According to new numbers by the U.S. Census Bureau, from 2019 to 2020, the U.S. population growth had significantly slowed during that time span, influenced particularly by the COVID-19 pandemic.
From mid-2019 to mid-2020, the U.S. population only grew by 0.35 percent, a low rate considered as the smallest growth in about 120 years.
The states with the highest population increases included Idaho (2.1%), Arizona (1.8%), Nevada (1.5%), Utah (1.4%), and Texas (1.3%). On the other end, California and New York, both some of America’s most populous states, had experienced the most decline in residents, as both states were once epicenters of the pandemic.
“I think it’s a first glimpse of where we may be heading as far as low population growth,” said one of the data’s co-authors in a press release. “It’s telling you that this is having an impact on population.”
The study was conducted independently of the 2020 census, experts stated in their report.
The findings are significant and were released at a time when the U.S. reported its deadliest year in the nation’s history, also directly attributed to the pandemic.
