The U.S. Census Bureau released its population projections for New Year’s Day and the next decade may be the slowest-growing decade in U.S. history, according to The Associated Press.

The projected population is set to be 335,893,238 by midnight on Jan. 1, 2024, an increase of 0.53% or 1,759,535 people from the previous year, according to the Bureau. Despite this, William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution, a public policy nonprofit, said that the 2020-2030 decade looks to be the slowest in history at less than 4%, noting the previous slowest decade for growth was 7.3%, according to the AP.

“Of course, growth may tick up a bit as we leave the pandemic years. But it would still be difficult to get to 7.3%,” Frey said.

The Bureau said that a new birth is expected every 9 seconds and one death every 9.5 seconds, according to the announcement. The number of new migrants coming into the country was also included, with one added every 28.3 seconds.

After combining immigration with the number of births, the Bureau estimated that the population will increase by one person every 24.2 seconds.

The world population has also climbed to over 8 billion people, according to the Bureau’s population clock. China holds the top spot at 1.4 billion, with India close behind at 1.3 billion and the U.S. in third.

In 2021, the U.S. experienced the slowest population growth in a year in its history, growing by only 0.1%. The Bureau attributed some of the lack of growth to the COVID-19 pandemic and decreased fertility and immigration.

Kate Andersonon December 29, 2023