American Immigration and Population Growth

Abstract

During 1970 the population of the United States increased by about 2.2 million persons. This increase was the result of 3.7 million births 1.9 million deaths and a net immigration of about 400000 persons. Immigrants thus accounted for nearly one-fifth of the total growth during the year. Without contributions of the immigrants our rate of growth would have been 0.9 percent instead of the increase of 1.1 percent which was recorded. In the 1950’s net civilian immigration amounted to about 11 percent of the population increase for the country. In the following decade the number of immigrants was increased and amounted to almost 4 million persons. At the same time there was a reduction in the number of babies born and therefore a reduction in the total growth. The direct share of immigration in the increase during the 1960’s was about 16 percent up from the smaller percentage observed during the 1950’s. Numerically immigrants contribute directly to immediate growth in the population. The fact that they tend on the whole to be a relatively young group means also that they will contribute to population growth through the children they have after their arrival on these shores. (excerpt)