Census population estimate puts U.S. above 342.7 million as migration drives slower growth
The U.S. population reached an estimated 342,704,625 on July 28, 2026, according to the Census Bureau’s population clock, as the country continues to grow even while the pace of that growth has slowed sharply.
The clock identifies births, deaths and immigration as the components of population change. The figure is an estimate, not a final decennial census count, and it should not be directly treated as the same measurement as the Census Bureau’s annual population estimates.
Growth slowed as net international migration fell
The Census Bureau’s latest completed annual estimates, known as Vintage 2025, put the U.S. population at 341.8 million on July 1, 2025. Between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, the population grew by 1.8 million people, or 0.5%.
That annual increase was accompanied by a major drop in net international migration. The measure fell from 2.7 million people in the comparable prior period to 1.3 million in the latest period, a decline of 53.8%.
Net international migration is not the same as simply counting people who enter the country. It is the net contribution of international movement to population change. The Census clock and estimates also account for births and deaths, so the agency does not attribute the entire population change to immigration.
Natural increase—the number of births minus the number of deaths—was about 519,000 between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. The Census Bureau described that figure as roughly stable from the prior year.
A national demographic shift
The Census Bureau said all four U.S. regions experienced slower growth in the latest annual estimates. South Carolina was identified as the fastest-growing state, though the approved estimates do not provide a state-by-state growth figure in the national totals cited here.
The national changes matter beyond the headline population total. Population growth, migration and the balance between births and deaths can affect the size of the labor supply, household formation and the demand placed on public services. Over time, those population patterns also shape political representation nationwide.
The figures provide a snapshot of a country still adding residents, but doing so under different demographic conditions than in the prior year. With natural increase roughly stable and net international migration substantially lower, the migration component accounted for much of the slowdown documented by the Census Bureau.
What the Census Bureau projects next
In a January estimate release, the Census Bureau projected that net international migration could reach approximately 321,000 by July 2026 if current trends continued. That number is a projection based on continuing trends, not a final July 2026 count, and the population-clock estimate does not confirm it.
The July 28 clock reading and the Vintage 2025 annual estimate also use different dates and methods. The clock provides a current running estimate, while Vintage 2025 is the Census Bureau’s most recent completed consistent set of population estimates. The agency’s national population totals program provides annual and monthly estimates and components of change through 2026.
Together, the releases show two related developments: the United States has continued to grow past 342.7 million on the population clock, while the completed annual data show that growth slowed to 0.5% as net international migration dropped substantially.
Sources
- U.S. Population Clock, U.S. Census Bureau
- U.S. Population Growth Slows Due to Historic Decline in Net International Migration, U.S. Census Bureau
- National Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025, U.S. Census Bureau
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