U.S. Population Growth Slows to Snail’s Pace

America’s Population Grew by Just 0.72%, Between July 2012 and July 2013.

The U.S. economy is picking up steam—but not enough, apparently, to nudge up the nation’s population that much.

America’s population grew by just 0.72%, or 2,255,154 people, between July 2012 and July 2013, to 316,128,839, the Census said on Monday.

That is the weakest rate of growth since the Great Depression, according to an analysis of Census data by demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institution.

Separately, the Census also said Monday it expects the population to hit 317.3 million on New Year’s Day 2014, a projected increase of 2,218,622, or 0.7%, from New Year’s Day 2013.

Growth in the U.S. population has been muted in recent years thanks in part to the 2007-2009 recession and slow recovery, which made America less attractive to immigrants looking for work and discouraged people from having children or moving across state lines.

The latest government reports suggest state-to-state migration remains modest. While middle-age and older people appear to be packing their bags more, the young—who move the most—are largely staying put.

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