FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1996 Public Information Office CB96-223 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-4067 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Kevin Deardorff 301-457-2397 Gregory Spencer 301-457-2428 U.S. POPULATION TOTALS 266.5 MILLION AS 1997 BEGINS, CENSUS BUREAU SAYS As Americans ring in the New Year, the January 1, 1997 population of the United States is projected to number 266,499,365, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said today. During the past year, the nation's population increased by 2.3 million people or 0.9 percent. Net migration from overseas accounted for one-third of the growth, Census Bureau officials said. The Census Bureau based its January 1, 1997 figure on a projected 3.8 million births, 2.3 million deaths, net international migration of 809,000, and net return to the U.S. of American citizens (including armed forces) of 27,000 during 1996. Births and deaths are expected to remain at about the same levels in 1997. Therefore, America's population is projected to grow by an additional 2.4 million persons during the year, due primarily to natural increase or an excess of births over deaths. The New Year's Day population total represented a 7.1 percent increase over the April 1, 1990 census total of 248,718,291. The projections do not include U.S. citizens--armed forces or civilian--who live abroad.-X-The Census Bureau--preeminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. In over 100 surveys annually and 20 censuses a decade, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides official information about America's people, businesses, industries, and institutions.
