In Spring 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau, which is responsible for demographic statistics in the United States, published new data arising out of the 2020 census, followed in late 2023 by new projections for the American population that confirmed a number of trends already highlighted in these columns. William Frey of the Brookings Institution outlines the main lessons to be drawn from this new data. He points out, for example, how demographic ageing is continuing to progress in the USA, together with significant intergenerational racial gaps. He also analyses the projections made for the period to 2100, which clearly show the crucial role played by immigration in maintaining American demographic vitality. He stresses particularly that, whichever migration scenario one assumes (including zero immigration), ethnic diversification will continue and the white proportion of the population will continue to decline. As Frey sees it, these projections show how vital continued international migration towards the USA is for the country’s growth and for enabling it to offset the ageing of its population.
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