All U.S. population growth in 2022-2023 happened because of immigration, not births — the first time that’s occurred since 1850, a migration think tank reported Wednesday.
That immigration growth has happened as U.S. birth rates have fallen, the Migration Policy Institute reported as part of its latest edition of “Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States.”
The immigrant population grew by 1.6 million people between 2022 and 2023, reaching a record high of 47.8 million in 2023, according to the analysis. That’s about a 3.6% population increase, the largest annual growth since 2010, the institute stated in its report.
However, the foreign-born percentage of the U.S. population is 14.3%. That puts it slightly below the 14.8% registered in 1890, MPI said.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of immigrants in the U.S. are legally present and almost half are naturalized citizens, according to MPI.
In addition to naturalized citizenship, those with legal status include green-card holders (legal permanent residents), refugees, those who have been granted asylum, had long-term visas as students, temporary workers or other categories.
U.S. birth rates reached a historic low in 2023, falling 2% from the previous year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The fertility rate fell to 54.5 birth per 1,000 females of ages 15-44 in 2023, down from 56 in 2022.
The Census Bureau began collecting nativity data in 1850, when 2.2 million immigrants made up 10% of the U.S. population.
The U.S. is in the midst of a major immigration policy shake-up, with the Trump administration making a number of moves to curtail it. Many of its efforts are focused on illegal immigration, but some legal immigration and naturalization programs and pathways are also being affected.
It would be foolish to bring a child into this living nightmare.
I know too many people who have had kids recently. Most of them are the “if I ignore politics, it can’t hurt me” type
Ask them about the price of eggs
Unfortunately, only reasonable people think that. Maybe someone should make a movie about how that might work out for us.
In 1850 it took 35 days to cross the country by rail and they were 11 years away from civil war.
In 2023 it took 3.5 days to cross the country by rail, and we were 1.1 years away from civil war.
Oh, wow. That’s depressing.
I think it’s interesting that it’s highlighting so many issues at once.
1.) Get rid of immigrants and your population goes instantly into decline. Literally.
2.) Americans aren’t having children anymore, because why would they in this environment.
3.) Apparently, the U.S. doesn’t track its emigration rate (people leaving the country), but one has to think it’s at least a small factor.
At the same time, you’re hearing about countries like South Korea and Japan, and a handful of others, actually offering money for people to immigrate to their country. I suspect that, like in United States, some other countries are just so depressing, that no one wants to have a family there, while, as you mentioned, others are leaving.
Although, I’ve never thought of South Korea nor Japan as somewhere I wouldn’t want to live. Then again, I’m not interested in raising the family here, either.
It’s not just sk and Japan, China is now incentivizing women and families with improved social programs and economics, along with propaganda because they have the same problem the rest of the industrialized world does–no one can afford to have kids and many are miserable in capitalist or dictatorial hellholes. Southern Europe, has some of the lowest birthrates in the world, Italy, Spain but they have had some immigration (which largely also has been accompanied by racism and move to the right).
The US is seriously throwing away its incredible competitive advantage in that people were still moving here. When that stops, our actual population will go into decline which will destroy our economy(or what’s left of it) and everything will be a firestorm faster–and instead of the 🥕 approach of course the facts will take the stick and tell Americans to work until they die and kill social security.
Also alot of people with graduate degrees flee to us for more opportunities ever since the trumps attack stem, they may rethink thier plans, and they bring thier families here too.
Sure, and lots of Americans who don’t want to live in an anti-science, Orwellian techno feudal country will be pulling up stakes too.
Saw a post today about doctors in BC looking to poach nurses and doctors from the US. If you think the US is bad now, wait until those who had been trying to fix it leave, then you’ll get to Mad Max real fast.
Although, I’ve never thought of South Korea nor Japan as somewhere I wouldn’t want to live.
Both have a national culture extremely focused on work, careers and personal financial success with a terrible work/life balance. SK especially has such a crazy focus on academics and careers that kids spend 12-14 hours a day strictly studying to try and get into better colleges, and developing a relationship is completely ignored.
I know that Japan has been that way for an extremely long time, so South Korea (which, despite what they would like to admit, shares a great deal in common with Japan) is the same way. Maybe I’m a bit biased because I have never thought about having a family, nor am I in anyway interested in having one, so I don’t really put a lot of thought into “would this be a nice place to live _ with my family_?”
Nonetheless, culturally ingrained attributes to any country can be extremely difficult to change, even in a long-term. Europe, especially northern Europe, has the best quality of life in the world. Most of the rest of the Europe has started to follow suit (until recently). If I could move anywhere right now, it would be either back to New York, or two, possibly, Sweden or Germany. Although, I admit, the ladder is starting to give me pause recently with the rise of the AfD.
Why my loyalty, for now, lies with the USA, I’m also disabled and queer. Our government and too many of the people here are hostile to such things, and becoming worse every day.
The real shame is that I don’t have a marketable job that I can use as a bargaining chip for ex patriation. Although, I hear that Sweden has a lot of ways to work around there, rather Stern immigration roles.
Perhaps it’s time to look back into that, since the last time I heard about it was about 15 years ago. Still…
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