FRONT ROYAL, Va.—Contradicting what many experts have been saying, the
Population Research Institute (PRI) believes that the United States is
suffering from insufficient population growth even though the U.S. Census
Bureau says the American population will reach 300 million tomorrow.
“When you look at the projections that show our population aging rapidly
over the next few decades, when you see our economy and government
programs such as Social Security risking bankruptcy, you can see that the
United States’ annual 0.9% population growth rate is not enough,” said
Steven Mosher, President of PRI. “America’s baby boomers didn’t have many
children on average, and as a result, our country faces a gray dawn. Even
our currently high immigration levels haven’t made up the difference.”
“According to United Nations figures, the percentage of the American
population 65 or over will rise from 12.3% today to 20.6% by 2050. The
proportion of Americans 80 or over will rise from 3.6% to 7.3% of the
population,” said Joseph A. D’Agostino, Vice President for Communications
at PRI. “Our worker-to-retiree ratio is already at a dangerous 3-to-1.
By 2050, it will be 2-to-1. And those retirees will be living much longer
than they do today thanks to beneficial improvements in health care.
We’ve been trying to make up for our low birthrate though lots of
immigration, which has created its own problems. But if Americans won’t
create the next generation, then it must be imported.”
The birthrate of the United States is 2.0 children per woman, slightly
less than the replacement rate of 2.1. Without immigrants, the birthrate
would be even lower. As we have noted previously, the United States’
population density is 31 people per square kilometer, well below the world
average of 48 and far below those of most Western European nations.
Americans continue to leave rural areas for large metropolitan areas,
creating the illusion that America is becoming overpopulated. Yet only
4.7% of American land is built up.
For more information including an audio clip, go to www.pop.org. To
schedule an interview, call Joseph D’Agostino at 540-622-5240 ext. 204.
E-mail: [email protected].
Population Research Institute, 1190 Progress Dr.-Suite 2D, P.O. Box 1559,
Front Royal, Va. 22630 USA
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