World Wide Population
The year 1999 through 2010

U.S. population will more than double in the next 100 years, Census Bureau says

• 1/13/2000 - U.S. population will more than double in the next 100 years, Census Bureau says - Continued migration expected to help fuel nation's increase
  by Randolph E. Schmid, The Associated Press.
      Washington -- A century from now there will be twice as many Americans as today, the Census Bureau predicts.    So twice as many cars, shoppers, etc.    From an estimated 275 million people today, the projection is 571 million in the year 2100.    The U.S. population density in 2100 would be 161.4 people per square mile, about one-fourth the current population density of Germany and the United Kingdom.
      The Census projection calls for the nation's population to reach 300 million in 2011, 400 million in 2049 and 500 million in 2081.
      By comparison, it was 5.3 million in 1800 and 75.9 million in 1900.
      The United Nations, in its own projections, expects the world's population to rise from the current 6 billion to about 9.4 billion in 2100.
  
  
• 3/18/2004 - Minorities will be a near-majority by 2050, Cenus Bureau says
  by Genaro C. Armas, Associated Press
      Washington - For as long as there has been an America, whites have made up a clear majority.    But that will chnage by 2050 when minority groups will be 49.9 percent of the population, the Census Bureau says.
      Asians and Hispanics will see the most dramatic increases betwen now and midcentury, when the U.S. population will have grown by almost 50 percent to reach 420 million, according to bureau projections being released.    America will get older, too.    Nearly 21 percent of its residents will be age 65 or older, compared with 12 percent now.
      Whites now represent 69 percent of the population, but their growth is slowing because of low rates of birth and immigration.    Their total will grow 7 percent to 210 million, or 50.1 percent of the population, in 2050.
  
• 6/15/2004 - Social Security outlook less bleak - System won't hit insolvency until 2052, report says
  by the Associated Press
      Washington - Social Security's long-term prospects are better than previously thought, a congressional report stated, estimating the program won't become insolvent until 2052, a decade later than projected earlier this year.    But will still face significant strain as the aging baby-boom generation retires.    During the presidental candidacy it became an issue, and proposal of overhaul and restructuring it came to the surface.
  
  
• 3/1/2005 - U.S. life expectancy rises to record 77.6 years; gender gap narrows
  by Randolph E. Schmid, The Associated Press
      Washington -- Declines in death rates from most major causes - including heart disease and cancer - have pushed American's life expectancy to a record 77.6 years.    Women are still living longer than men, but the gap is narrowing.    Women now have a life expectancy of 80.1 years, 5.3 more than men.    President Bush says Social Security is facing a financial crisis caused by increasing life expectancy, lower birth rates and aging baby boomers.    America still trails many other countries, according to statistics from the World Health Organization.    Japan was at 81.9, Monaco 81.2, San Marino and Switzerland 80.6, Australia 80.4, Andorra 80.3, and Iceland 80.1.    Other countries topping the United States include Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain and the United Kingdom.
  
  
• 1/13/2006 - U.S. population should hit 300 million mark in about nine months, expert says
  by New York Times
      Presently at 297,900,000 the United States population should reach 300 million by October.    The experts estimate with a baby being born every 8 seconds, someone dying every 12 seconds and the nation gaining an immigrant every 31 seconds on average, the population is growing by one person every 14 seconds.
      It has taken 230 years for the United States to reach 300 million people.    The Census Bureau projects that even with the nation growing more slowly than ever beginning in 2030, the population will top 400 million less than 40 years from now.
  
• 7/6/2006 - Population losses, gains create global headaches
  by Associated Press
      Washington - As the U.S. population speeds toward 300 million, the growth is producing headaches for Americans fed up with traffic congestion, sprawl and dwindling natural resources.    But the alternatives are pretty scary, too.    Just look at Europe and Japan, which are on the verge of such big population losses that several countries are practically begging women to have babies.    "Europe and japan are now facing a population problem that is unpresedented in human history - declining population over time with an increase in the percentage of old people," said Bill Butz, presidnet of the Population Reference Bereau, a Washington think tank.    Countries have lost people because of wars, disease and natural disasters but never - at least in modern history - because women stopped having enough children, Butz said.
      The U.S. is the fastest-growing industrialized nation, adding about 2.8 million people a year.    In Europe, which has 728 million people, the population has shrunk by 74,000 since the beginning of the decade, according to the United nations.    By 2050, it is projected to lose a total of 75 million people.    Experts warn that could cause labor shortages while straining retirement and health programs, ultimately threatening economic competiveness.
      Japan has announced that it is now the world's most elderly nation, with more than a fifth of its peopl 65 or older.
      On average, women must have 2.1 children in hteir lifetimes for a society to replenish itself.    Russia's fertility rate is 1.28.    In Japan, it's 1.25.    The U.S. has a fertility rate of 2.05.
• 10/10/2006 - U.S. population expected to hit 300 million this week
  by Cox News Service
      Washington - The Census Bureau is expected to announce this week the birth of the 300 millionth American resident.    The number of people 65 and over has jumped from about 4 million in 1915 to nearly 37 million in 2006.    Others fear rapid immigration is contributing to suburban sprawl, overcrowed schools and hospitals, and decreased quality of life.    Hispanics increased their hold as the country's largest minority group at 14.5 percent of the population, compared with 12.8 percent for blacks.
  
  
• 5/10/2007 - Minority population in U.S. tops 100 million - Third of Americans belong to group
  by AP
      The nation's minority population has topped 100 million for the first time and now makes up about a third of the United States, a symbolic milestone that signals more challenges for communities adapting to diversity.
      Hispanics remain the largest minority group at 44.3 million and accounted for half the nation's growth of 2.9 million increasing by 25.5%.    The black population grew by 6.9%.    The Asian population grew by 24.4% and the white population only by 1.6%.    The total U.S. population grew by 6.4% between 2000 to 2006.    Immigration accounts for more than 40 percent of the U.S. growth.
• 8/12/2007 - Report U.S. 42nd in life expectancy
  by AP
      Washington - Americans are living longer than ever, but not as long as people in 41 other countries.    Other countries are improving health care, nutrition and lifestyles improving their international rankings of life expectancy.    Countries that surpass the U.S. include Japan and most of Europe, as well as Jordan, Guam and the Cayman Islands.    A baby born in the U.S. in 2004 will live an average of 77.9 years, which ranks 42nd, down from 11th two decades ago.    Over 45 million Americans lack health insurance, nearly a third of U.S. adults 20 years and older are obese, and two-thirds are overweight.    Black Americans have an average of 73.3 years, and males are at 69.8 years.    Also a higher percentage of babies born die before their first birthday, compared with other nations.
• 10/16/2007 - Baby boomer No. 1 gets 'silver tsunami' started
  by AP
      Washington - The baby boomer's stampede for Social Security benefits has begun initiating the "Silver tsunami" for those born after January 1946, with another 80 million coming who were born between 1946 to 1964.    This equates to about 10,000 a day.    The Social Security trust fund is projected to go broke in 2041.
  
  
• 2/7/2008 -World's population to be more urban by AP
      United Nations - Half the world's population will live in urban areas by the end of this year and about 70 percent will be city dwellers by 2050, with cities and towns in Asia and Africa registering the biggest growth, the U.N. said.    A U.N. report predicted there will be 27 "megacities" -- with at least 10 million residents -- by mid-century compared to 19 today.    But it said at least half the urban growth will be in cities that now have less than 500,000 people.
      The world population is expected to rise from 6.7 billion in 2007 to 9.2 billion in 2050, with urban areas rising from 3.3. billion to 6.4 billion.    At present 70 percent of the population in Europe, North America and richer developed nations already live in urban areas.
• 5/12/2008 -U.S. population may hit 1 billion in century by AP
      If the U.S. seems too crowded and its roads too congested now, imagine future generations: Its population could more than triple to 1 billion as early as 2100.    At present the U.S. has almost 304 million people and is the world's third most populous, behind China (1.3 billion) and India (1.1. billion).
• 6/12/2008 -U.S. life expectancy by AP
      Atlanta - For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed 78 years, the government reported, but trails 30 other countries in estimated life span.
      Japan still leads at 83 years.
• 8/14/2008 -White Americans won't be majority by 2042 by AP
      Washington - White people will no longer make up a majority of Americans by 2042.    The population is projected to hit 400 million in 2039 and 439 million in 2050.    Presently white non-Hispanic make up two-thirds of the population, by 2050, whites will make up 46 percent, and blacks 15 percent.    Hispanics, who make up about 15 percent today, will account for 30 percent according to the new projections.    Asians who make up about 5 percent are projected to increase to 9 percent.
  
  
• 1/3/2010 -Japan's population continues to decline by AP
      Tokyo - Japan's population fell by 75,000 in 2009, decreasing for the third straight year and dropping at the fastest rate since the end of World War II.    The population decline grew by 24,000 from that of the previous year.
  
• 12/10/2010 -U.S. life expectancy falls a month by AP
      New York - U.S. life expectancy has dropped slightly - by about a month - after mostly inching up for many years, the government reported.    The preliminary report indicates a baby born in 2008 can expect to live to 77.8 years if current trends continue.    That's down a bit from an all-time high of 77.9 years for 2007.    A similar dip occurred in 2005, and life expectancy fell in 1993, too.
      It will take years of data to determine if that is a trend, and could be related to rising obesity rates.
      Life expectancy fell for both men and women, the gap between blacks and whites closed to a 4.6-year difference, black men for the fist time topped 70 years, and overall women continue to live longer up to 80 compared to 75 for men.
      The report is based on all the death certificates for 2008 released by the National Center for Health Statistics, which is part of the CDC.
  
• 12/22/2010 -CENSUS by AP
      Washington - The Census Bureau announced that the nation's population on April 1 was 308,745,538 up from 281.4 million a decade ago.    The growth rate for the past decade was 9.7 percent, the lowest since the Great Depression.    The nation's population grew by 13.2 percent from 1990 to 2000.
      Michigan was the only state to lose population during the past decade.    Nevada, with a 35 percent increase was the fastest growing state.    Politically the nation must reapportion the House's 435 districts to make them roughly equal in population, which each state getting at least one seat.
      States gaining House seats: Texas (4), Florida (2), Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Washington (1).
      States losing House seats: Ohio, New York (2), Illinois, Iowa, Lousiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania (1).
      Kentucky has 4.34 million and Indiana has 6.48 million.
  

Last updated January 27, 2004, January 31, 2006, October 30, 2006, August 17, 2007, January 23, 2008, January 31, 2009, August 6, 2011, and October 12, 2011.