Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in North America
North America: Population growth (annual %) (World Population) was 0.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population growth in North America, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
North America recorded 0.6% for population growth in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 51.8% on the previous year and down 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in North America peaked at 1.7% in 1961 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2021.
North America ranks 32nd of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in North America, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.7% | — |
| 1962 | 1.6% | -7.2% |
| 1963 | 1.5% | -5.7% |
| 1964 | 1.4% | -2.9% |
| 1965 | 1.3% | -9.3% |
| 1966 | 1.2% | -6.2% |
| 1967 | 1.2% | -5.4% |
| 1968 | 1.1% | -8.6% |
| 1969 | 1.0% | -4.0% |
| 1970 | 1.2% | +17.1% |
| 1971 | 1.4% | +20.0% |
| 1972 | 1.1% | -24.2% |
| 1973 | 1.0% | -9.2% |
| 1974 | 1.0% | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 1.0% | +7.5% |
| 1976 | 1.0% | -4.5% |
| 1977 | 1.0% | +3.7% |
| 1978 | 1.1% | +3.1% |
| 1979 | 1.1% | +3.7% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | -9.2% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 1.0% | -2.9% |
| 1983 | 0.9% | -5.6% |
| 1984 | 0.9% | -5.2% |
| 1985 | 0.9% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 0.9% | +4.7% |
| 1987 | 0.9% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 1.0% | +8.7% |
| 1990 | 1.2% | +13.5% |
| 1991 | 1.3% | +13.7% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 1.3% | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 1.2% | -6.4% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 1.2% | +2.7% |
| 1998 | 1.1% | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | -8.7% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | -5.6% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | -8.5% |
| 2004 | 0.9% | +7.3% |
| 2005 | 0.9% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 1.0% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | -5.9% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 0.8% | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 0.8% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 0.8% | -4.9% |
| 2014 | 0.8% | +3.9% |
| 2015 | 0.8% | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 0.7% | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | -9.6% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | -9.0% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | -21.9% |
| 2021 | 0.2% | -58.5% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | +253.7% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | +46.7% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | +14.4% |
| 2025 | 0.6% | -51.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth (annual %) (World Population) in North America changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +253.7% | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| 2021 | -58.5% | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| 2023 | +46.7% | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| 2025 | -51.8% | 1.2% | 0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7% | 0.2% | 1.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near North America
More climate change data for North America
- Urban population growth 0.7% (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.8049 units per person (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 0.5691 % change on previous year (2025)
- Urban population 308.67 million (2025)
- Population, total 383.50 million (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6692 % change on previous year (2025)
- Annual Net Emissions/Removals 6,870 (2024)
- Annual Net Emissions/Removals (Greenhouse gas, Total, Metric ton of) 0.472 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in North America?
- Population growth in North America was 0.6% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 1.7% in 1961.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2021.
- How does North America rank for population growth?
- North America ranks 32nd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.