ORLANDO, Fla. — The U.S. population reached a milestone of 341.8 million people in 2025, but the new figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau indicate a marked slowdown in growth, with a mere 0.5% increase, attributed largely to the immigration crackdown enforced by President Trump’s administration. This growth rate represents a drop from the nearly 1% growth rate recorded in 2024, a year that saw significant contributions from immigration.
In 2024, immigration contributed to a population increase of 2.8 million people, contrasting with 2025's gain of only 1.3 million. Notably, the Census report did not detail the distinction between legal and illegal immigration.
The lowest growth rate in the past 125 years occurred during the pandemic in 2021 when the population grew by just 0.16%, influenced significantly by the travel restrictions at that time.
Recent studies are delving into the ramifications of Trump's immigration policies following his return to office in January 2025, especially since immigration was a pivotal aspect of his successful presidential campaign in 2024, where he focused heavily on the surge of migrants at the southern border.
The latest population numbers highlight the continued trends of out-migration, where the figures demonstrate a decrease in incoming populations while more individuals are leaving the U.S.
Eric Jensen, a senior research scientist with the Census Bureau, remarked that these figures reflect ongoing trends observed in migration patterns. The data, covering changes from July 2024 to July 2025, were impacted by the onset of strict immigration enforcement in various cities, although they do not encapsulate the full response to the intensified border controls that have been implemented in recent months.
Unlike a full census conducted every decade, these estimates are derived from existing government records, providing a continuous snapshot of the demographic landscape in the United States.
