ORLANDO, Fla. — The U.S. Census Bureau has released new estimates indicating that the nation's growth rate has sharply declined, reaching a mere 0.5% in 2025, a significant drop from the previous year's 1%. This decline aligns with President Donald Trump's renewed crackdown on immigration following his return to office in January 2025.
The total U.S. population is now estimated at 341.8 million, with the immigration increase slowing dramatically to 1.3 million in the past year compared to 2.8 million in 2024. Notably, the Census Bureau does not separate legal from illegal immigration in its reports.
Historically, the U.S. experienced a dramatic decline in growth rates during 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which recorded a growth of only 0.16%. Comparatively, the most recent figures show a continued trend of decreased in-migration and increased out-migration, as emphasized by Eric Jensen, a senior research scientist at the Census Bureau.
These population changes are observed against the backdrop of significant shifts in immigration enforcement policies under the Trump administration, which has made the surge of migrants at the southern border a central theme in political discussions, especially amid the 2024 elections.
The recent data is a reminder of the complexities surrounding U.S. immigration and demographic trends, and it underscores the potential for significant political and social implications as immigration policies evolve under different administrations.
