Washington: The US Census Bureau released its latest data on the world population on Thursday, showing that the global population increased by 75 million in 2023 and is expected to surpass eight billion on New Year’s Day. The data also indicates that the population growth rate across the world was less than one percent last year, the lowest since the 1950s.
The Census Bureau estimates that by the beginning of 2024, there will be 4.3 births and two deaths every second across the world, resulting in a net increase of 2.3 people per second. However, the population growth rate varies significantly by region, with Africa, Asia, and Latin America accounting for most of the increase, while Europe and North America experience slower or negative growth.
The data also reveals that the population of America grew by only 0.53 percent last year, which is half the growth rate worldwide. The US added 1.7 million people to its population in 2023 and its total population will be 335.8 million on New Year. This is the lowest annual increase in the US population since the 1930s, reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused more than 800,000 deaths in the country, as well as lower birth rates and immigration levels.
William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, said that if the current pace of population growth continues till the end of this decade, the 2020s could be the slowest decade in US history in terms of population growth. He also projected that the US population growth rate may remain less than four percent between 2020 and 2030, compared to 9.7 percent between 2000 and 2010. He warned that this could have implications for the US economy, politics, and society, as it would mean a smaller workforce, an aging population, and a more diverse nation.
