The global population has increased by 75 million people in the past year, reaching over 8 billion on New Year’s Day, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. The world’s growth rate in the past year stands just below 1%, with projections indicating 4.3 births and two deaths occurring worldwide every second at the beginning of 2024.
In contrast, the United States experienced a growth rate of 0.53% over the past year, adding 1.7 million people to a total population of 335.8 million on New Year’s Day. Demographer William Frey from The Brookings Institution suggests that if the current pace persists, the 2020s could become the slowest-growing decade in U.S. history. Projections indicate a growth rate of less than 4% from 2020 to 2030, contrasting with the slowest-growing decade during the 1930s, which followed the Great Depression and had a growth rate of 7.3%.
Frey acknowledges the possibility of a slight uptick in growth post-pandemic but anticipates challenges in reaching the growth rate recorded in the 1930s. The figures underscore demographic trends and potential shifts in population dynamics in the coming years.
