The U.S. population grew by the smallest rate in at least 120 years from 2019 to 2020.
Figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau show the U.S. population grew by 0.35% from July 2019 to July 2020, an increase of 1.1 million people in a nation with an estimated population of more than 329 million residents.
Demographer William Frey says population growth in the U.S. already had been stagnant over the past several years due to immigration restrictions and a dip in fertility.
However, the pandemic exacerbated that lethargic-growth trend.
Even during the height of the Spanish flu, the growth rate was higher — 0.49%.
