FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1997 Public Information Office CB97-211 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-4067 (TDD) e-mail:pio@census.gov Lisa Kuzmeskus 301-457-2397 U.S. Population Nears 269 Million as 1998 Begins As Americans ring in the New Year, the January 1, 1998 population of the United States is projected to number 268,921,733, an annual increase of 2.4 million (0.9 percent), the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said today. The Census Bureau based its January 1, 1998 figure on a projected 3.9 million births, 2.3 million deaths, net international migration of 827,000 and net return of American citizens (including armed forces) of 40,600 during 1997. "The level of births occurring in the United States each year has been declining since 1990, when 4.2 million births occurred," said Census Bureau analyst Lisa Kuzmeskus. "The number of deaths in 1997 were slightly higher than the number in 1996," she added. America's population is projected to grow by an additional 2.3 million persons during 1998, primarily because of natural increase--the excess of births over deaths. The New Year's Day population total represents an 8.1 percent increase over the April 1, 1990 census total of 248,765,170. The projections do not include U.S. citizens--armed forces or civilian--who live abroad.-X-The Census Bureau pre-eminent collector and provider of timely, relevant and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. In more than 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.
