World Population Day

World Population Day is observed on July 11 every year, originally with the goal of raising awareness about the need to slow global population growth. The event was established by the United Nations in 1989, amid widespread concerns about rapid population growth driving poverty and environmental degradation.

Here in the United States, our population has grown by more than 90 million people since the first World Population Day, from 250 million to 342 million. This growth has been driven primarily by immigration, which reached record levels under the Biden administration and continues at historically high levels today.

The world’s population has grown by an additional 3 billion people since 1989 — to 8.2 billion and counting — and the global environment is deteriorating rapidly. Yet rather than acknowledge physical limits to growth, the mainstream media now suggest that overpopulation is less of a concern than underpopulation.

Media stories about declining birth rates abound, leading many to mistakenly assume that global population has stopped growing. Some argue we are on the verge of a catastrophic “population collapse” due to a “birth dearth.” This panic is completely unfounded. The global population grew by 75 million people last year and authoritative population projections from  the United Nations Population Division say the world is on track for a peak population of more than 10 billion people by the 2080s.

U.S. Population Growth Driven by Mass Immigration

Similar misconceptions are prevalent throughout the developed world, including in the United States. Although our fertility rate has declined slightly in recent years, America remains one of the fastest-growing developed nations in the world. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, last year the U.S. population increased by more than three and a half million people, the highest year-over-year increase since 2001.

Moreover, there are no definitive projections of peak population for the United States. That’s because immigration, not fertility, is the main driver of our population growth. If U.S. immigration continues at the average recent level of 1.5 million net annually, there will be constant population growth throughout this century, resulting in a population more than 140 million larger in 2100 — a whopping 485 million.

This population growth doesn’t have to happen. Yet rather than celebrate the opportunity to live in a more sustainable nation, we are bombarded with stories that America is headed toward ruination due to a shortage of workers and consumers.

Since when did it become our government’s job to wield mass immigration as a de facto veto over Americans’ desire to stop endless population growth?

Toward a Better Future

With historically high populations across the globe, it’s more important than ever to remember the original goals of World Population Day. We should also remember that America is not exempt from the social and environmental problems wrought by population growth.

For example, our nation faces a worsening housing affordability crisis. While Americans are being squeezed by rising housing costs due to inflation and elevated interest rates, mass immigration amplifies the demand for scarce housing. Poorer Americans are especially vulnerable, being more likely to be in direct competition with migrants not just in the job market but in housing markets, too.

Environmental sustainability also is a critical concern for America’s future. All our environmental problems are made worse by population growth. These include permanent biodiversity loss, water shortages, polluted air made worse by traffic congestion, wetlands destruction, loss of prime farmland to urban sprawl, and loss of wildlife habitat and wilderness.

Immigration policy decisions will dramatically shape America’s demographic future. They will be among our most consequential social and environmental policy choices going forward. If we want to create a just, sustainable and flourishing society, we need to get them right! That means lowering immigration overall.