Natural population growth in United States
United States: Natural population growth was 0.1985 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.1985
Change on year
up 20.4%
World rank
160th
of 236 countries
All-time high
1.58
in 1954
All-time low
0.0554
in 2021
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Natural population growth in United States, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
United States recorded 0.1985 for natural population growth in 2023.
That represents a change of up 20.4% on the previous year and down 51.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, natural population growth in United States peaked at 1.58 in 1954 and was at its lowest, 0.0554, in 2021.
That places United States 160th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Natural population growth in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.44 | — |
| 1951 | 1.47 | +2.5% |
| 1952 | 1.51 | +2.1% |
| 1953 | 1.51 | +0.3% |
| 1954 | 1.58 | +4.9% |
| 1955 | 1.55 | -1.9% |
| 1956 | 1.58 | +1.5% |
| 1957 | 1.57 | -0.7% |
| 1958 | 1.57 | +0.4% |
| 1959 | 1.55 | -1.6% |
| 1960 | 1.5 | -3.0% |
| 1961 | 1.48 | -1.3% |
| 1962 | 1.36 | -8.1% |
| 1963 | 1.26 | -7.5% |
| 1964 | 1.21 | -3.8% |
| 1965 | 1.06 | -12.8% |
| 1966 | 0.9446 | -10.6% |
| 1967 | 0.8834 | -6.5% |
| 1968 | 0.8222 | -6.9% |
| 1969 | 0.8722 | +6.1% |
| 1970 | 0.9304 | +6.7% |
| 1971 | 0.8308 | -10.7% |
| 1972 | 0.6657 | -19.9% |
| 1973 | 0.602 | -9.6% |
| 1974 | 0.6243 | +3.7% |
| 1975 | 0.6335 | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 0.633 | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 0.7026 | +11.0% |
| 1978 | 0.697 | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 0.7588 | +8.9% |
| 1980 | 0.7574 | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 0.7605 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 0.7732 | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 0.7298 | -5.6% |
| 1984 | 0.7185 | -1.5% |
| 1985 | 0.7164 | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 0.6982 | -2.5% |
| 1987 | 0.7059 | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 0.7185 | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 0.7648 | +6.4% |
| 1990 | 0.7869 | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 0.7468 | -5.1% |
| 1992 | 0.7113 | -4.8% |
| 1993 | 0.6375 | -10.4% |
| 1994 | 0.603 | -5.4% |
| 1995 | 0.5625 | -6.7% |
| 1996 | 0.5488 | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 0.5373 | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 0.54 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 0.5237 | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 0.5445 | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 0.5268 | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 0.5096 | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 0.5232 | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 0.5447 | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 0.5354 | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 0.5781 | +8.0% |
| 2007 | 0.5904 | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 0.5515 | -6.6% |
| 2009 | 0.526 | -4.6% |
| 2010 | 0.4747 | -9.8% |
| 2011 | 0.4424 | -6.8% |
| 2012 | 0.4337 | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 0.4123 | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 0.4187 | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.3908 | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 0.3706 | -5.2% |
| 2017 | 0.3241 | -12.5% |
| 2018 | 0.2977 | -8.1% |
| 2019 | 0.2754 | -7.5% |
| 2020 | 0.076 | -72.4% |
| 2021 | 0.0554 | -27.1% |
| 2022 | 0.1649 | +197.7% |
| 2023 | 0.1985 | +20.4% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 0.1985 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.1118, 1.8× the median. (85 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Natural population growth in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +197.7% | 0.0554 | 0.1649 |
| 2020 | -72.4% | 0.2754 | 0.076 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.53 | 1.44 | 1.58 | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.14 | 0.8222 | 1.5 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.7078 | 0.602 | 0.9304 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.7343 | 0.6982 | 0.7732 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.6198 | 0.5237 | 0.7869 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.543 | 0.5096 | 0.5904 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.384 | 0.2754 | 0.4747 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1237 | 0.0554 | 0.1985 | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 157 Trinidad and Tobago 0.234 compare
- 158 Faroe Islands 0.2303 compare
- 159 Bahamas 0.2139 compare
- 161 Albania 0.1912 compare
- 162 Guadeloupe 0.1787 compare
- 162 Liechtenstein 0.1787 compare
More population data for United States
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -2.8 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1369 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.0241 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 375,392 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.4762 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1565 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.129 (2100)
- Population density 46.05 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 19.91 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is natural population growth in United States?
- Natural population growth in United States was 0.1985 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest natural population growth recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 1.58 in 1954.
- What is the lowest natural population growth recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0554 in 2021.
- How does United States rank for natural population growth?
- United States ranks 160th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is natural population growth rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Natural population growth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).