The total population in the United States was estimated at 341.2 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - United States Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In the past four centuries, the population of the Thirteen Colonies and United States of America has grown from a recorded 350 people around the Jamestown colony in Virginia in 1610, to an estimated 346 million in 2025. While the fertility rate has now dropped well below replacement level, and the population is on track to go into a natural decline in the 2040s, projected high net immigration rates mean the population will continue growing well into the next century, crossing the 400 million mark in the 2070s. Indigenous population Early population figures for the Thirteen Colonies and United States come with certain caveats. Official records excluded the indigenous population, and they generally remained excluded until the late 1800s. In 1500, in the first decade of European colonization of the Americas, the native population living within the modern U.S. borders was believed to be around 1.9 million people. The spread of Old World diseases, such as smallpox, measles, and influenza, to biologically defenseless populations in the New World then wreaked havoc across the continent, often wiping out large portions of the population in areas that had not yet made contact with Europeans. By the time of Jamestown's founding in 1607, it is believed the native population within current U.S. borders had dropped by almost 60 percent. As the U.S. expanded, indigenous populations were largely still excluded from population figures as they were driven westward, however taxpaying Natives were included in the census from 1870 to 1890, before all were included thereafter. It should be noted that estimates for indigenous populations in the Americas vary significantly by source and time period. Migration and expansion fuels population growth The arrival of European settlers and African slaves was the key driver of population growth in North America in the 17th century. Settlers from Britain were the dominant group in the Thirteen Colonies, before settlers from elsewhere in Europe, particularly Germany and Ireland, made a large impact in the mid-19th century. By the end of the 19th century, improvements in transport technology and increasing economic opportunities saw migration to the United States increase further, particularly from southern and Eastern Europe, and in the first decade of the 1900s the number of migrants to the U.S. exceeded one million people in some years. It is also estimated that almost 400,000 African slaves were transported directly across the Atlantic to mainland North America between 1500 and 1866 (although the importation of slaves was abolished in 1808). Blacks made up a much larger share of the population before slavery's abolition. Twentieth and twenty-first century The U.S. population has grown steadily since 1900, reaching one hundred million in the 1910s, two hundred million in the 1960s, and three hundred million in 2007. Since WWII, the U.S. has established itself as the world's foremost superpower, with the world's largest economy, and most powerful military. This growth in prosperity has been accompanied by increases in living standards, particularly through medical advances, infrastructure improvements, clean water accessibility. These have all contributed to higher infant and child survival rates, as well as an increase in life expectancy (doubling from roughly 40 to 80 years in the past 150 years), which have also played a large part in population growth. As fertility rates decline and increases in life expectancy slows, migration remains the largest factor in population growth. Since the 1960s, Latin America has now become the most common origin for migrants in the U.S., while immigration rates from Asia have also increased significantly. It remains to be seen how immigration restrictions of the current administration affect long-term population projections for the United States.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for United States (POPTOTUSA647NWDB) from 1960 to 2024 about population and USA.

In 2024, the United States had a resident population of around 340 million inhabitants. See figures for the total population by continent here.

The United States population is projected to reach 341.7 million in 2025. This continues a steady growth trend observed over the past decade. As fertility rates fall below replacement level, this expansion is increasingly driven by international migration. In 2024, net migration added some 2.8 million people to the national population. The increasing population has significant implications for the country's economy, workforce, and social dynamics. Generational shifts shaping the population Millennials have emerged as the largest generation group in the U.S., estimated to reach over 74 million members in 2024. The group, born between 1981 and 1996, has recently surpassed Baby Boomers in size, and is expected to remain a dominant force in the population for years to come. Meanwhile, Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, maintains the highest disposable income among generational groups. Diverse demographics and future growth Diversity is a defining feature of the U.S. population. The Hispanic community, now the nation’s second-largest ethnic group, was estimated to reach about 68 million in 2024. Black Americans comprise approximately 47 million people nationwide. Meanwhile, Generation Alpha, America’s youngest named generation, is distinguished as the most racially and ethnically diversity age group. This highlights that diversity will remain a central element of the country's demographic landscape for years to come.

The median age in the United States reached 39.2 years in 2024. This was up from 28.1 in 1970, reflecting a significant aging of the population. Over the coming decades, the number of retirees is projected to rise by about 40 percent by 2050. This demographic shift will present new challenges to American society, reshaping patterns of consumption, work and public policy in the decades ahead. Can an older America balance the books? Social Security spending is set to rise as America grows older. The program, which is the government’s main pillar of support for retirees, already absorbs about five percent of GDP. This could reach six percent by 2035. That trajectory will keep pressure on policymakers to balance promises to pensioners with broader fiscal constraints. A world growing older The aging trend is not unique to the U.S. The global median age reached 30.9 in 2025, up from 20.3 in 1970. By 2050, China, Japan and South Korea are expected to rank among the countries with the largest shares of people aged 65 and over. The change will oblige policymakers to adapt long-standing arrangements to societies where a larger share of people are in later life.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for the United States (SPPOPGROWUSA) from 1961 to 2024 about population, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Population (POPTHM) from Jan 1959 to Aug 2025 about population and USA.

United States US: Population: Growth data was reported at 0.713 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.734 % for 2016. United States US: Population: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.979 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.702 % in 1960 and a record low of 0.711 % in 2013. United States US: Population: Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; Derived from total population. Population source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision, (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

Key information about United States population

• The United States population reached 341.2 million people in Dec 2024, compared with the previously reported figure of 338.4 million people in Dec 2023
• The data reached an all-time high of 341.2 million people in Dec 2024 and a record low of 76.1 million people in Dec 1900

CEIC extends history for annual Population. The Bureau of Economic Analysis provides year-end Population. Population prior to 1947 excludes residents of Alaska and Hawaii. Population prior to 1947 is a Mid-year estimate sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau.


Further information about United States population data

• In the latest reports, United States Unemployment Rate increased to 4.4 % in Sep 2025
• Monthly earnings of the United States population was 5,016.4 USD in Sep 2025
• United States Labour Force Participation Rate remained the same rate at 62.4 % in Sep 2025

Population, Total for United States was 340110988.00000 Persons in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Population, Total for United States reached a record high of 340110988.00000 in January of 2024 and a record low of 180671000.00000 in January of 1960. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Population, Total for United States - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on December of 2025.

Historical dataset showing total population for the United States by year from 1950 to 2025.

New York was the most populous state in the union in the year 1900. It had the largest white population, for both native born and foreign born persons, and together these groups made up over 7.1 million of New York's 7.2 million inhabitants at this time. The United States' industrial centers to the north and northeast were one of the most important economic draws during this period, and states in these regions had the largest foreign born white populations. Ethnic minorities Immigration into the agricultural southern states was much lower than the north, and these states had the largest Black populations due to the legacy of slavery - this balance would begin to shift in the following decades as a large share of the Black population migrated to urban centers to the north during the Great Migration. The Japanese and Chinese populations at this time were more concentrated in the West, as these states were the most common point of entry for Asians into the country. The states with the largest Native American populations were to the west and southwest, due to the legacy of forced displacement - this included the Indian Territory, an unorganized and independent territory assigned to the Native American population in the early 1800s, although this was incorporated into Oklahoma when it was admitted into the union in 1907. Additionally, non-taxpaying Native Americans were historically omitted from the U.S. Census, as they usually lived in separate communities and could not vote or hold office - more of an effort was made to count all Native Americans from 1890 onward, although there are likely inaccuracies in the figures given here. Changing distribution Internal migration in the 20th century greatly changed population distribution across the country, with California and Florida now ranking among the three most populous states in the U.S. today, while they were outside the top 20 in 1900. The growth of Western states' populations was largely due to the wave of internal migration during the Great Depression, where unemployment in the east saw many emigrate to "newer" states in search of opportunity, as well as significant immigration from Latin America (especially Mexico) and Asia since the mid-1900s.

Historical dataset showing U.S. population growth rate by year from 1961 to 2023.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Working-Age Population Total: From 15 to 64 Years for United States (LFWA64TTUSM647S) from Jan 1977 to Aug 2025 about working-age, 15 to 64 years, population, and USA.

In 2023, the annual population growth in the United States stood at 0.49 percent. Between 1961 and 2023, the figure dropped by 1.17 percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

United States - Population, Total for Upper Middle Income Countries was 2816864459.00000 Persons in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Population, Total for Upper Middle Income Countries reached a record high of 2816864459.00000 in January of 2023 and a record low of 1136464260.00000 in January of 1960. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Population, Total for Upper Middle Income Countries - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on November of 2025.

Actual value and historical data chart for United States Population Growth Annual Percent

View monthly updates and historical trends for US Population, Mid-Month. from United States. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis. Track economic data with…

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the population of United States by race. It includes the population of United States across racial categories (excluding ethnicity) as identified by the Census Bureau. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of United States across relevant racial categories.

Key observations

The percent distribution of United States population by race (across all racial categories recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau): 68.17% are white, 12.55% are Black or African American, 0.83% are American Indian and Alaska Native, 5.70% are Asian, 0.19% are Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 5.58% are some other race and 6.99% are multiracial.

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Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Racial categories include:

• White
• Black or African American
• American Indian and Alaska Native
• Asian
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
• Some other race
• Two or more races (multiracial)

Variables / Data Columns

• Race: This column displays the racial categories (excluding ethnicity) for the United States
• Population: The population of the racial category (excluding ethnicity) in the United States is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the percentage distribution of each race as a proportion of United States total population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for United States Population by Race & Ethnicity. You can refer the same here