ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. population has reached 341.8 million in 2025, but the growth rate has declined to 0.5% compared to nearly 1% in 2024, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. This decline has been closely linked to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration policies after he returned to the White House in January 2025.
In 2024, immigration contributed an increase of 2.8 million people, whereas last year saw only 1.3 million new immigrants, illustrating a sharp decrease. The Census Bureau report did not specify the breakdown of legal versus illegal immigration.
The United States saw its lowest historical growth rate during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2021 at just 0.16%. The recent data reflects early enforcement actions that have occurred in cities like Los Angeles and Portland but does not yet encompass newer crackdowns in other U.S. urban centers, such as Chicago and New Orleans.
As the Biden administration transitioned into Trump’s second term, immediate consequences of these tougher immigration measures have sparked continued interest and critique from researchers and policymakers alike. Experts warn that these changes at the federal level could affect how congressional seats and electoral votes are allocated, as the population count is foundational for representation.
Eric Jensen, a senior research scientist at the Census Bureau, pointed out that these population estimates indicate a rise in out-migration, painting a complex picture of current demographic shifts across the nation.
This drop in population growth comes amid a backdrop of broader governmental efforts to reshape immigration policy and the associated statistical data, leading to warnings about potential political influence on vital statistical agencies. However, demographers insist that the integrity of the data remains intact despite recent controversies.
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