There is mention of political actions affecting U.S. statistical agencies, but the demographer cited argues the numbers appear unaffected by interference.

The release faced delays due to the federal shutdown and staffing cuts; concerns about political interference were raised, but no evident interference in the numbers is cited.

Census Bureau figures were released after delays tied to the shutdown, with the agency noting new counting methods and humanitarian admissions from prior years shaping the numbers.

California, Florida, and New York saw slower gains in 2025, with the South remaining the leading growth region; Texas, Florida, and North Carolina added the most people in absolute terms.

Population estimates come from government records and Census data, not the decennial census, and the 2025 release was delayed by a federal shutdown amid workforce reductions, though some experts say data integrity remains intact.

The 2025 population growth slowed as immigration contributed 1.3 million net gains, down from 2.8 million in 2024, according to Census Bureau estimates.

The 2025 figures cover July 2024 through July 2025, a period that spans the tail end of Biden’s term and the start of enforcement intensification in several cities, without reflecting post-crackdown effects in other areas.

Experts frame the 2025 data as arising from policy shifts that intensified immigration enforcement and reduced inflows, marking a divergence from 2024 when net international migration was the primary driver of population gains.

Officials note ongoing trends of out-migration and reduced in-migration contributing to slower growth, though causation from policy alone remains debated.

Census Bureau and Brookings researchers describe a broader pattern of out-migration and reduced inflows, stressing that estimates rely on government records and internal data rather than the decennial census.

Eric Jensen of the Census Bureau highlights increased out-migration and reduced in-migration during this period.

Historically, growth rates have fluctuated with crises, with 2021 the pandemic low and 1919 a similarly low period during the Spanish flu, placing 2025’s ~0.5% growth in a long historical context.