E.g., 04/28/2024
E.g., 04/28/2024
Country Resource - United States

United States

US
  • Population..........................................................................339,665,118 (2023 est.)
  • Population growth rate ..................................................................0.68% (2023 est.)
  • Birth rate.....................................................12.21 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
  • Death rate....................................................8.42 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
  • Net migration rate.....................................3.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
  • Ethnic groups*............................White 61.6%, Black or African American 12.4%, Asian 6%, Amerindian and Alaska native 1.1%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.2%, other 8.4%, two or more races 10.2% (2020 est.)

Note: The U.S. Census Bureau's 2020 census results show the US population as 331,449,281 as of 1 April 2020

* A separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the U.S. Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or South American origin living in the United States who may be of any race or ethnic group (White, Black, Asian, etc.); an estimated 18.7% of the total U.S. population is Hispanic as of 2020

Source: CIA World Factbook

A Dutch family at Ellis Island between 1915 and 1920.

As host to more immigrants than any other country, the United States has been shaped and reshaped by immigration over the centuries, with the issue at times becoming a flashpoint. This article covers the history of U.S. immigration and the major laws governing immigration, and provides a comprehensive overview of the present-day immigrant population.

Recent Activity

Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC): Authorized under the Social Security Act of 1935, AFDC provided financial assistance to families with children who were deprived of support due to the unemployment, death, disability, or absence of at least one parent. AFDC was replaced by PRWORA in 1996.

U.S. lawmakers are preparing to vote on reauthorizing the 1996 legislation that limited immigrant access to federally funded welfare benefits. Audrey Singer, Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, maps out what is at stake for all sides in the debate.
INS Included in Homeland Security Proposal... Registering and Monitoring Non-Immigrants... Opposition to Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws Continues... Inquiry Regarding Detention of Haitians...

Large-scale migration from Mexico to the United States is expected to continue well into the next decade. MPI Co-Director Demetrios Papademetriou looks at attempts to move the U.S.-Mexico migration relationship from one mired in problems and recriminations to one yielding important and reciprocal economic and national security benefits.

Image of data graph chart.

The concepts of 'foreign born' and 'foreigner' initially appear identical. However, in an international context, they are used to categorize people in fundamentally different ways. Elizabeth Grieco, MPI Data Manager, explains how these concepts can reflect alternative views of citizenship and discusses what this means for data comparability.

About 8.5 million undocumented immigrants live in the United States according to new estimates. Jeffrey Passel, Principal Research Associate at the Urban Institute, provides new insight into the numbers and the methodology.

Since the early 1990s, there have been more female than male immigrants to the United States. This Spotlight by Elizabeth Grieco, MPI Data Manager, examines some of the characteristics of this important group of immigrants.

Diverse origins. Diverse opportunities. Rubén G. Rumbaut, Professor of Sociology and co-director of the Center for Research on Immigration, Population, and Public Policy at the University of California Irvine, takes a closer look at the trajectories and adaptation of first and second-generation youth in the United States. Over a decade of longitudinal data provide early clues to the cohesive and the centrifugal forces shaping America's immigrant future. Will the achievements that characterize today's immigrant youth follow them through to adulthood?

INS Reorganization Near Certain... Shorter Visa Duration Anticipated... TPS Extended... Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act Becomes Law...

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