World population grew less than 1% in 2024, U.S. estimates

The U.S. Census Bureau on Monday released a report that estimates the global population will have increased by more than 71 million people in 2024, reaching 8.09 billion by New Year’s Day. The added population was less than 2023 when the number of people increased by about 75 million people. India is the globe’s most populous country followed by China and the United States were the top three most populous countries as of July, according to the bureau.

How has the national population grown? The bureau estimated that the United States gained about 2.6 million people in 2024, bringing the total to 341 million. It is the fastest national population growth reported since 2001. The growth was primarily driven by rising international migration, which accounted for more than 80% of the increase from 2023-2024.

Meanwhile, the South remained the country’s most populous and fastest-growing region. While births and international migration contributed to the region’s continued growth, domestic migration from other parts of the country also boosted the South’s population. Other regions saw population gains despite losses from domestic migration. Only Vermont, Mississippi, and West Virginia saw their populations decline in the last year, according to the estimates.

Dig deeper: Read my report about China’s population decline amid low birth rates.