275.7%9,6249,20351.1%48.9%1.05
< 1560,46718.2%30,98929,57851.2%48.8%1.05
15-2443,08913.0%21,99621,09251.0%49.0%1.04
25-3445,49513.7%23,05322,44250.7%49.3%1.03
35-4443,40413.1%21,85821,54650.4%49.6%1.01
45-5440,68812.3%20,31220,37649.9%50.1%0.99
55-6442,80312.9%20,96321,84049.0%51.0%0.96
65+55,84816.8%25,21430,63445.1%54.9%0.82
75+22,1826.7%9,34412,83742.1%57.9%0.73
85+5,9761.8%2,1763,80036.4%63.6%0.57
100+980.03%257325.5%74.5%0.34
all331,894100%164,385167,50949.5%50.5%0.98

Age distribution by selected age groups.[32]

  • 0 – 14 years: 18.2%
  • 15 – 24 years: 13.0%
  • 25 – 54 years: 39.0%
  • 55 – 64 years: 12.9%
  • 65 years and over: 16.8%
Median Age by County 2022
  46 or more
  43 to 45.9
  39 to 42.9
  35 to 39.9
  34.9 or less

The median age of the total population as of 2021 is 38.8 years; the male median age is 37.7 years; the female median age is 39.8 years.[32]

Birth rate

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
17903,929,326
18005,308,48335.1%
18107,239,88136.4%
18209,638,45333.1%
183012,866,02033.5%
184017,069,45332.7%
185023,191,87635.9%
186031,443,32135.6%
187038,925,59823.8%
188050,189,20928.9%
189062,979,76625.5%
190076,212,16821.0%
191092,228,49621.0%
1920106,021,53715.0%
1930122,775,04615.8%
1940132,164,5697.6%
1950150,697,36114.0%
1960179,323,17519.0%
1970203,392,03113.4%
1980226,545,80511.4%
1990248,709,8739.8%
2000281,421,90613.2%
2010308,745,5389.7%
2020331,449,2817.4%
2024 (est.)335,893,238[1]1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
  • 12.023 births/1,000 population (2023)[3] Country comparison to the world: 151st[33]

Death rate

  • 10.45 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)[34] Country comparison to the world: 78th[33]
  • 8.81 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est)*[35] *age-adjusted death rate

Total fertility rate (TFR)

TFR of the United States overtime from 1820 to 2016

In 1800 the average U.S. woman had 7.04 children;[36] by the first decade of the 1900s, this number had already decreased to 3.56.[37] Since the early 1970s the birth rate has been below the replacement rate of 2.1 with 1.72 children per woman in 2018.[38]

The drop in the U.S. fertility rate from 2.08 per woman in 2007 to 1.76 in 2017 was mostly due to the declining birth rate of Hispanics, teenagers, and young women, although the birth rate for older women rose.[39]

  • 1.664 children born/woman (2021).[40]

Mother's mean age at first birth

Percentage of women childless by age cohort in the US over time
  • 27.1 years (2020 est.)[40]

Dependency ratio

Bi-variate choropleth map comparing the estimated percent of the population 65 and older and 17 and younger in the Contiguous United States by county, 2020

The dependency ratio is the age-population ratio of people who are normally not in the labor force (the dependent population, which includes those aged 0 to 14 and 65 and older) to those who are (the productive part, ages 15 to 64). It is used to gauge the strain on the populace that is productive. The support ratio is the ratio of the working-age population to the elderly population, that is, the reciprocal of the aged dependency ratio.

  • Total dependency ratio: 54.03% (2021)[32] Country comparison to the world*: 110th[41]
  • Child dependency ratio: 28.11% (2021) Country comparison to the world*: 138th
  • Aged dependency ratio: 25.92% (2021) Country comparison to the world*: 42nd
  • Potential support ratio: 3.86 (2021) Country comparison to the world*: 160th

*Ratios are ranked from highest to lowest by country

Life expectancy in the United States since 1880
Life expectancy in the United States since 1960 by gender

Life expectancy

  • Total population: 80.8 years (2023),[42][43] 76.1 years (2021), 77.0 years (2020)[44]
  • Male: 78.5 years (2023),[42][43] 73.2 years (2021), 74.2 years (2020)
  • Female: 82.9 years (2023),[42][43] 79.9 years (2021), 79.9 years (2020)

The average life expectancy in the United States has been on a decline since 2014. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites three main reasons: a 72% increase in overdoses in the last decade (including a 30% increase in opioid overdoses from July 2016 to September 2017, but did not differentiate between accidental overdose with a legal prescription and overdose with opioids obtained illegally and/or combined with illegal drugs i.e., heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, etc.), a ten-year increase in liver disease (the rate for men age 25 to 34 increased by 8% per year; for women, by 11% per year), and a 33% increase in suicide rates since 1999.[45]

From 2019 to 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to approximately 61% of the decrease in life expectancy in the United States.[46] While increases in mortality from unintentional injuries, heart disease, homicide, and diabetes contributed to 11.7%, 5.8%, 2.9%, and 2.8% of the decrease in life expectancy from 2019 to 2020, respectively.[46] Life expectancy has also varied by racial and ethnic group, with Non-Hispanic Asians having the highest life expectancy and Non-Hispanic American Indians having the lowest.[46] In 2021, life expectancy at birth in the United States fell for the second year in a row, the first two-year drop since 1961–1963.[47]

Number of persons per square kilometer in the United States in 2010
States and territories in the United States by population per square mile, according to the 2020 United States census
Counties in the United States by population growth since 2010 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2018 Annual Estimate of the Resident Population.[48] Counties with population growth greater than the United States as a whole are in dark green, counties with population growth slower than the United States in light green, and counties with declining populations in light red.
States in the United States by population growth since 2010 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2018 Annual Estimate of the Resident Population.[48] States with population growth greater than the United States as a whole are in dark green, states with population growth slower than the United States in light green, and states with declining populations in light red.
Life expectancy by Hispanic origin and race, and sex: United States, 2019, 2020 & 2021[44]
RaceMale LEB

in 2021

Female LEB

in 2021

Total LEB

in 2021*

Total LEB

in 2020

Total LEB

in 2019

2019 - 2021


NH White73.779.276.477.478.8 2.4
NH Black66.774.870.871.574.8 4.0
NH Asian81.285.683.583.685.6 2.1
NH American Indian or Alaska Native61.569.265.267.171.8 6.6
Hispanic74.481.077.777.981.9 4.2
All origins and races73.279.176.177.078.8 2.7

NOTE: Life expectancy at birth data for 2021 are provisional.*

  • NH = Non-Hispanic.
  • LEB = Life expectancy at birth
  • Growth arrows ( / ) indicate an increase or decrease in total life expectancy compared to years before.

Life tables

Life table of the United States, 2020[46]
FemalesMalesTotal
AgeCohortLife expectancyCohortLife expectancyCohortLife expectancy
0100,00079.9100,00074.2100,00077.0
199,50879.399,41573.699,46176.4
599,42975.399,31369.799,37772.5
1099,38170.499,25464.799,32367.5
1599,31765.499,15559.899,24262.6
2099,15760.598,74155.098,95257.7
2598,87655.797,96150.598,41553.0
3098,47950.996,99445.997,72548.4
3597,93346.295,81541.596,85643.8
4097,21541.594,42037.095,79439.3
4596,26636.992,73132.794,47134.8
5094,92832.490,49728.492,68030.4
5592,97928.087,33224.390,11526.2
6090,11123.882,73620.586,37622.2
6586,03919.876,43917.081,18118.5
7080,54715.968,49113.774,46614.9
7572,73712.458,58810.665,56511.6
8061,2989.245,6617.853,3468.6
8545,4246.530,2765.537,7006.1
9026,2714.414,8243.720,4774.2
959,5992.94,2162.56,8892.8
1001,7272.05491.81,1422.0

Density

The most densely populated state is New Jersey (1,263/mi2 or 488/km2).

The population is highly urbanized, with 82.3% of the population residing in cities and suburbs.[5] Large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the United States (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western tier states; mountainous areas, principally the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian chain, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prairie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast – with particular emphasis on the city of Anchorage – and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu.[5] California and Texas are the most populous states, as the mean center of U.S. population has consistently shifted westward and southward.[49][50] New York City is the most populous city in the United States[51] and has been since at least 1790.

In the U.S. territories, population centers include the San Juan metro area in Puerto Rico,[52] Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands,[53] and the island of Tutuila in American Samoa.[54]

Growth rate

  • Population growth rate: 0.12%.[32] Country comparison to the world: 130th

Births and fertility by race

A total of 3,659,289 babies were born in 2021, a 1% increase from 2020. Additionally, researchers also looked at births by race and found that White and Hispanic women each saw the number of births increase by about 2% from 2020 to 2021. Meanwhile, Black and Asian women saw the number of births decline by 2.4% and 2.5%, respectively, over the same period, while American Indian/Alaskan Native women saw their numbers fall by 3.2%.[55] It also marks the first rise in births since 2014. Prior to this report, the total number of births had been decreasing by an average of 2% per year.[55] However, the total fertility rate (the number of births that the average women have over their lifetimes) was 1,663.5 births per every woman. This is still below the replacement level, the level a population needs to replace itself, which is, at least, 2,100 births per woman.[55]

Quarterlies of years, Recent estimates. Race and Hispanic origin refers to the mother.[56]
General Fertility Rate:
15–44 years
2020 Q12020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q32021 Q42022 Q12022 Q22022 Q3
All races and origins58.157.656.856.055.055.255.656.356.656.456.2
Hispanic65.264.763.963.161.561.762.263.464.865.165.7
Non-Hispanic Black61.361.060.159.257.757.357.357.457.557.256.6
Non-Hispanic White55.254.754.053.252.753.153.654.454.353.753.2
Number of Births and Total Fertility Rate (number of births/mother) by race and origin[57][58][59]
YearTotalNon-Hispanic WhiteNon-Hispanic BlackHispanicNon-Hispanic AsianNon-Hispanic American Indian/Alaskan NativeNon-Hispanic Native HawaiianMultiracial
20213,664,292 (TFR: 1.664)1,887,656 (TFR: 1.598)517,889 (TFR: 1.675)885,916 (TFR: 1.899)213,813 (TFR: 1.351)26,124 (TFR: 1.477)9,531 (TFR: 2.131)86,982 (TFR: 1.52)
20203,613,647 (TFR: 1.641)1,843,432 (TFR: 1.551)529,811 (TFR: 1.713)866,713 (TFR: 1.879)219,068 (TFR: 1.379)26,813 (TFR: 1.520)9,626 (TFR: 2.134)
20193,747,540(TRF: 1.7061,915,912 (TFR: 1.610)548,075 (TFR: 1.775)886,467 (TFR: 1.940)238,769 (TFR: 1.511)28,450 (TFR: 1.611)9.770 (TFR: 2,178)
Number of Births, by race and Hispanic origin of the mother and month of birth: United States, January–June, final 2019 and 2020, and provisional 2021 (Provisional 2021 data is based on 99.92% of births)[60]
Race and Hispanic origin of mother and yearJanuary–JuneJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneTotal pop.'s percent (January–June)
Non-Hispanic White (2019)937,741156,819142,992157,502156,516165,587158,32551.67%
Non-Hispanic White (2020)916,986152,519138,756155,981150,953156,888156,93351.43%
Non-Hispanic White (2021)914,813142,083138,803159,055153,980156,969163,92352.32%
Non-Hispanic Black (2019)262,11447,48641,49743,58342,15144,58442,81314.45%
Non-Hispanic Black (2020)259,75946,35640,58743,59141,39542,99943,38114.57%
Non-Hispanic Black (2021)245,75341,31038,62841,95239,81040,93643,11714.05%
Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska native (2019)14,0132,5252,1822,3322,2932,3822,2990.77%
Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska native (2020)13,2342,2921,9772,2132,1952,2402,2460.74%
Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska native (2021)12,4982,1351,9322,1812,0981,9612,1910.69%
Non-Hispanic Asian (2019)116,28919,62817,97519,91019,26120,16819,3476.41%
Non-Hispanic Asian (2020)110,81119,30317,06819,26817,98618,69617,8806.21%
Non-Hispanic Asian (2021)102,27915,65815,41018,01917,48217,55218,1585.85%
Non-Hispanic Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (2019)4,6957907628147388477440.26%
Non-Hispanic Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (2020)4,6658037597947058207570.26%
Non-Hispanic Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (2021)4,4137996167537318067080.25%
Hispanic (of any race) (2019)421,99173,74265,66770,44268,51772,74770,87623.26%
Hispanic (of any race) (2020)420,56373,60165,14070,36168,00070,08571,05023.59%
Hispanic (of any race) (2021)409,94165,68761,96170,06068,20270,72273,30923.44%
All races and origins (2019)1,814,497310,872279,963304,237298,947316,386304,092
All races and origins (2020)1,783,124304,722272,907301,625290,478301,481302,164
All races and origins (2021)1,748,768276,980266,107302,137292,454299,308311,782
Percent change in births from 2019 to 2020 and 2020–2021[60]
Race and Hispanic origin of mother and yearJanuary–JuneJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJune
Non-Hispanic White (2019-2020)-2-3-3-1-4-5-1
Non-Hispanic White (2020-2021)†0-7†022†04
Non-Hispanic Black (2019-2020)-1-2-2†0-2-4†1
Non-Hispanic Black (2020-2021)-5-11-5-4-4-5†-1
Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska native (2019-2020)-6-9-9†-5†-4-6†-2
Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska native (2020-2021)-6-7†-2†-1†-4-12†-2
Non-Hispanic Asian (2019-2020)-5†-2-5-3-7-7-8
Non-Hispanic Asian (2020-2021)-8-19-10-6-3-6†2
Non-Hispanic Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (2019-2020)†-1†2†0†-2†-4†-3†2
Non-Hispanic Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander (2020-2021)5†0-19†-5†4†-2†-6
Hispanic (of any race) (2019-2020)†0†0†-1†0†-1-4†0
Hispanic (of any race) (2020-2021)-3-11-5†0†0†13
All races and origins (2019-2020)-2-2-3-1-3-5-1
All races and origins (2020-2021)-2-9-2†01-13

U.S.-born people

Note: Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number. Also note that growth arrows indicate an increase or decrease in the number of births, not in the fertility rate.[61][62][63][64]

Race of motherNumber of births
in 2016
% of all
born
TFR
(2016)
Number of births
in 2017
% of all
born
TFR
(2017)
Number of births
in 2018
% of all
born
TFR
(2018)
Number of births
in 2019
% of all
born
TFR
(2019)
Number of births
in 2020
% of all
born
TFR
(2020)
2020-2016


White2,900,93373.5%1.772,812,26772.9%1.762,788,43973.5%1.75
> NH White2,056,33252.1%1.7191,992,46151.7%1.6661,956,41351.6%1.6401,915,91251.1%1.6111,843,43251.0%1.552 10.35%
Black623,88615.8%1.90626,02716.2%1.92600,93315.8%1.87
> NH Black558,62214.2%1.832560,71514.5%1.824552,02914.6%1.792548,07514.6%1.776529,81114.7%1.714 5.16%
NH Asian254,4716.5%1.690249,2506.5%1.597240,7986.4%1.525238,7696.4%1.511219,0686.1%1.385 13.9%
NH American Indian or Alaska native31,4520.8%1.79429,9570.8%1.70229,0920.8%1.65128,4500.76%1.61226,8130.74%1.517 14.75%
NH Hawaiian (incl. other Pacific Islander)9,3420.2%2.0769,4260.2%2.0859,4760.3%2.1069,7700.26%2.1789,6260.26%2.142 3.04%
Total3,945,875100%1.8203,855,500100%1.7653,791,712100%1.7293,747,540100%1.7063,613,647100%1.641 9.84%

NOTE:

  • NH = Non-Hispanic.
  • TFR = Total fertility rate (number of children born per woman).
  • Growth arrows ( / ) indicate an increase or decrease in the number of births, not in the fertility rate, comparing to the previous year.
Ethnicity of motherNumber of births
in 2016
% of all
born
TFR
(2016)
Number of births
in 2017
% of all
born
TFR
(2017)
Number of births
in 2018
% of all
born
TFR
(2018)
Number of births
in 2019
% of all
born
TFR
(2019)
Number of births
in 2020
% of all
born
TFR
(2020)
2020-2016


Non-Hispanic (of any race)3,027,4282,956,7362,905,5022,861,0732,746,933
Hispanic (of any race)918,44723.3%2.093898,76423.3%2.007886,21023.4%1.959886,46723.7%1.940866,71424.0%1.876 5.63%
Foreign-born total fertility rate by race
and those of Hispanic origin[65]
Race200820112013
White2.292.011.94
Black2.512.572.35
Asian2.252.021.93
Other1.802.042.06
Hispanic (of any race)3.152.772.46
Total2.752.452.22

Percent of births to White Non-Hispanic women that were their 8th+ child, by US state, in 2021

New York: 2.21%, New Jersey: 1.7%, Wisconsin: 1.04%, Arkansas: 1.02%, Montana: 0.86%, Ohio: 0.85%, Iowa: 0.84%, Pennsylvania: 0.82%, Kansas: 0.76%, Kentucky: 0.76%, Utah: 0.75%, Minnesota: 0.75%, Indiana: 0.72%, Wyoming: 0.72%, Mississippi: 0.7%, Michigan: 0.7%, Idaho 0.65%, West Virginia: 0.64%, Arizona: 0.62%, North Dakota 0.59%, South Dakota 0.54%, Arkansas 0.51%, New Mexico: 0.50%, Maryland: 0.49%, Oregon: 0.46%, Michigan: 0.44%, Oklahoma: 0.44%, Florida: 0.43%, Tennessee: 0.42%, Virginia: 0.41%, Illinois: 0.40%, Nevada: 0.40%, West Virginia: 0.39%, Delaware: 0.38%, Georgia: 0.36%, Nebraska: 0.36%, Texas: 0.33%, Alabama: 0.33%, Missouri: 0.32%, Vermont: 0.31%, South Carolina: 0.30%, California: 0.29%, Colorado: 0.29%, North Carolina: 0.25%, Alaska: 0.25%, Connecticut: 0.20%, New Hampshire: 0.19%, Massachusetts: 0.17%.

Immigration

Immigrants in the United States[66]
CountryImmigrants
 Mexico10,853,000+
 India2,724,000+
 China2,184,000+
 Philippines2,061,000+
 Puerto Rico1,829,000+
 El Salvador1,411,000+
 Vietnam1,403,000+
 Cuba1,376,000+
 Guatemala1,227,000+
 Dominican Republic1,168,000+
 South Korea1,039,000+
Foreign born population percentage in the US over time from 1850 to 2020

In 2017, out of the U.S. foreign-born population, some 45% (20.7 million) were naturalized citizens, 27% (12.3 million) were lawful permanent residents (including many eligible to become citizens), 6% (2.2 million) were temporary lawful residents, and 23% (10.5 million) were unauthorized immigrants.[67] Among current living immigrants to the U.S., the top five countries of birth are Mexico (25% of immigrants), China (6%), India (6%), the Philippines (5%) and El Salvador (3%). Some 13% of current living immigrants come from Europe and Canada, and 10% from the Caribbean.[67] Among new arrivals, Asian immigrants have been more numerous than Hispanic immigrants since 2010; in 2017, 37.4% of immigrant arrivals were Asian, and 26.6% were Hispanic.[67] Until 2017 and 2018, the United States led the world in refugee resettlement for decades, admitting more refugees than the rest of the world combined.[68] From fiscal year 1980 until 2017, 55% of refugees came from Asia, 27% from Europe, 13% from Africa, and 4% from Latin America, fleeing war and persecution.[68]

  • Net migration rate (2022): 3.02 migrants/1,000 population.[33] Country comparison to the world: 35th[33]
  • Net migration rate* (2020-2021): 0.73 migrants/1,000 population.[69]

*(mid-year estimates)

As of 2017, 13.6% (44.4 million) of the population was foreign born – an increase from 4.7% in 1970 but less than the 1890 record of 14.8%. 45% of the foreign born population were naturalized US citizens. 23% (10.3 million) of the foreign born community is undocumented, accounting for 3.2% of the total population.[67] According to the 2010 census, Latin America and the Caribbean is the largest region-of-birth group, accounting for 53% of the foreign born population. As of 2018 this region is still the largest source of immigrants to the United States[70][71][72] In 2018, there were almost 90 million immigrants and U.S. born children of immigrants (second-generation Americans) in the United States, accounting for 28% of the overall U.S. population.[73] In 2018, 1,096,611 immigrants were granted either permanent or temporary legal residence in the United States[74]

Inflow of New Legal Permanent Residents, Top 15 Sending Countries, 2021[75]
Country2021
 Mexico107,230
 India93,450
 China49,847
 Philippines27,511
 Dominican Republic24,553
 Cuba23,077
 El Salvador18,668
 Brazil18,351
 Vietnam16,312
 Colombia15,293
 Venezuela14,412
 Jamaica13,357
 Nigeria13,100
 South Korea12,351
 Haiti11,456
Inflow of New Legal Permanent Residents by Region, 2021[76]
Region2021
Americas311,806
Asia295,306
Africa66,211
Europe61,521
Oceania4,147
Not Specified1,011
Total707,362
Persons Obtaining Lawful Permanent Resident Status by Type and Major Class of Admission[77]
Class of Admission (Adjustments of Status and New Arrivals)2021
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens385,396
Family-sponsored preferences65,690
Employment-based preferences193,338
Diversity15,145
Refugees35,847
Asylees20,550
Parolees13
Children born abroad to alien residents75
Certain Iraqis and Afghans employed by U.S. Government and their spouses and children8,303
Cancellation of removal5,017
Victims of human trafficking942
Victims of crimes and their spouses and children9,257
Other429

Vital statistics

Births, deaths and natural increase in the United States 1935–2021
Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships in the US, 1970–2000
Median age at first marriage in the US

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2021, the population of the United States grew at a slower rate than in any other year since the country's founding.[78] The U.S. population grew only 0.1% from the previous year before.[78] The United States' population has grown by less than one million people for the first time since 1937, with the lowest numeric growth since at least 1900, when the Census Bureau began yearly population estimates.[78] Apart from the previous few years, when population growth plummeted to historically low levels, the slowest pace of increase in the twentieth century occurred between 1918 and 1919, when the influenza epidemic and World War I were both in full swing.[78] Slower population growth has been the norm in the United States for some years, owing to lower fertility and net international migration, as well as rising mortality from an aging population.[78]

To put it another way, since the mid-2010s, births and net international migration have been dropping while deaths have risen. These trends have a cumulative effect of reduced population increase.[78]

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend, resulting in a historically slow population increase in 2021.

The growth rate is 0.1% as estimated for 2021.[78]

The birth rate is 11.0 births/1,000 population, as of 2020.[40] This was the lowest birth rate since records began. There were 3,613,647 births in 2020, this was the lowest number of births since 1980.[40]

11.0 births/1,000 population per year (final data for 2020).
11.4 births/1,000 population per year (final data for 2019).[40]

In 2020, the CDC reported that there were 1,676,911 marriages in 2020, compared to 2019, there were 2,015,603 marriages.[79] Marriage rates varied significantly by state, ranging from 3.2 marriages/1,000 population in California to 21.0 marriages/1,000 population in Nevada.*[80]

  • 5.1 marriages/1,000 population per year (provisional data for 2020).[79]
  • 6.1 marriages/1,000 population per year (provisional data for 2019).[79]

*Rates are based on provisional counts of marriages by state of occurrence

In 2009, Time magazine reported that 40% of births were to unmarried women.[81] The following is a breakdown by race for unwed births: 17% Asian, 29% White, 53% Hispanics (of any race), 66% Native Americans, and 72% Black American.[82]

According to the CDC, in 2020, there were at least, 1,461,121 births to unmarried women. In 2020, 40.5% of births were to unmarried women. The following is breakdown by race for unwed births: 28.4% Non-Hispanic White, 70.4% Non-Hispanic Black, and 52.8% Hispanic (of any race).[83]

The drop in the birth rate from 2007 to 2009 is believed to be associated with the Great Recession.[84]

A study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that more than half (51 percent) of live hospital births in 2008 and 2011 were male.[85]

Per U.S. federal government data released in March 2011, births fell 4% from 2007 to 2009, the largest drop in the U.S. for any two-year period since the 1970s.[86]Births have declined for three consecutive years, and are now 7% below the peak in 2007.[87] This drop has continued through 2010, according to data released by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics in June 2011.[87] Numerous experts have suggested that this decline is largely a reflection of unfavorable economic conditions.[88] This connection between birth rates and economic downturns partly stems from the fact that American birth rates have now fallen to levels that are comparable to the Great Depression of the 1930s.[89] Teen birth rates in the U.S. are at the lowest level in U.S. history.[90] In fact, teen birth rates in the U.S. have consistently decreased since 1991 through 2011, except for a brief increase between 2005 and 2007.[90] The other aberration from this otherwise steady decline in teen birth rates is the 6% decrease in birth rates for 15- to 19-year-olds between 2008 and 2009.[90] Despite these years of decrease, U.S. teen birth rates are still higher than in other developed nations.[90] Racial differences prevail with teen birth and pregnancy rates as well. The American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Black teen pregnancy rates are more than double the non-Hispanic white teen birth rate.[91]

Age group (2010)Total
(of population)
White alone
(of race/age group)
Black alone
(of race/age group)
Mixed and/or Some Other Race
(of race/age group)
Asian alone
(of race/age group)
Either American Indian or Alaska Native
(of race/age group)
Either Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
(of race/age group)
Total308745538
(100%)
223553265
(72.4%)
38929319
(12.6%)
28116441
(9.1%)
14674252
(4.9%)
2932248
(1.0%)
540013
(0.2%)
0–420201362
(6.5%)
12795675
(5.7%/63.3%)
2902590
(7.5%/14.4%)
3315480
(11.8%/16.4%)
898011
(6.1%/4.5%)
244615
(8.3%/1.2%)
44991
(8.3%/0.2%)
5–920348657
(6.6%)
13293799
(5.9%/65.3%)
2882597
(7.4%/14.2%)
2957487
(10.5%/14.5%)
928248
(6.3%/4.6%)
243259
(8.3%/1.2%)
43267
(8.0%/0.0%)
10–1420677194
(6.7%)
13737332
(6.1%/66.4%)
3034266
(7.8%/14.7%)
2736570
(9.7%/13.2%)
881590
(6.0%/4.3%)
245049
(8.4%/1.19%)
42387
(7.8%/0.2%)
15–1922040343
(7.1%)
14620638
(6.5%/66.4%)
3448051
(8.9%/15.6%)
2704571
(9.6%/12.3%)
956028
(6.5%/4.3%)
263805
(9.0%/1.2%)
47250
(8.7%/0.2%)
20–2421585999
(7.0%)
14535947
(6.5%/67.3%)
3111397
(8.0%/14.4%)
2538967
(9.0%/11.8%)
1106222
(7.5%/5.1%)
240716
(8.2%/1.1%)
52750
(9.8%/0.2%)
25–2921101849
(6.8%)
14345364
(6.4%/68.0%)
2786254
(7.2%/13.2%)
2464343
(8.8%/11.7%)
1234322
(8.4%/5.9%)
221654
(7.6%/1.1%)
49912
(9.2%/0.2%)
30–3419962099
(6.5%)
13573270
(6.1%/68.0%)
2627925
(6.8%/13.2%)
2273322
(8.1%/11.4%)
1240906
(8.5%/6.2%)
202928
(6.9%/1.0%)
43748
(8.1%/0.2%)
35–3920179642
(6.5%)
13996797
(6.3%/69.36%)
2613389
(6.7%/13.0%)
2038408
(7.2%/10.1%)
1296301
(8.8%/6.4%)
196017
(6.7%/1.0%)
38730
(7.2%/0.2%)
40–4420890964
(6.8%)
15052798
(6.7%/72.1%)
2669034
(6.9%/12.8%)
1782463
(6.3%/8.5%)
1155565
(7.9%/5.5%)
194713
(6.6%/0.9%)
36391
(6.7%/0.2%)
45–4922708591
(7.4%)
17028255
(7.6%/75.0%)
2828657
(7.3%/12.5%)
1532117
(5.4%/6.8%)
1076060
(7.3%/4.7%)
207857
(7.1%/0.9%)
35645
(6.6%/0.2%)
50–5422298125
(7.2%)
17178632
(7.7%/77.0%)
2694247
(6.9%/12.1%)
1222175
(4.3%/5.5%)
980282
(6.7%/4.4%)
191893
(6.5%/0.9%)
30896
(5.7%/0.1%)
55–5919664805
(6.4%)
15562187
(7.0%/79.1%)
2205820
(5.7%/11.2%)
873943
(3.1%/4.4%)
844490
(5.8%/4.3%)
154320
(5.3%/0.8%)
24045
(4.5%/0.1%)
60–6416817924
(5.4%)
13693334
(6.1%/81.4%)
1686695
(4.3%/10.0%)
611144
(2.2%/3.6%)
689601
(4.7%/4.1%)
118362
(4.0%/0.7%)
18788
(3.5%/0.1%)
65–6912435263
(4.0%)
10313002
(4.6%/82.9%)
1162577
(3.0%/9.4%)
394208
(1.4%/3.2%)
474327
(3.2%/3.8%)
79079
(2.7%/0.6%)
12070
(2.2%/0.1%)
70–749278166
(3.0%)
7740932
(3.5%/83.4%)
852317
(2.2%/9.2%)
268574
(1.0%/2.9%)
354268
(2.4%/3.8%)
53926
(1.8%/0.6%)
8149
(1.5%/0.1%)
75–797317795
(2.4%)
6224569
(2.8%/85.1%)
616789
(1.6%/8.4%)
184596
(0.7%/2.5%)
251210
(1.7%/3.4%)
35268
(1.2%/0.5%)
5363
(1.0%/0.1%)
80–845743327
(1.9%)
5002427
(2.2%/87.1%)
424592
(1.1%/7.4%)
122249
(0.4%/2.1%)
168879
(1.2%/2.9%)
21963
(0.7%/0.4%)
3217
(0.6%/0.1%)
85+5493433
(1.8%)
4858307
(2.2%/88.4%)
382122
(1.0%/7.0%)
95824
(0.3%/1.7%)
137942
(0.9%/2.5%)
16824
(0.6%/0.3%)
2414
(0.4%/0.0%)

U.S. demographic table, 1935–2023

[92][30][31]

Average populationLive births[93]DeathsNatural changeCrude birth rate (per 1,000)Crude death rate (per 1,000)[94]Natural change (per 1,000)Crude migration change (per 1,000)Total fertility rate[fn 1][95]
1935127,250,0002,377,0001,392,752984,24818.710.97.72.19
1936128,053,0002,355,0001,479,228875,77218.411.56.8-0.52.15
1937128,825,0002,413,0001,450,427962,57318.711.27.5-1.52.17
1938129,825,0002,496,0001,381,3911,114,60919.210.68.6-0.92.22
1939130,880,0002,466,0001,387,8971,078,10318.810.68.2-0.12.17
1940131,930,0002,559,0001,417,2691,142,00019.410.88.7-0.72.301
1941133,058,0002,703,0001,397,6421,305,35820.310.59.8-1.32.399
1942133,752,0002,989,0001,385,1871,603,81322.210.312-6.82.628
1943133,971,0003,104,0001,459,5441,644,30622.810.712.3-10.72.718
1944132,622,0002,939,0001,411,3381,644,45621.210.212.4-22.62.568
1945132,137,0002,858,0001,401,7191,456,28120.41111-14.72.491
1946139,893,0003,411,0001,395,6172,015,38324.110.014.441.02.943
1947143,375,0003,817,0001,445,3702,371,63026.610.016.57.83.274
1948146,045,0003,637,0001,444,3372,192,66324.99.8153.33.109
1949148,558,0003,649,0001,443,6072,205,39324.59.714.82.13.110
1950151,240,0003,632,0001,452,4542,180,00024.19.614.43.33.091
1951153,384,0003,823,0001,482,0992,340,90124.89.615.3-1.33.269
1952155,761,0003,913,0001,496,8382,416,16225.09.615.5-0.23.358
1953158,313,0003,965,0001,447,4592,517,54125.29.115.90.23.424
1954161,191,0004,078,0001,481,0912,596,90924.89.316.11.83.543
1955164,302,0004,097,0001,528,7172,568,28325.09.315.63.33.580
1956167,261,0004,218,0001,564,4762,653,52425.19.315.91.83.689
1957170,295,0004,308,0001,633,1282,666,87225.39.515.72.13.767
1958173,239,0004,255,0001,647,8862,607,11424.49.5152.03.701
1959176,511,0004,244,7961,656,8142,587,98224.09.414.73.83.670
1960179,977,0004,257,8501,711,9822,545,86823.79.514.15.23.654
1961182,953,0004,268,3261,701,5222,566,80423.39.314.02.33.629
1962185,771,0004,167,3621,756,7202,410,64222.49.5132.23.474
1963188,483,0004,098,0201,813,5492,284,47121.79.612.12.33.333
1964191,141,0004,027,4901,798,0512,229,43921.19.411.72.23.208
1965193,526,0003,760,3581,828,1361,932,22219.49.59.92.42.928
1966195,576,0003,606,2741,863,1491,743,12518.49.58.91.62.736
1967197,457,0003,520,9591,851,3231,669,63617.89.48.41.12.578
1968199,399,0003,501,5641,930,0821,571,48217.69.77.91.82.477
1969201,385,0003,600,2061,921,9901,678,21617.99.58.41.52.465
1970203,984,0003,731,3861,921,0311,810,35518.49.49.03.72.480
1971206,827,0003,555,9701,927,5421,628,42817.29.37.95.82.266
1972209,284,0003,258,4111,963,9441,294,46715.69.46.25.52.010
1973211,357,0003,136,9651,973,0031,163,96214.89.55.34.51.879
1974213,342,0003,159,9581,934,3881,225,57014.89.15.73.61.835
1975215,465,0003,144,1981,892,8791,251,31914.68.85.84.11.774
1976217,563,0003,167,7881,909,4401,258,34814.68.85.83.81.738
1977219,760,0003,326,6321,899,5971,427,03515.18.66.53.51.789
1978222,095,0003,333,2791,927,7881,405,49115.08.76.34.21.760
1979224,567,0003,494,3981,913,8411,580,55715.68.57.13.91.808
1980227,225,0003,612,2581,989,8411,622,41715.98.87.14.61.839
1981229,466,0003,629,2381,977,9811,651,25715.88.67.22.61.812
1982231,664,0003,680,5371,974,7971,705,74015.98.57.42.11.827
1983233,792,0003,638,9332,019,2011,619,73215.68.66.92.21.799
1984235,825,0003,669,1412,039,3691,629,77215.68.66.91.71.806
1985237,924,0003,760,5612,086,4401,674,12115.88.87.01.81.844
1986240,133,0003,756,5472,105,3611,651,18615.68.86.92.31.837
1987242,289,0003,809,3942,123,3231,686,07115.78.87.01.91.872
1988244,499,0003,909,5102,167,9991,741,51116.08.97.11.91.934
1989246,819,0004,040,9582,150,4661,890,49216.48.77.71.72.014
1990249,623,0004,158,2122,148,4632,009,74916.78.68.13.12.081
1991252,981,0004,110,9072,169,5181,941,38916.28.67.75.62.062
1992256,514,0004,065,0142,175,6131,889,40115.88.57.46.42.046
1993259,919,0004,000,2402,268,5531,731,68715.48.76.76.42.019
1994263,126,0003,952,7672,278,9941,673,77315.08.76.45.82.001
1995266,278,0003,899,5892,312,1321,587,45714.68.76.05.81.978
1996269,394,0003,891,4942,314,6901,576,80414.48.65.95.71.976
1997272,647,0003,880,8942,314,2451,566,64914.28.55.76.21.971
1998275,854,0003,941,5532,337,2561,604,29714.38.55.85.81.999
1999279,040,0003,959,4172,391,3991,568,01814.28.65.65.82.007
2000282,162,4114,058,8142,403,3511,655,46314.48.55.95.22.056
2001284,968,9554,025,9332,416,4251,609,50814.18.55.64.22.030
2002287,625,1934,021,7262,443,3871,578,33914.08.55.53.72.020
2003290,107,9334,089,9502,448,2881,641,66214.18.45.63.02.047
2004292,805,2984,112,0522,397,6151,714,43714.08.25.93.32.051
2005295,516,5994,138,3492,448,0171,690,33214.08.35.73.52.057
2006298,379,9124,265,5552,426,2641,839,29114.38.16.23.42.108
2007301,231,2074,316,2342,423,7121,892,52214.38.06.33.22.120
2008304,093,9664,247,6942,471,9841,775,71014.08.15.93.52.072
2009306,771,5294,130,6652,437,1631,693,50213.57.95.63.12.002
2010309,327,1433,999,3862,468,4351,530,95113.08.05.03.31.931
2011311,583,4813,953,5902,515,4581,438,41212.78.14.62.61.894
2012313,877,8623,952,8412,543,2791,409,56212.68.14.52.81.880
2013316,059,9473,932,1812,596,9931,336,18312.48.24.22.71.857
2014318,386,3293,988,0762,626,4181,361,65812.58.24.33.01.862
2015320,738,9943,978,4972,712,6301,265,86712.48.44.03.31.843
2016323,071,7553,945,8752,744,2481,201,62712.28.53.73.61.820
2017[96][97]325,122,1283,855,5002,813,5031,041,99711.88.73.13.21.765
2018[98][99]326,838,1993,791,7122,839,205952,50711.68.72.92.41.729
2019328,329,9533,747,5402,854,858892,68211.48.72.71.91.706
2020[100][101]331,511,5123,613,6473,383,729229,91810.910.30.69.11.641
2021[102][103]332,031,5543,664,2923,464,231200,06111.010.40.51.11.664
2022[104][105]333,287,5573,667,758[106]3,279,857387,90111.09.81.22.61.656
2023p[107]334,914,8653,591,3283,087,366507,93210.79.21.53.31.617

p = provisional data

Current vital statistics

[108]

PeriodLive birthsDeathsNatural increase
January to February 2023570,308537,347+32,961
January to February 2024575,272537,534+37,738
Difference +4,964 (+0.87%) +187 (+0.035%) +4,777

All current numbers in this section are provisional and may change through future updates. For more information, please see the reference link (CDC WONDER).

U.S. projected population table

The United States Census Bureau's 2017 projections were produced using the cohort-component method. In the cohort-component method, the components of population change (fertility, mortality, and net migration) are projected separately for each birth cohort (persons born in a given year). The base population is advanced each year by using projected survival rates and net international migration. Each year, a new birth cohort is added to the population by applying the projected fertility rates to the female population.

Observed and Total Population for the States, 2030-2040[109]
StatesTotal Population
20302040
Alabama5,029,8335,056,796
Alaska792,188819,954
Arizona8,238,4079,166,279
Arkansas3,155,7983,217,535
California43,751,11646,467,001
Colorado6,766,9837,692,907
Connecticut3,601,2023,542,707
Delaware1,082,1921,164,344
District of Columbia888,8911,058,820
Florida25,372,66428,886,983
Georgia11,835,12612,820,271
Hawaii1,548,8311,619,703
Idaho2,008,3292,227,842
Illinois12,709,90112,397,564
Indiana6,978,2547,095,000
Iowa3,317,4123,392,783
Kansas3,011,7823,032,653
Kentucky4,648,1904,714,761
Louisiana4,945,7835,062,780
Maine1,344,8411,326,159
Maryland6,553,5486,842,902
Massachusetts7,420,8827,742,628
Michigan10,068,9419,960,115
Minnesota6,070,5516,364,886
Mississippi3,003,9632,962,160
Missouri6,318,1266,359,970
Montana1,163,3531,236,304
Nebraska2,089,8412,190,918
Nevada3,591,0434,058,371
New Hampshire1,385,7991,393,451
New Jersey9,363,3179,470,012
New Mexico2,132,8232,127,318
New York20,638,06620,873,488
North Carolina11,673,84912,658,927
North Dakota923,4521,060,457
Ohio11,837,40511,751,540
Oklahoma4,253,6044,439,038
Oregon4,738,0745,164,041
Pennsylvania12,946,24512,809,150
Rhode Island1,068,6631,055,318
South Carolina5,792,2476,352,502
South Dakota973,3611,043,032
Tennessee7,395,1067,823,662
Texas34,738,48240,015,913
Utah3,786,9634,344,339
Vermont617,969601,865
Virginia9,331,6669,876,728
Washington8,746,4939,776,126
West Virginia1,746,5771,661,849
Wisconsin5,971,6175,997,137
Wyoming605,972615,787
US population projections (resident population as of July 1 & numbers in thousands)[110]
YearPopulation
2017325,511
2018327,892
2019330,269
2020332,639
2021334,998
2022337,342
2023339,665
2024341,963
2025344,234
2026346,481
2027348,695
2028350,872
2029353,008
2030355,101
2031357,147
2032359,147
2033361,099
2034363,003
2035364,862
2036366,676
2037368,448
2038370,179
2039371,871
2040373,528
2041375,152
2042376,746
2043378,314
2044379,861
2045381,390
2046382,907
2047384,415
2048385,918
2049387,419
2050388,922
2051390,431
2052391,947
2053393,473
2054395,009
2055396,557
2056398,118
2057399,691
2058401,277
2059402,874
2060404,483

Since 1790

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
17903,929,214
18005,236,63133.3%
18107,239,88138.3%
18209,638,45333.1%
183012,866,02033.5%
184017,069,45332.7%
185023,191,87635.9%
186031,443,32135.6%
187038,558,37122.6%
188049,371,34028.0%
189062,979,76627.6%
190076,212,16821.0%
191092,228,53121.0%
1920106,021,56815.0%
1930123,202,66016.2%
1940132,165,1297.3%
1950151,325,79814.5%
1960179,323,17518.5%
1970203,211,92613.3%
1980226,545,80511.5%
1990248,709,8739.8%
2000281,421,90613.2%
2010308,745,5389.7%
2020331,449,2817.4%
Sources: United States Census Bureau[111][112][113][114]
2020 data (as of population clock)[13]
Note that the census numbers do not
include American natives before 1860.

In 1900, when the U.S. population was 76 million, there were 66.8 million white Americans in the United States, representing 88% of the total population,[115] 8.8 million Black Americans, with about 90% of them still living in Southern states,[116] and slightly more than 500,000 Hispanics.[117]

Under the law, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965,[118] the number of first-generation immigrants living in the United States has increased,[119] from 9.6 million in 1970 to about 38 million in 2007.[120] Around a million people legally immigrated to the United States per year in the 1990s, up from 250,000 per year in the 1950s.[121]

In 1900, non-Hispanic whites comprised almost 97% of the population of the 10 largest U.S. cities.[122] The Census Bureau reported that minorities (including Hispanic whites) made up 50.4% of the children born in the U.S. between July 2010 and July 2011,[123] compared to 37% in 1990.[124]

In 2014, the state with the lowest fertility rate was Rhode Island, with a rate of 1.56, while Utah had the greatest rate with a rate of 2.33.[61] This correlates with the ages of the states' populations: Rhode Island has the ninth-oldest median age in the US – 39.2 – while Utah has the youngest – 29.0.[125]

In 2017, the U.S. birth rate remains well below the replacement level needed – at least 2.1 children per woman so as not to experience population decreases – as white American births fell in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Among non-Hispanic white women, no states had a fertility rate above the replacement level. Among non-Hispanic Black women, 12 states reached above the replacement level needed. Among Hispanic women, 29 states did.[126] For non-Hispanic white women, the highest total fertility rate was in Utah, at 2.099, and the lowest in the District of Columbia, at 1.012. Among non-Hispanic Black women, the highest total fertility rate was in Maine, at 4.003, and the lowest in Wyoming, at 1.146. For Hispanic women, the highest total fertility rate was in Alabama, at 3.085, and the lowest in Vermont, at 1.200, and Maine, at 1.281.[126][127] Due to the aging and low birth rates among white people, deaths now outnumber births among white people (non-Hispanic) in more than half the states in the country.[128]

In 2018, U.S. births fell to the lowest level in 32 years.[129]

Median age of the population

Median age of the U.S. population through history. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce. Bureau of Census, United States Census Bureau and The World Factbook.[95][130]

Years182018301840185018601870188018901900
Median age of the total population16.717.217.818.919.420.220.922.022.9
Median age of males16.617.217.919.219.820.221.222.323.3
Median age of females16.817.317.818.619.120.120.721.622.4
Years1910192019301940195019601970198019902000201020182021
Median age of the total population24.125.326.529.030.229.628.130.032.935.337.238.238.8
Median age of males24.625.826.729.129.928.726.828.831.734.035.836.937.7
Median age of females23.524.725.229.030.530.429.831.234.136.538.539.539.8

Vital statistics

States in the US shown with population change 2010 to 2020 census[131]
  -2.00% or less
  -0.01% to -1.99%
  0% to 0.99%
  1% to 2.49%
  2.5% to 4.99%
  5% to 8.99%
  9% to 11.99%
  12% or more
One person households in the US over time

The U.S. total fertility rate as of 2020 is 1.641[40]

Other:[61]

(Note that ≈95% of Hispanics are included as "white Hispanics" by CDC, which does not recognize the Census's "Some other race" category and counts people in that category as white.)

Source: National Vital statistics report based on 2010 US Census data[132]

Total Fertility Rates from 1800 to 2020

The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. Sources: Ansley J. Coale, Zelnik and National Center for Health Statistics.[133]

Years18001810182018301840185018601870188018901900[133]
Total Fertility Rate in the United States7.06.96.76.66.15.45.24.64.23.93.6
Years19101920193019401950196019701980199020002010[133]2020
Total Fertility Rate in the United States3.43.22.52.23.03.52.51.82.082.061.931.64

Life expectancy at birth from 1901 to 2015

Life expectancy in the United States from 1901 to 2015. Source: Our World In Data and the United Nations.

1901–1950

Years1901190219031904190519061907190819091910[134]
Life expectancy in the United States49.350.550.649.650.350.250.151.952.851.8
Years1911191219131914191519161917191819191920[134]
Life expectancy in the United States53.454.153.554.655.154.254.047.055.355.4
Years1921192219231924192519261927192819291930[134]
Life expectancy in the United States58.258.157.558.558.557.959.458.358.559.6
Years1931193219331934193519361937193819391940[134]
Life expectancy in the United States60.361.060.960.260.960.461.162.463.163.2
Years1941194219431944194519461947194819491950[134]
Life expectancy in the United States63.864.664.365.165.666.366.767.367.668.1

1901–2015

PeriodLife expectancy
in Years
1901–190949.3 – 52.8
1910–191953.5 – 55.3[135]
1920–192955.4 – 59.4
1930–193960.2 – 63.1
1940–194963.8 – 67.6
1950–195568.7
1955–196069.7
1960–196570.1
1965–197070.4
1970–197571.4
1975–198073.3
1980–198574.4
1985–199074.9
1990–199575.7
1995–200076.5
2000–200577.2
2005–201078.2
2010–201578.9
2015–202078.8

Source: UN World Population Prospects[136]

Percent distribution of the total population by age: 1900 to 2015

Population pyramid of United States in 1950

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce, United Nations medium variant projections.[137][138]

Ages1900191019201930194019501960197019801990200020102015
0–14 years34.532.131.829.425.026.931.128.522.621.521.420.219.8
15–24 years19.619.717.718.318.214.713.417.418.814.813.9
25–44 years28.129.229.629.530.130.026.223.627.732.530.2
45–64 years13.714.616.117.519.820.320.120.619.618.622.0
65 years and over4.14.34.75.46.88.19.29.911.312.612.413.014.3
Total (%)10010010010010010010010010010010033.234.1

Population centers

The United States has dozens of major cities, including 31 "global cities"[139] of all types, with 10 in the "alpha" group of global cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Boston, San Francisco, Miami, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Atlanta.[140] As of 2021, the United States had 56 metropolitan areas with 1 million or more inhabitants. (The U.S. Census Bureau ranked Urban Honolulu as the 56th most populous area, with just over 1 million residents. See Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas.)

As of 2011, about 250 million Americans live in or around urban areas. That means more than three-quarters of the U.S. population shares just about three percent of the U.S. land area.[141]

The following table shows the populations of the top twenty metropolitan areas.

 
Largest metropolitan areas in the United States
RankNameRegionPop.RankNameRegionPop.

New York

Los Angeles
1New YorkNortheast19,498,24911BostonNortheast4,919,179
Chicago

Dallas–Fort Worth
2Los AngelesWest12,799,10012Riverside–San BernardinoWest4,688,053
3ChicagoMidwest9,262,82513San FranciscoWest4,566,961
4Dallas–Fort WorthSouth8,100,03714DetroitMidwest4,342,304
5HoustonSouth7,510,25315SeattleWest4,044,837
6AtlantaSouth6,307,26116Minneapolis–Saint PaulMidwest3,712,020
7Washington, D.C.South6,304,97517Tampa–St. PetersburgSouth3,342,963
8PhiladelphiaNortheast6,246,16018San DiegoWest3,269,973
9MiamiSouth6,183,19919DenverWest3,005,131
10PhoenixWest5,070,11020BaltimoreSouth2,834,316


Race and ethnicity

United States of America – Racial and Ethnic Composition
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / EthnicityPop 2000[143]Pop 2010[144]Pop 2020[145]% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)194,552,774196,817,552191,697,64769.13%63.75%57.84%
Black or African American alone (NH)33,947,83737,685,84839,940,33812.06%12.21%12.05%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)2,068,8832,247,0982,251,6990.74%0.73%0.68%
Asian alone (NH)10,123,16914,465,12419,618,7193.60%4.69%5.92%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)353,509481,576622,0180.13%0.16%0.19%
Some Other Race alone (NH)467,770604,2651,689,8330.17%0.20%0.51%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)4,602,1465,966,48113,548,9831.64%1.93%4.09%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)35,305,81850,477,59462,080,04412.55%16.35%18.73%
Total281,421,906308,745,538331,449,281100.00%100.00%100.00%

Racial and ethnic groups in the United States (2020 census)[146]

  White Americans* (57.8%)
  Latino Americans** (18.7%)
  Black Americans* (12.1%)
  Asian Americans* (5.9%)
  Two or more races* (4.1%)
  Native Americans* (0.7%)
  Some other race* (0.5%)

*NHL
**OAR

Racial groups in the United States (2020 census) including racial identification of Latinos[147]

  White Americans (61.6%)
  Black Americans (12.4%)
  Two or more races (10.2%)
  Some other race (8.4%)
  Asian Americans (6.0%)
  Native Americans (1.1%)
U.S. race by Hispanic origin demographics from 1940 to 2020
Ethnic origins in the United States
Ethno-racial makeup of the United States by single year ages from 1990 to 2020
Ethno-racial makeup of the United States by single year ages in 2020
Counties in the United States by percentage of the population which is non-Hispanic or Latino and/or non-white according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates.[148] Counties with larger populations of Hispanic/Latino and/or non-white than the United States as a whole are in full purple.
States in the United States by Hispanic/Latino and/or non-white population according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates.[148] States with larger Hispanic/Latino and/or non-white populations than the United States as a whole are in full purple.

Race

Population pyramid by race/ethnicity in 2020

The United States Census Bureau collects racial data in accordance with guidelines provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and these data are based on self-identification. Many other countries count multiple races based on origin while America compiles multiple dozens of ethnicity groups into skin color grouping them together.[149] The racial classifications and definitions used by the U.S. Census Bureau are:[150]

  • White: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.[151] It includes people who indicate their race as "White" or report entries such as English, Iranian, Irish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, or Caucasian.
  • Black or African American: a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.[151] It includes people who indicate their race as "Black, African Am." or report entries such as African American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian.
  • American Indian or Alaska Native: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.[151] This category includes people who indicate their race as "American Indian or Alaska Native" or report entries such as Navajo, Blackfeet, Inupiat, Yup'ik, Central American Indian groups, or South American Indian groups.
  • Asian: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.[151]
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.[151]
  • Some other race: includes all other responses not included in the "White", "Black or African American", "American Indian or Alaska Native", "Asian", and "Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander" racial categories described above includes Asians from West Asia or Russia (non-European Russia) and White Africans
  • Two or more races: people may choose to provide two or more races either by checking two or more race response check boxes, providing multiple responses, or some combination of check boxes and other responses.

Data about race and ethnicity are self-reported to the Census Bureau. Since the 2000 census, Congress has authorized people to identify themselves according to more than one racial classification by selecting more than one category. Only one ethnicity may be selected, however, because the Census Bureau recognizes only two ethnicities – Hispanic and Non-Hispanic – which are mutually exclusive since you can be one or the other, but not both. The Census Bureau defines "Hispanic" as any person who has an ancestral connection to Latin America.

According to the Census Bureau website, the racial composition of the United States in 2021 was:[152]

Race (2021)PopulationShare of population
Total323,175,700100.0%
(Non-Hispanic) White, percent187,925,10058.2%
Black or African American, percent37,520,80011.6%
Hispanic or Latino, percent61,241,90019.0%
Asian, percent18,558,6005.7%
American Indian and Alaska Native, percent1,667,1000.5%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander541,2000.2%
Two or more Races, percent15,711,1004.9%

According to the 2013–2017 American Community Survey, the racial composition of the United States in 2017 was:[153]

RacePopulation (2017 est.)Share of total
population
Total321,004,407100%
One race310,923,36396.9%
  White234,370,20273.0%
  Black or African American40,610,81512.7%
  American Indian and Alaska Native2,632,1020.8%
  Asian17,186,3205.4%
  Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander570,1160.2%
  Other races15,553,8084.8%
Two or more races10,081,0443.1%
  White and Black or African American2,657,5600.8%
  White and American Indian and Alaska Native1,905,9460.6%
  White and Asian2,057,3210.6%
  Black or African American and American Indian and Alaska Native319,0970.1%
  Hispanic or Latino (of any race)56,510,57117.6%
  Mexican35,709,52811.1%
  Puerto Rican5,418,5211.7%
  Cuban2,158,9620.7%
  Other Hispanic or Latino13,223,5604.1%
  Not Hispanic or Latino264,493,83682.4%
  White (non-Hispanic)197,277,78961.5%
  Black or African American (non-Hispanic)39,445,49512.3%
  American Indian and Alaska Native (non-Hispanic)2,098,7630.7%
  Asian (non-Hispanic)16,989,5405.3%
  Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic)515,5220.2%
  Some other race (non-Hispanic)715,4320.2%
  Two or more races7,451,2952.3%
Distribution of Total Population by Race, 1900 to 2020 (in %)

Hispanic are shown like part of the races. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.[137][130]

Years19001910192019301940195019601970198019902000*2010*2020*
White87.988.989.789.889.889.588.687.583.080.375.172.461.6
Black or African American11.610.79.99.79.810.010.511.111.712.112.312.612.4
American Indian and Alaska Native0.80.80.90.91.1
Asian and Native Hawaiian
and other Pacific Islander
1.52.93.85.06.2
Some other race3.03.95.56.28.4
Two or more races2.42.910.2
Sum (%)99.599.699.699.599.699.599.198.6100100100100100

*Data are shown for the White, Black or African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and Some other race alone populations.

Median age by each race alone & ethnicity, 2021

Source: United States Census Bureau.[154]

RaceMedian age (both sexes) (years)Median age (male) (years)Median age (female) (years)
Total Population38.837.739.8
White (Non-Hispanic)43.842.645.0
Black or African American34.532.936.1
American Indian and Alaska Native32.131.832.5
Asian37.736.538.9
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander32.732.532.9
Two or More Races21.120.421.8
Hispanic alone30.530.230.8
Not Hispanic41.039.842.1
Median age by race alone or in combination & ethnicity, 2021

Source: United States Census Bureau.[154]

RaceMedian age (both sexes) (years)Median age (male) (years)Median age (female) (years)
White39.838.940.8
Black or African American32.731.234.2
American Indian and Alaska Native31.630.932.2
Asian35.434.136.6
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander29.829.330.3
White (Non-Hispanic)42.841.744.0
Most common age by race/ethnicity, 2018[155]
Race/ethnicityWhiteBlack or
African American
HispanicAsianAmerican Indian and
Alaska Native
Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islander
Multiracial
Most common age58 yo27 yo11 yo29 yo26 yo28 yo3 yo
Racial breakdown of population by state (plus D.C. and Puerto Rico), 2015[153]
State or territoryPopulation
(2015 est.)
WhiteBlack or
African American
American Indian
and Alaska Native
AsianNative Hawaiian and
Other Pacific Islander
Some other raceTwo or more races
Alabama4,830,62068.8%26.4%0.5%1.2%0.1%1.3%1.7%
Alaska733,37566.0%3.4%13.8%5.9%1.2%1.3%8.4%
Arizona6,641,92878.4%4.2%4.4%3.0%0.2%6.5%3.2%
Arkansas2,958,20878.0%15.5%0.6%1.4%0.2%2.1%2.1%
California38,421,46461.8%5.9%0.7%13.7%0.4%12.9%4.5%
Colorado5,278,90684.2%4.0%0.9%2.9%0.1%4.3%3.5%
Connecticut3,593,22277.3%10.3%0.2%4.2%0.0%5.1%2.8%
Delaware926,45469.4%21.6%0.3%3.6%0.0%2.3%2.7%
District of Columbia647,48440.2%48.9%0.3%3.7%0.0%4.2%2.7%
Florida19,645,77276.0%16.1%0.3%2.6%0.1%2.5%2.4%
Georgia10,006,69360.2%30.9%0.3%3.6%0.0%2.8%2.1%
Hawaii1,406,29925.4%2.0%0.2%37.7%9.9%1.1%23.7%
Idaho1,616,54791.7%0.6%1.3%1.3%0.1%2.4%2.6%
Illinois12,873,76172.3%14.3%0.2%5.0%0.0%5.8%2.2%
Indiana6,568,64584.2%9.2%0.2%1.9%0.0%2.3%2.2%
Iowa3,093,52691.2%3.2%0.3%2.0%0.1%1.3%2.0%
Kansas2,892,98785.2%5.8%0.8%2.6%0.1%2.2%3.3%
Kentucky4,397,35387.6%7.9%0.2%1.3%0.0%0.9%2.1%
Louisiana4,625,25362.8%32.1%0.6%1.7%0.0%1.0%1.8%
Maine1,329,10095.0%1.1%0.6%1.1%0.0%0.2%2.0%
Maryland5,930,53857.6%29.5%0.3%6.0%0.0%3.6%3.0%
Massachusetts6,705,58679.6%7.1%0.2%6.0%0.0%4.2%2.9%
Michigan9,900,57179.0%14.0%0.5%2.7%0.0%1.1%2.6%
Minnesota5,419,17184.8%5.5%1.0%4.4%0.0%1.5%2.7%
Mississippi2,988,08159.2%37.4%0.4%1.0%0.0%0.9%1.2%
Missouri6,045,44882.6%11.5%0.4%1.8%0.1%1.1%2.4%
Montana1,014,69989.2%0.5%6.5%0.7%0.1%0.5%2.5%
Nebraska1,869,36588.1%4.7%0.9%2.0%0.1%1.9%2.2%
Nevada2,798,63669.0%8.4%1.1%7.7%0.6%8.8%4.4%
New Hampshire1,324,20193.7%1.3%0.2%2.4%0.0%0.5%1.8%
New Jersey8,904,41368.3%13.5%0.2%9.0%0.0%6.4%2.5%
New Mexico2,084,11773.2%2.1%9.1%1.4%0.1%10.9%3.3%
New York19,673,17464.6%15.6%0.4%8.0%0.0%8.6%2.9%
North Carolina9,845,33369.5%21.5%1.2%2.5%0.1%3.0%2.4%
North Dakota721,64088.7%1.6%5.3%1.2%0.0%0.8%2.2%
Ohio11,575,97782.4%12.2%0.2%1.9%0.0%0.8%2.5%
Oklahoma3,849,73373.1%7.2%7.3%1.9%0.1%2.6%7.8%
Oregon3,939,23385.1%1.8%1.2%4.0%0.4%3.4%4.1%
Pennsylvania12,779,55981.6%11.0%0.2%3.1%0.0%2.0%2.1%
Puerto Rico3,583,07369.7%8.4%0.3%0.3%0.0%12.0%9.3%
Rhode Island1,053,66181.1%6.5%0.5%3.2%0.0%5.8%2.8%
South Carolina4,777,57667.2%27.5%0.3%1.4%0.1%1.5%2.0%
South Dakota843,19085.0%1.6%8.6%1.2%0.0%0.9%2.6%
Tennessee6,499,61577.8%16.8%0.3%1.6%0.1%1.5%2.0%
Texas26,538,61474.9%11.9%0.5%4.2%0.1%6.0%2.5%
Utah2,903,37987.6%1.1%1.1%2.2%0.9%4.5%2.6%
Vermont626,60494.9%1.1%0.3%1.4%0.0%0.3%1.9%
Virginia8,256,63069.0%19.2%0.3%6.0%0.1%2.2%3.2%
Washington6,985,46477.8%3.6%1.3%7.7%0.6%3.8%5.2%
West Virginia1,851,42093.6%3.3%0.2%0.7%0.0%0.2%2.0%
Wisconsin5,742,11786.5%6.3%0.9%2.5%0.0%1.7%2.1%
Wyoming579,67991.0%1.1%2.2%0.9%0.1%2.1%2.7%
Racial breakdown of population in the Insular Areas, 2010[156][157][158][159]
TerritoryPopulation
(2010 est.)
WhiteBlack or
African American
American Indian
and Alaska Native
AsianNative Hawaiian and
Other Pacific Islander
Some other raceTwo or more races
American Samoa55,5190.9%0.0%3.6%92.6%0.1%2.7%
Guam159,3587.1%1.0%32.2%49.3%0.3%9.4%
Northern Mariana Islands53,8832.1%0.1%49.9%34.9%0.2%12.7%
U.S. Virgin Islands106,40515.6%76.0%1.4%0.0%4.9%2.1%
U.S. Births by race/ethnicity in 2018[129]
YearWhite AloneBlack AloneHispanicNative American AloneAsian AlonePacific Islander Alone
201851.6%14.6%23.4%0.8%6.4%0.3%
Percentage distribution of the U.S. resident population 5 to 17 years old, by race/ethnicity: 2000 and 2017[160]
YearWhiteBlack or
African American
HispanicAsianPacific IslanderAmerican Indian
Alaska Native
Two or more races
200060%15%16%3%1%2%
201751%14%25%5%1%4%
Percentage distribution of the U.S. resident population 18 to 24 years old, by race/ethnicity: 2000 and 2017[160]
YearWhiteBlack or
African American
HispanicAsianPacific IslanderAmerican Indian
Alaska Native
Two or more races
200062%14%18%4%1%1%
201754%14%22%6%1%3%
Percentage of population between non-Hispanic whites and Minority by age group, 2013[161]
Age group85+80–8475–7970–7465–6960–6455–5950–5445–4940–4435–3930–3425–2920–2415–1910–145–9<5
non-Hispanic white83%81%79%78%77%74%72%69%65%61%58%57%57%56%55%54%52%50%
Minority17%19%21%22%23%26%28%31%35%39%42%43%43%44%45%46%48%50%

Hispanic or Latino origin

CensusViewer US 2010 Census Latino Population as a heatmap by census tract

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines "Hispanic or Latino" as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race. People who identify with the terms "Hispanic" or "Latino" are those who classify themselves in one of the specific Hispanic or Latino categories listed on the decennial census questionnaire and various Census Bureau survey questionnaires – "Mexican, Mexican Am., Chicano" or "Puerto Rican" or "Cuban" – as well as those who indicate that they are "another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin."[162] People who identify their origin as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.[150]

Hispanic or Latino and RacePopulation (2015 est.)Percentage of total
population
United States population316,515,021100%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)54,232,20517.1%
  White35,684,77711.3%
  Black or African American1,122,3690.3%
  American Indian and Alaska Native490,5570.1%
  Asian181,2310.0%
  Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander46,7240.0%
  Some other race14,226,8294.5%
  Two or more races2,479,7180.8%
Not Hispanic or Latino262,282,81682.9%
Population distribution by Hispanic origin 1970–2020 (in %)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, decennial census of population, 1970 (5-percentsample), 1980 to 2020.[130]

Years197019801990200020102020
Not Hispanic or Latino95.593.691.087.583.781.3
Hispanic or Latino4.56.49.012.516.318.7
Total (%)100100100100100100
Median age of each race alone, 2021 (Hispanic)

Source: United States Census Bureau.[154]

RaceMedian age (both sex) (years)Median age (male) (years)Median age (female) (years)
Total (Hispanic)30.530.230.8
White31.230.931.5
Black or African American27.126.128.2
American Indian and Alaska Native28.429.027.8
Asian26.926.227.7
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander27.828.327.2
Two or More Races21.521.122.0
Median age of each race alone or in combination, 2021 (Hispanic)

Source: United States Census Bureau.[154]

RaceMedian age (both sex) (years)Median age (male) (years)Median age (female) (years)
White30.930.631.1
Black or African American25.324.326.3
American Indian and Alaska Native27.627.827.3
Asian23.022.323.7
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander24.824.924.7

Note: Hispanic origin is considered an ethnicity, not a race. Hispanics may be of any race.

Indigenous peoples

As of 2020, there are 9,666,058 people identifying as American Indian and Alaska Native people in the United States[163] representing around 3% of the U.S. population. There are 573 federally recognized tribal governments[164] in the United States. As of 2000, the largest groups in the United States by population were Navajo, Cherokee, Choctaw, Sioux, Chippewa, Apache, Blackfeet, Iroquois, and Pueblo. In 2020, Aztecs were the largest Native American group alone, while Cherokee were the largest group in combination with any other group.[165][166]

Other groups

There were 22.1 million veterans in 2009,[167] meaning that less than 10% of Americans served in the Armed Forces.[168]

In 2010, The Washington Post estimated that there were 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.[169] As of 2017, Pew Research reported that there an estimated 10.5 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.[170]

There were about 2 million people in prison in 2010.[171]

Projections

U.S. Census Population projections (2012)[172]
20152050
White Americans177.4%70.8%
> Non-Hispanic Whites61.8%46.6%
Black Americans113.2%14.4%
Asian Americans15.3%7.7%
Multiracial Americans12.6%5.4%
Hispanics/Latinos (of any race)17.8%28.0%
1 Including Hispanics

A report by the U.S. Census Bureau projects a decrease in the ratio of Whites between 2010 and 2050, from 79.5% to 74.0%.[173] At the same time, Non-Hispanic Whites are projected to no longer make up a majority of the population by 2045, but will remain the largest single ethnic group. In 2050 they will compose 46.3% of the population. Non-Hispanic whites made up 85% of the population in 1960.[174] However, white Americans overall are still projected to make up over 70% of the population in 2050.

The report foresees the Hispanic or Latino population rising from 16% today to 30% by 2050, the Black percentage barely rising from 13.2% to 14.4%, and Asian Americans upping their 4.6% share to 7.8%. The United States had a population of 310 million people in October 2010, and is projected to reach 400 million by 2039 and 439 million in 2050.[175][176][177][178] It is further projected that 82% of the increase in population from 2005 to 2050 will be due to immigrants and their children.[179]

Of the nation's children in 2050, 62% are expected to be of a minority ethnicity, up from 44% today. Approximately 39% are projected to be Hispanic or Latino (up from 22% in 2008), and 38% are projected to be single-race, non-Hispanic Whites (down from 56% in 2008).[180] Racial and ethnic minorities surpassed non-Hispanic whites as the largest group of U.S. children under 5 years old in 2015.[181]

The fastest growing racial group in America is Asian Americans with a growth rate of 35%, however the multi-racial mixed Asian group is growing even faster, with a growth rate of 55%. Multi-racial Asians are therefore the fastest growing demographic group in America.[25][24]

In 2020, it was reported that 51.0% of births were to non-Hispanic white mothers.[132] In 2021, the percentage increased to 51.5%.[132][182] However, by 2022 the rate of births to white mothers had declined by 3%, dropping to 50% of all total births. In the same period, the rate of births to Asian and Hispanic women increased by 2% and 6%, respectively.[27][26]

Pew Research Center projections

The United Nations projects a population of just over 400 million in 2060.[183]

Pew Research Center projections (2008)[184]
196020052050
White Americans85%67%47%
Hispanic Americans3.5%14%29%
Black Americans11%13%14%
Asian Americans0.6%5%9%
Note: All races modified and not Hispanic; American Indian/Alaska Native not shown.

The country's racial profile will be vastly different, and although whites will remain the single largest ethnic group in the U.S., they will no longer be a majority excluding White Hispanics by 2055 according to Pew Research Center. Growth in the Hispanic and Asian populations is predicted to almost triple over the next 40 years. By 2055, the breakdown is estimated to be 48% non-Hispanic white, 24% Hispanic, 16% Black, and 14% Asian.[183]

As of 2015, 14% of the United States' population is foreign born, compared to just 5% in 1965. Nearly 39 million immigrants have come to the U.S. since 1965, with most coming from Asia and Latin America. The 2015 Census Report predicts that the percentage of the U.S. population that is foreign-born will continue to increase, reaching 19% by 2060. This increase in the foreign-born population will account for a large share of the overall population growth.[183]

The average person in the U.S. of 2060 is likely to be older than the average person of 2018 today, and almost one in four people will be 65 or older.[183]

U.S. Census Census Bureau projections

Percent minority 1970–2042 (2008 projections)
[130]
Years197019801990200020102020203020402042
Percent minority (%)16.520.424.430.936.339.944.549.250.1

Note: "Minority" refers to people who reported their ethnicity and race as something other than non-Hispanic White alone in the decennial census.

Total US population
YearProjection (Census Bureau)[175]

(thousands)

Projection (UN)[185]

(thousands)

Actual result
2010310,233309,011308,745,538
2020332,639331,003331,449,281
2030373,504349,642
2040405,655366,572
2050439,010379,419

Ancestries

Most common ancestry group in the United States by county
Ancestry by origin[186]Number as of 2022%
American (Native American, Mexican, Cuban)17,786,214
Arab2,237,982
Czech1,188,711
Danish1,127,518
Dutch3,019,465
English31,380,620
French (except Basque)6,310,548
French Canadian1,626,456
German41,137,168
Greek
Hungarian
Irish
Italian
Lithuanian
Norwegian
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Scotch-Irish
Scottish
Slovak
Subsaharan African
Swedish
Swiss
Ukrainian
Welsh
West Indian (excluding Hispanic origin groups)

Religion

Religious affiliations

Religion in the United States (2023)[187]

  Protestantism (41%)
  Catholicism (18%)
  Unaffiliated (31%)
  Jewish (2%)
  Muslim (1%)
  Buddhist (1%)
  Hindu (1%)

The table below is based mainly on selected data as reported to the United States Census Bureau. It only includes the voluntary self-reported membership of religious bodies with 750,000 or more. The definition of a member is determined by each religious body.[188] In 2004, the US census bureau reported that about 13% of the population did not identify themselves as a member of any religion.[189][clarification needed]

In a Pew Research Survey performed in 2012, Americans without a religion (atheists, agnostics, nothing in particular, etc.) approached the numbers of Evangelical Protestant Americans with almost 20% of Americans being nonreligious (compared to just over 26% being Evangelical Protestant). If this current growth rate continues, by 2050, around 51% of Americans will not have a religion.[190]

Surveys conducted in 2014 and 2019 by Pew indicated that the percentage of Americans unaffiliated with a religion increased from 16% in 2007 to 23% in 2014 and 26% of the population in 2019.[191][192]

According to statistical data made by the Pew Research Center in 2021 about 63% of the US population is Christian, 28% is Unaffiliated, 2% is Jewish, 1% follows Buddhism, 1% follows Hinduism, 1% follows Islam and 2% follow traditional religions and others. Currently, the United States has the largest Christian population in the world (approximately 230-250 million) and the largest Protestant Christian population (approximately 150-160 million). The country also has the second largest Jewish community in the world (after Israel) and the largest Buddhist and Hindu communities in the West, as well as the largest number of followers of Islam in North America. The country has about 64 million non-affiliates (only China and Japan have more).[citation needed][193]

Religious bodyYear
reported
Places of
worship
Membership
(thousands)
Clergy
!a0000−9999−9999−9999
African Methodist Episcopal Church1999no data2,5007,741
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church20023,2261,4313,252
American Baptist Association20091,600[194]100[194]1,740
Amish, Old Order19938982273,592
American Baptist Churches USA20175,0571,146[195]4,145
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America199822065263
Armenian Apostolic Church20101531,000200
Armenian Catholic Church201036
Assemblies of God201813,017[196]1,857[196]38,199[196]
Baptist Bible Fellowship International20104,000[197]1,100[197]4,190[197]
Baptist General Conference1998876141no data
Baptist Missionary Association of America20101,272[198]138[198]1,525
Buddhism2001no data1,082no data
Christian and Missionary Alliance, The19981,9643461,629
Christian Brethren (Plymouth Brethren)19971,150100no data
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)20183,624382[199]2,066
Christian churches and churches of Christ19985,5791,0725,525
Christian Congregation, Inc., The19981,4381171,436
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church19832,340719no data
Christian Reformed Church in North America1998733199655
Church of God in Christ199115,3005,50028,988
Church of God of Prophecy19971,908772,000
Church of God (Anderson, IN)19982,3532343,034
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)19956,0607533,121
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints201414,0186,46638,259
Church of the Brethren2019978[200]99[200]827
Church of the Nazarene19985,1016274,598
Churches of Christ201911,989[201]1,116[201]14,500
Conservative Baptist Association of America19981,200200no data
Community of Christ19981,23614019,319
Coptic Orthodox Church20032001,000200
Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians2012383130500
Cumberland Presbyterian Church199877487630
Episcopal Church20186,423[202]1,676[202]8,131
Evangelical Covenant Church, The199862897607
Evangelical Free Church of America, The19951,2242431,936
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America20189,091[203]3,363[203]9,646
Evangelical Presbyterian Church1998187145[204]262
Free Methodist Church of North America199899073no data
Full Gospel Fellowship19998962752,070
General Association of General Baptists1997790721,085
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches19981,415102no data
U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches199636882590
Grace Gospel Fellowship199212860160
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America2006560[205]1,500[205]840[205]
Hinduism2001no data766no data
Independent Fundamental Churches of America199965962no data
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel19981,8512384,900
International Council of Community Churches1998150250182
International Pentecostal Holiness Church19981,7161771507
Islam2011no data2,600no data
Jainismno datano data50no data
Jehovah's Witnesses201413,8711,243no data
Judaism20063,7276,588no data
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, The20176,046[206]1,969[206]6,055[206]
Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric20101950no data
Mennonite Church USA2005943114no data
National Association of Congregational Christian Churches199841667534
National Association of Free Will Baptists20072,369[207]186[207]3,915[207]
National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.19872,5003,5008,000
National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.199233,0008,20032,832
National Missionary Baptist Convention of America2004300[208]400[208]no data
Orthodox Church in America2010750[209]131[209]970[209]
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc.19981,7501,5004,500
Pentecostal Church of God19981,237104no data
Pentecostal Church International, United200828,3514,03722,881
Presbyterian Church in America19971,340385[210]1,642
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)20189,161[211]1,245[212]19,243[211]
Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.20171,200[208]1,500[208]no data
Reformed Church in America2018902200[213]915
Religious Society of Friends19941,200104no data
Roman Catholic Church200219,48466,40450,017 (1997)[214]
Romanian Orthodox Episcopate1996376537
Salvation Army, The19981,3884712,920
Scientology20051,30055[215]1
Serbian Orthodox Church1986686760
Seventh-day Adventist Church19984,4058402,454
Sikhism199924480no data
Southern Baptist Convention201947,530[216]14,525[216]71,520
Unitarian Universalism2001no data629no data
United Church of Christ20165,0008805,868
United House of Prayer for All Peopleno data10025no data
United Methodist Church, The201836,1706,672[217]no data
Wesleyan Church, The19981,5901201,806
Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod20181,281[218]359[218]1,222
Zoroastrianism2006no data11no data
~z9999999999999999999999999999

According to Pew Research Center study released in 2018, by 2040, Islam will surpass Judaism to become the second largest religion in the US due to higher immigration and birth rates.[219]

Religions of U.S. adults

The United States government does not collect religious data in its census. The survey below, the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2008, was a random digit-dialed telephone survey of 54,461 American residential households in the contiguous United States. The 1990 sample size was 113,723; 2001 sample size was 50,281.

Adult respondents were asked the open-ended question, "What is your religion, if any?". Interviewers did not prompt or offer a suggested list of potential answers. The religion of the spouse or partner was also asked. If the initial answer was "Protestant" or "Christian" further questions were asked to probe which particular denomination. About one-third of the sample was asked more detailed demographic questions.

Religious Self-Identification of the U.S. Adult Population: 1990, 2001, 2008[220]
Figures are not adjusted for refusals to reply; investigators suspect refusals are possibly more representative of "no religion" than any other group.

Source:ARIS 2008[220]
Group1990
adults
× 1,000
2001
adults
× 1,000
2008
adults
× 1,000

Numerical
Change
1990–
2008
as %
of 1990
1990
% of
adults
2001
% of
adults
2008
% of
adults
change
in % of
total
adults
1990–
2008
Adult population, total175,440207,983228,18230.1%
Adult population, Responded171,409196,683216,36726.2%97.7%94.6%94.8%−2.9%
Total Christian151,225159,514173,40214.7%86.2%76.7%76.0%−10.2%
Catholic46,00450,87357,19924.3%26.2%24.5%25.1%−1.2%
Non-Catholic Christian105,221108,641116,20310.4%60.0%52.2%50.9%−9.0%
Baptist33,96433,82036,1486.4%19.4%16.3%15.8%−3.5%
Mainline Protestant32,78435,78829,375−10.4%18.7%17.2%12.9%−5.8%
Methodist14,17414,03911,366−19.8%8.1%6.8%5.0%−3.1%
Lutheran9,1109,5808,674−4.8%5.2%4.6%3.8%−1.4%
Presbyterian4,9855,5964,723−5.3%2.8%2.7%2.1%−0.8%
Episcopalian/Anglican3,0433,4512,405−21.0%1.7%1.7%1.1%−0.7%
United Church of Christ4381,37873668.0%0.2%0.7%0.3%0.1%
Christian Generic25,98022,54632,44124.9%14.8%10.8%14.2%−0.6%
Jehovah's Witness1,3811,3311,91438.6%0.8%0.6%0.8%0.1%
Christian Unspecified8,07314,19016,384102.9%4.6%6.8%7.2%2.6%
Non-denominational Christian1942,4898,0324040.2%0.1%1.2%3.5%3.4%
Protestant – Unspecified17,2144,6475,187−69.9%9.8%2.2%2.3%−7.5%
Evangelical/Born Again5461,0882,154294.5%0.3%0.5%0.9%0.6%
Pentecostal/Charismatic5,6477,8317,94840.7%3.2%3.8%3.5%0.3%
Pentecostal – Unspecified3,1164,4075,41673.8%1.8%2.1%2.4%0.6%
Assemblies of God6171,10581031.3%0.4%0.5%0.4%0.0%
Church of God59094366312.4%0.3%0.5%0.3%0.0%
Other Protestant Denomination4,6305,9497,13154.0%2.6%2.9%3.1%0.5%
Seventh-day Adventist66872493840.4%0.4%0.3%0.4%0.0%
Churches of Christ1,7692,5931,9218.6%1.0%1.2%0.8%−0.2%
Mormon/Latter-Day Saints2,4872,6973,15827.0%1.4%1.3%1.4%0.0%
Total non-Christian religions5,8537,7408,79650.3%3.3%3.7%3.9%0.5%
Jewish3,1372,8372,680−14.6%1.8%1.4%1.2%−0.6%
Eastern Religions6872,0201,961185.4%0.4%1.0%0.9%0.5%
Buddhist4041,0821,189194.3%0.2%0.5%0.5%0.3%
Muslim5271,1041,349156.0%0.3%0.5%0.6%0.3%
New Religious Movements & Others1,2961,7702,804116.4%0.7%0.9%1.2%0.5%
None/ No religion, total14,33129,48134,169138.4%8.2%14.2%15.0%6.8%
Agnostic+Atheist1,1861,8933,606204.0%0.7%0.9%1.6%0.9%
Did Not Know/ Refused to reply4,03111,30011,815193.1%2.3%5.4%5.2%2.9%

LGBT population

The 2000 U.S. Census counted same-sex couples in an oblique way; asking the sex and the relationship to the "main householder", whose sex was also asked. Community Marketing & Insights, an organization specializing in analyzing gay demographic data, reported, based on this count in the 2000 census and in the 2000 supplementary survey, that same-sex couples comprised between 1.0% and 1.1% of U.S. couples in 2000.[222] A 2006 report issued by The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation concluded that the number of same-sex couples in the U.S. grew from 2000 to 2005, from nearly 600,000 couples in 2000 to almost 777,000 in 2005.[223] A 2006 UCLA study reported that 4.1% of Americans aged 18–45 identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.[224]

A 2011 report by the Williams Institute estimated that nine million adults identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, representing 3.5% of the population over 18.[225] A spokesperson said that, until recently, few studies have tried to distinguish people who had occasionally undertaken homosexual behavior or entertained homosexual thoughts, from people who identified as lesbian or gay.[226] (Older estimates have varied depending on methodology and timing; see Demographics of sexual orientation for a list of studies.)

Foreign-born population

As of 2017, an estimated 44,525,458 residents of the United States were foreign-born,[227] 13.5% of the country's total population. This demographic includes recent as well as longstanding immigrants; statistically Europeans have resided in the US longer than those from other regions with approximately 66% having arrived prior to 2000.[228]

Place of birth of the foreign-born population in the United States, 2017[227]
Place of birthEstimatePercentage of total foreign-born people
Americas23,241,95952.2%
Caribbean4,414,9439.9%
> Cuba1,311,8033.0%
> Dominican Republic1,162,5682.6%
Central America (including Mexico)14,796,92633.2%
> Mexico11,269,91325.3%
> El Salvador1,401,8323.2%
South America3,213,1877.2%
Canada809,2671.8%
Europe4,818,66210.8%
Northern Europe941,7962.1%
Western Europe949,5912.1%
Southern Europe761,3901.7%
Eastern Europe2,153,8554.8%
Asia13,907,84431.2%
Eastern Asia4,267,3039.6%
> China2,639,3655.9%
> Korea1,064,9602.4%
South Central Asia4,113,0139.2%
> India2,348,6875.3%
South Eastern Asia4,318,6479.8%
> Philippines1,945,3454.4%
> Vietnam1,314,9273.0%
Western Asia1,159,8352.6%
Africa2,293,0285.2%
Eastern Africa693,7841.6%
Middle Africa163,3640.4%
Northern Africa359,5590.8%
Southern Africa116,2970.2%
Western Africa837,2901.9%
Oceania263,9650.6%
Australia and New Zealand Subregion123,0800.3%

Citizens living abroad

As of April 2015, the U.S. State Department estimated that 8.7 million American citizens live overseas. Americans living abroad are not counted in the U.S. Census unless they are federal government employees or dependents of a federal employee.[229] A 2010 paper estimated the number of civilian Americans living abroad to be around 4 million.[230] So-called "accidental Americans" are citizens of a country other than the United States who may also be considered U.S. citizens or be eligible for U.S. citizenship under specific laws but are not aware of having such status (or became aware of it only recently).[231]

As of 2022, 1.6 million U.S. Americans live in Mexico, according to the State Department.[232]

Economics

Income

In 2020, the median household income in the United States was around $67,521, 2.9 percent less than the 2019 median of $69,560.[233] Household and personal income depends on variables such as race, number of income earners, educational attainment and marital status.

Median household income by selected characteristics [234]
Type of householdRace and Hispanic originRegion
All householdsFamily
households
Nonfamily
households
AsianNon-Hispanic WhiteHispanic
(of any race)
BlackNortheastMidwestSouthWest
$70,784$91,162$41,797$101,418$77,999$57,981$48,297$77,422$71,129$63,368$79,430
Median household income by selected characteristics cont.
Age of HouseholderNativity of HouseholderMetropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) StatusEducational Attainment of Householder*
Under 65 years65 years and olderNative-bornForeign-bornInside MSAOutside MSANo high school diplomaHigh school, no collegeSome collegeBachelor's degree or higher
$80,734$47,620$71,522$66,043$73,823$53,750$30,378$50,401$64,378$115,456
*Householders aged 25 and older. In 2021, the median household income for this group was $72,046.
Median earnings by work status and sex (Persons, aged 15 years and older with earnings)
Total workersFull-Time, year-round workers
Both sexesMaleFemaleBoth sexesMaleFemale
$45,470$50,983$39,201$56,473$61,180$51,226
2020 Median earnings & household income by educational attainment [235] [236]
MeasureOverallLess than 9th gradeSome High SchoolHigh school graduateSome collegeAssociate's degreeBachelor's degree or higherBachelor's degreeMaster's degreeProfessional degreeDoctorate degree
Persons, age 25+ w/ earnings*$46,985$25,162$26,092$34,540$39,362$42,391$66,423$60,705$71,851$102,741$101,526
Male, age 25+ w/ earnings*$52,298$30,089$31,097$40,852$47,706$52,450$80,192$71,666$91,141$126,584$121,956
Female, age 25+ w/ earnings*$40,392$18,588$19,504$27,320$31,837$36,298$57,355$51,154$62,522$92,780$85,551
Persons, age 25+, employed full-time$59,371$33,945$34,897$42,417$50,640$52,285$77,105$71,283$82,183$130,466$119,552
Household$69,228$29,609$29,520$47,405$60,392$68,769$106,936$100,128$114,900$151,560$142,493
*Total work experience
Household income distribution
10th percentile20th percentile30th percentile40th percentile50th percentile60th percentile70th percentile80th percentile90th percentile95th percentile
≤ $15,700≤ $28,000≤ $40,500≤ $55,000$70,800≤ $89,700≤ $113,200≤ $149,100≤ $212,100≤ $286,300
Source: US Census Bureau, 2021; income statistics for the year 2021

Economic class

Social classes in the United States lack distinct boundaries and may overlap. Even their existence (when distinguished from economic strata) is controversial. The following table provides a summary of some prominent academic theories on the stratification of American society:

Academic class models
Dennis Gilbert, 2002William Thompson & Joseph Hickey, 2005Leonard Beeghley, 2004
ClassTypical characteristicsClassTypical characteristicsClassTypical characteristics
Capitalist class (1%)Top-level executives, high-rung politicians, heirs. Ivy League education common.Upper class (1%)Top-level executives, celebrities, heirs; income of $500,000+ common. Ivy league education common.The super-rich (0.9%)Multi-millionaires whose incomes commonly exceed $3.5 million or more; includes celebrities and powerful executives/politicians. Ivy League education common.
Upper middle class[1] (15%)Highly-educated (often with graduate degrees), most commonly salaried, professionals and middle management with large work autonomy.Upper middle class[1] (15%)Highly-educated (often with graduate degrees) professionals & managers with household incomes varying from the high 5-figure range to commonly above $100,000.The rich (5%)Households with net worth of $1 million or more; largely in the form of home equity. Generally have college degrees.
Middle class (plurality/
majority?; ca. 46%)
College-educated workers with considerably higher-than-average incomes and compensation; a man making $57,000 and a woman making $40,000 may be typical.
Lower middle class (30%)Semi-professionals and craftsmen with a roughly average standard of living. Most have some college education and are white-collar.Lower middle class (32%)Semi-professionals and craftsmen with some work autonomy; household incomes commonly range from $35,000 to $75,000. Typically, some college education.
Working class (30%)Clerical and most blue-collar workers whose work is highly routinized. Standard of living varies depending on number of income earners, but is commonly just adequate. High school education.
Working class (32%)Clerical, pink- and blue-collar workers with often low job security; common household incomes range from $16,000 to $30,000. High school education.Working class
(ca. 40–45%)
Blue-collar workers and those whose jobs are highly routinized with low economic security; a man making $40,000 and a woman making $26,000 may be typical. High school education.
Working poor (13%)Service, low-rung clerical and some blue-collar workers. High economic insecurity and risk of poverty. Some high school education.
Lower class (ca. 14–20%)Those who occupy poorly-paid positions or rely on government transfers. Some high school education.
Underclass (12%)Those with limited or no participation in the labor force. Reliant on government transfers. Some high school education.The poor (ca. 12%)Those living below the poverty line with limited to no participation in the labor force; a household income of $18,000 may be typical. Some high school education.
References: Gilbert, D. (2002) The American Class Structure: In An Age of Growing Inequality. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, ISBN 0534541100. (see also Gilbert Model);
Thompson, W. & Hickey, J. (2005). Society in Focus. Boston, MA: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon; Beeghley, L. (2004). The Structure of Social Stratification in the United States. Boston, MA: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon.
1 The upper middle class may also be referred to as "Professional class" Ehrenreich, B. (1989). The Inner Life of the Middle Class. NY, NY: Harper-Collins.

Unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted)

U.S. unemployment by state in December 2015 (official, or U3 rate)[239]
  <3.0%
  <3.5%
  <4.0%
  <4.5%
  <5.0%
  <5.5%
  <6.0%
  <6.5%
  ≥6.5%

As of July 2020, the U.S. unemployment rate was 10.2 percent (U3 rate).

As of July 2019, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.7 percent (U3 rate).

As of July 2018, the U.S. unemployment rate was 3.7 percent (U3 rate).

As of July 2017, the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.3 percent (U3 rate).[240]

As of July 2016, the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.9 percent (U3 rate).[240]

As of July 2015, the U.S. unemployment rate was 5.3 percent (U3 rate).[241]

As of July 2014, the U.S. unemployment rate was 6.2 percent (U3 rate).[240]

The U6 unemployment rate as of April 2017 was 8.6 percent.[242] The U6 unemployment rate counts not only people without work seeking full-time employment (the more familiar U3 rate), but also counts "marginally attached workers and those working part-time for economic reasons." Some of these part-time workers counted as employed by U6 could be working as little as an hour a week. And the "marginally attached workers" include those who have become discouraged and stopped looking, but still want to work. The age considered for this calculation is 16 years and over.

Urban Americans have more job opportunities than those in more rural areas. From 2008 to 2018, 72% of the nation's employment growth occurred in cities with more than one million residents, which account for 56% of the overall population.[243]

Generational cohorts

A definitive recent study of US generational cohorts was done by Schuman and Scott (2012) in which a broad sample of adults of all ages was asked, "What world events are especially important to you?"[244] They found that 33 events were mentioned with great frequency. When the ages of the respondents were correlated with the expressed importance rankings, seven (some put 8 or 9) distinct cohorts became evident.

Today the following descriptors are frequently used for these cohorts:

U.S. demographic birth cohorts

Birth rate, death rate and natural increase rate in the United States 1935–2021

Subdivided groups are present when peak boom years or inverted peak bust years are present, and may be represented by a normal or inverted bell-shaped curve (rather than a straight curve). The boom subdivided cohorts may be considered as "pre-peak" (including peak year) and "post-peak". The year 1957 was the baby boom peak with 4.3 million births and 122.7 fertility rate. Although post-peak births (such as trailing edge boomers) are in decline, and sometimes referred to as a "bust", there are still a relatively large number of births. The dearth-in-birth bust cohorts include those up to the valley birth year, and those including and beyond, leading up to the subsequent normal birth rate. The baby boom began around 1943 to 1946.[250]

From the decline in U.S. birth rates starting in 1958 and the introduction of the birth control pill in 1960, the Baby Boomer normal distribution curve is negatively skewed. The trend in birth rates from 1958 to 1961 show a tendency to end late in the decade at approximately 1969, thus returning to pre-WWII levels, with 12 years of rising and 12 years of declining birth rates. Pre-war birth rates were defined as anywhere between 1939 and 1941 by demographers such as the Taeuber's, Philip M. Hauser and William Fielding Ogburn.[251]

Mobility

In 2021, 27.1 million Americans said they were living in a different place than a year before, compared to 29.8 million in 2020. This reflects an 8.4% mover rate, the lowest recorded in more than 70 years.[252]

Education

See also

Lists

Income

Population

Notes

References

External links