What Drives U.S. Population Growth

What the paper says

The U.S. population is growing as fast as or faster than any other more developed country. Between 1990 and 2000 nearly 33 million people were added to the U.S. population-a group nearly as large as Argentinas population and the greatest 10-year increase ever for the country. This growth is in stark contrast to the slow or negative population growth in other more developed countries and reinforces the United States demographic position in the developed world. At 288 million in 2002 the United States is also the worlds third-largest country. Although it is well behind numbers one and two-demographic billionaires China and India-the United States remains the largest more developed country. Russia with 145 million in 2002 comes closest in size but its numbers are dwindling because it has more deaths than births each year. Japan-at 127 million the third-largest more developed country-also faces population decline in the near future. Other more developed countries a group that includes the rest of Europe Canada Australia and New Zealand are far smaller and are not expected to grow much larger over the next half-century. The United States in contrast is projected to add nearly 140 million people by 2050 bringing the population total to 420 million. (excerpt)