According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 national and state population estimates and components of change released today, the U.S. resident population increased by 0.4%, or 1,256,003, to 333,287,557 in 2022, marking a significant rise after a period of historically low growth between 2020 and 2021.
The main driver of this growth was net international migration, which added 1,010,923 people between 2021 and 2022. This represents a remarkable 168.8% increase over 2021 figures, indicating a return to pre-pandemic migration patterns. Additionally, positive natural change (births minus deaths) contributed to the population increase by 245,080 individuals
Regional Pattern
The South, with a resident population of 128,716,192, was the fastest-growing region, increasing by 1.1%, adding 1,370,163 new residents. Positive net domestic migration (867,935) and net international migration (414,740) drove this growth, contributing 1,282,675 residents.
In contrast, the West grew by 0.2%, adding 153,601 residents, reaching a total population of 78,743,364. Despite losing 233,150 residents through net domestic migration, natural increase (154,405) contributed significantly to growth.
However, the Northeast (population: 57,040,406) and the Midwest (population: 68,787,595) both saw declines, losing 218,851 (-0.4%) and 48,910 (-0.1%) residents, respectively, primarily due to negative net domestic migration.
Changes in State Population
Texas became the nation’s biggest gainer, hitting a population of 30,029,572 with an increase of 470,708 since July 2021. It joins California as the only states with over 30 million residents. Texas’ growth was fueled by all three components: net domestic migration (230,961), net international migration (118,614), and natural increase (118,159).
Florida took the title of fastest-growing state in 2022, with a 1.9% increase, reaching 22,244,823 residents. It trailed only Texas, gaining 416,754 residents, mainly from net migration (444,484).
New York saw the biggest decline, losing 180,341 residents (-0.9%) due to net domestic migration (-299,557).
Eighteen states shrank in 2022, up from 15 the previous year. California and Illinois saw six-figure drops, mainly due to net domestic outmigration (343,230 and 141,656, respectively)
Referenced from Investopedia, a financial media website, a growing population from the working-age group can significantly contribute to a nation’s economic prosperity. While a nation with a declining birth rate coupled with an aging population could pose a degeneration of economic growth in the future.