Census documents the slowdown in population growth

According to the Census Bureau, the U.S. population growth during the last decade was the slowest since the 1930s. From 2010 to 2020 the U.S. population grew by 7.4%, which is the second lowest rate since the U.S. began taking a decennial census in 1790. The lowest rate was during the Great Depression era. Economists attribute last decade’s slow growth rate to the aging native born white population, decreased fertility rates, and decreased immigration.

Decreases in both the fertility rate and immigration mean fewer new workers. Economists warned that without restoring immigration levels, growth in the U.S. could flatten. According to a Pew Research Center analysis, over half of the U.S. population increase between 1965 and 2015 was a result of immigration.