US Population Statistics 2021 (Infographics)

June 26, 2021

The United States had an official resident population of 331,449,281 on April 1, 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The population of the United States of America is 332,410,303 as of March 2021, based on the latest United Nations data. According to the World population reviews, the US population is above 332,395,183 as of March 2021. The US population density is currently 86.16/sq mi (33.27/km²).

The population growth in the United States is mainly attributed to high rates of immigration, which have decreased since 2016, and the natural increase (the difference between births and deaths).Unlike China and India, the United States population is expected to continue to grow throughout the century with no foreseeable decline. By 2067, the U.S. population is expected to surpass 400 million people.

The United States population grows on average about 0.9% every year. The population grew 0.60% in 2019; the lowest rate the U.S. has had in a century. This is because of a decrease in the number of total births over the course of that year. Additionally, more post-World War II baby boomers are reaching old age, increasing the number of deaths.

Despite a decrease in the population growth rate in recent years, the population is still expected to grow continuously.

United States Population Growth

Formal censuses were not carried out during the colonial era, but records show that the colonial population grew from a shaky start of just 3,800 in 1610 to over 1 million in 1750. The population grew rapidly moving forward, and when the first official census was held in 1790 shortly after independence, the population had grown to nearly 4 million.

The estimated population of the U.S. was approximately 328.2 million in 2019, and the largest age group was adults aged 25 to 29. There were twelve million males in this age category and around 11.5 million females.

Which U.S. state has the largest population?

The population of the United States continues to increase, and the country is the third most populated in the world behind China and India. The gender distribution has remained consistent for many years, with the number of females narrowly outnumbering males. In terms of where the residents are located, California was the state with the highest population in 2019.

The U.S. population by race and ethnicity

The Race estimates of the population are produced for the US states and counties by the Population Estimates Program, and the race estimates of the population are produced for Puerto Rico and its muncipios (county-equivalents for Puerto Rico), places, zona urbanas and comunidades (place-equivalents for Puerto Rico), as well as its minor civil divisions, by the American Community Survey.

The U.S. Census Bureau collects race data in accordance with guidelines provided by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and this data is based on self-identification. The racial categories included in the census questionnaire generally reflect a social definition of race recognized in this country and not an attempt to define race biologically, anthropologically, or genetically. In addition, it is recognized that the categories of the race item include racial and national origin or sociocultural groups. People may choose to report more than one race to indicate their racial mixture, such as “American Indian” and “White.” People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be of any race.

OMB requires that race data be collected for a minimum of five groups: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. OMB permits the Census Bureau to also use a sixth category – Some Other Race. Respondents may report more than one race.

The concept of race is separate from the concept of Hispanic origin. Percentages for the various race categories add to 100 percent, and should not be combined with the percent Hispanic.

Definition

White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as “White” or report entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, or Caucasian.

Black or African American. A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. It includes people who indicate their race as “Black or African American,” or report entries such as African American, Kenyan, Nigerian, or Haitian.

American Indian and Alaska Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. This category includes people who indicate their race as “American Indian or Alaska Native” or report entries such as Navajo, Blackfeet, Inupiat, Yup’ik, or Central American Indian groups and South American Indian groups.

Asian. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. This includes people who reported detailed Asian responses such as: “Asian Indian,” “Chinese,” “Filipino,” “Korean,” “Japanese,” “Vietnamese,” and “Other Asian” or provide other detailed Asian responses.

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. It includes people who reported their race as “Fijian,” “Guamanian or Chamorro,” “Marshallese,” “Native Hawaiian,” “Samoan,” “Tongan,” and “Other Pacific Islander” or provide other detailed Pacific Islander responses.

The United States is well known the world over for having a diverse population. In 2019, the number of Black or African American individuals was estimated to be 44 million, which represented an increase of nearly four million since the 2010 census. The number of Asian residents has also increased at a similar rate during the same time period. The Hispanic population in the U.S. continues to grow, and approximately 18.5 percent of the total population identified themselves in this ethnic group in 2019.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the United States had an estimated population of 328,239,523 in 2019  ahead of the final 2020 Census. The United States is the third most populous country in the world, and current projections from the unofficial U.S. Population Clock show a total of just over 330 million residents. All these figures exclude the population of five self-governing U.S. territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands as well as several minor island possessions. The Census Bureau showed a population increase of 0.75% for the twelve-month period ending in July 2012. Though high by industrialized country standards, this is below the world average annual rate of 1.1%. The total fertility rate in the United States estimated for 2019 is 1.706 children per woman, which is below the replacement fertility rate of approximately 2.1.

The U.S. population almost quadrupled during the 20th century—at a growth rate of about 1.3% a year—from about 76 million in 1900 to 281 million in 2000. It is estimated to have reached the 200 million mark in 1967, and the 300 million mark on October 17, 2006. Foreign-born immigration has caused the U.S. population to continue its rapid increase, with the foreign-born population doubling from almost 20 million in 1990 to over 45 million in 2015, representing one-third of the population increase. Population growth is fastest among minorities as a whole, and according to the Census Bureau’s estimation for 2020, 50% of U.S. children under the age of 18 are members of ethnic minority groups.

White people constitute the majority of the U.S. population, with a total of about 234,370,202 or 73% of the population as of 2017. Non-Hispanic Whites make up 60.7% of the country’s population. Their share of the U.S. population is expected to fall below 50% by 2045, primarily due to immigration and low birth rates.

Hispanic and Latino Americans accounted for 48% of the national population growth of 2.9 million between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006. Immigrants and their U.S.-born descendants are expected to provide most of the U.S. population gains in the decades ahead.

The Census Bureau projects a U.S. population of 417 million in 2060, a 38% increase from 2007 (301.3 million), and the United Nations estimates that the U.S. will be among the nine countries responsible for half the world’s population growth by 2050, with its population being 402 million by then (an increase of 32% from 2007). In an official census report, it was reported that 54.4% (2,150,926 out of 3,953,593) of births in 2010 were to “non-Hispanic whites”. This represents an increase of 0.3% compared to the previous year, which was 54.1%

Gender

In 2020, there are 97.948 males for every 100 females in the United States. In the United States, there are 162,826,299 males and 166.24 million females.  Females make up 52.52 percent of the population, while men make up 49.48 percent. Females outnumber males in the United States by 3,430,615 (or 3.43 million). In terms of female to male ratio, the United States of America ranks 85th out of 201 countries/territories. It is ranked 17th of the 27 countries and territories in North America.

By 2020, the United States will have more males than females in the age groups of under 39 years and 50-54 years. The male-to-female ratio in the United States changes significantly for people over the age of 60. There are five fewer men per 100 women in the 60 64 age group.  In the age group 90 94 years, women outnumber men by a 2-to-1 margin, and for centenarians, the ratio is 4-to-1. At birth, there are 105 boys for every 100 females. In 1950, the male-to-female ratio in the United States was at its highest point of 99.575, and it fell to its lowest point of 96.092 in 1989. After that, the male-to-female ratio is expected to rise, with males expected to outnumber females by 2099.