America Counts: Stories Behind the Numbers
The U.S. population grew at a slower rate in 2021 than in any other year since the founding of the nation, based on historical decennial censuses and annual population estimates.
The U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2021 Population Estimates released today show that population grew only 0.1% and that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the slower growth the country has experienced in recent years.
The year 2021 is the first time since 1937 that the U.S. population grew by fewer than one million people, featuring the lowest numeric growth since at least 1900, when the Census Bureau began annual population estimates.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted international migration patterns both to and from the United States, resulting in the lowest levels of international migration in decades and affecting the data typically used to measure migration flows.
Net international migration (NIM) added 247,000 to the nation's population between 2020 and 2021, according to U.S. Census Bureau July 1, 2021 population estimates released today.
Net outmigration from Puerto Rico, which increased after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in 2020, declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates released today.
How did the Census Bureau calculate migration patterns and improve migration estimates in the wake of these major events?
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