Population articles
Immigration is down and so are births: Why population growth slowed down
Every facet of population change is contributing to the decline in growth.
Is the US population growing or shrinking?
It grew by 1.78 million people between 2024 and 2025, a 0.52% increase. That’s more than the population of Phoenix, Arizona. Between 2015 and 2025, it grew by 6.2%. Changes in population reflect things like shifting birth and death rates, immigration patterns, and even the overall health of the economy. The recent 0.52% increase was primarily driven by immigration to the US.
How many DACA recipients are there?
There were about 495,300 DACA recipients at the end of December 2025 — about the same as the population of Wilmington, NC Metro Area. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program created in 2012 for people who came to the US as children and who do not have legal immigration status. People accepted into DACA and who maintain active status with the program are protected from deportation and are allowed to apply for work authorization, but do not receive legal immigration status or have a path to citizenship.
How many same-sex married households are in the US?
In 2024, 835,900 US households were led by couples in a same-sex marriage — 1.3% of all households headed by a married couple.
What is the main reason people immigrate to the US via authorized channels?
45.3% immigrated for work in 2022. That’s around 1.7 times higher than the number that came for education, the next most common reason. Other reasons for immigration included family, safety, and various other factors.
Semiquincentennial snapshot: the US at 250 years
Insights about the nation's population, households, education, employment, and income.
Where are authorized immigrants to the US coming from?
In 2022, the largest number of immigrants came from Mexico. Immigrants from Mexico made up 20.8% of all people who immigrated to the US in 2022. Authorized immigrants are those who came to the US through channels such as a visa, green card, or as a refugee or asylee.
How many asylum applications does the US receive?
Around 945K applications in 2023. The US asylum system helps resettle people who fear persecution if they return to their home country. Unlike refugees who apply for protection before arriving in the US or at its borders, asylum seekers apply after they are already in the US.
What are the most and least diverse states?
The Census Bureau’s formula for measuring diversity shows that every state but one is more varied racially or ethnically since 2020.
How many immigrants get green cards every year?
The US issued 1.36 million green cards during fiscal year (FY) 2024, 15.6% more than the previous year. That's the number of people who became lawful permanent residents (LPR) of the US, commonly known as green card holders. Green cards grant immigrants the right to live and work permanently in the US with a path toward citizenship. The total includes individuals who obtained green cards through family sponsorship, employment, refugee or asylum status, and other avenues.
How many immigrants come to the US each year?
Immigration was the primary driver in the nation’s population growth in each year from 2021 to 2023.
Where do US immigrants come from?
The largest increase in immigration came from Mexico, with more than double the number of immigrants coming to the US in 2022 compared to 2006.
What states are people moving to and from overall?
In 2024, Florida, Texas, and California gained the most people from other states, while California, Florida, and Texas lost the most residents. Higher population states tend to lead both as states of origin or destination.
How many people live in the US?
In 2025, there were about 341.8 million living in the US. That makes the US the third-most populous country in the world, home to 4.2% or roughly 1 in every 24 people on the planet. The population count guides political representation and resource allocation.
How many refugees come to the US?
About 11,511 refugees came to the US in 2025. That’s 89% fewer than the prior year.
Just the Facts about the US population, demographics, and geography
Household size, racial demographics, the average age of an American: these stats are always changing. And who has a college degree? How many people are registered to vote? Here’s America by the numbers.
USAFacts’ top 10 articles of 2025
Crime, government activity, federal revenue and debt, election data, border security, and federal employment numbers were among readers’ favorite articles.
How many people have received a US green card?
In 2022, the US admitted 306 green card recipients per 100,000 citizens, significantly lower than the peak rate in 1907 of nearly 1,500 recipients per 100,000 citizens.
Why do immigrants come to the US?
Of all people legally immigrating to the US in 2021, about 42% came for work, 32% for school, and 23% for family.
What will America’s population look like by 2100?
The Census Bureau estimates there will be 1.2 million more deaths than births in the year 2100.