US Population to Hit 300 Million by Next Week

[Frodo]

America's Population Set to Top 300 Million;
Immigration Fuels Much of Growth

By Blaine Harden
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 12, 2006; Page A01

Clicking upward at a rate of one person every 11 seconds, the U.S. population will officially surpass 300 million in the next week or so.

The milestone is a reminder that the United States remains a remarkable demographic specimen, 230 years old (since the Declaration of Independence) and still in a growth spurt.

Behind only China and India, it is the planet's third most populous nation. For a rich, highly developed country, it is anomalously fertile, with a population that is increasing briskly, in sharp contrast to anemic growth or decline in Western Europe and Japan. Some demographers say this continued growth is essential to support an aging population in retirement and a sign of the continued allure of the United States even at a time when its image around the world has been sullied by the war in Iraq.

[Frodo]

In case anyone cares, today at 7:46 am (EDT), the United States just gained its 300 millionth citizen:

U.S. Population Reaches 300 Million

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 17, 2006
Filed at 7:43 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Maybe there will be a bigger party when the population hits 400 million. Save the date: 2043. America's official population passed the 300 million mark Tuesday, fueled by a growing number of immigrants and their children.

The moment, recorded at 7:46 a.m. EDT, passed with little fanfare, perhaps dampened by a divisive debate over illegal immigration and the fact that many experts think the population had already hit the 300 million mark months ago.

[...]

[Frodo]

And in related news (at least from a month ago):
---------------------------

U.S. Fertility Rate Hits 35-Year High, Stabilizing Population

By Rob Stein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 21, 2007; Page A11

For the first time in 35 years, the U.S. fertility rate has climbed high enough to sustain a stable population, solidifying the nation's unique status among industrialized countries.

The overall fertility rate increased 2 percent between 2005 and 2006, nudging the average number of babies being born to each woman to 2.1, according to the latest federal statistics. That marks the first time since 1971 that the rate has reached a crucial benchmark of population growth: the ability of each generation to replace itself.

[...]