Immigration prompts U.S. population growth

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Increasing numbers of immigrants in the United States are helping push up the nation's population by one person every 13 seconds.

The U.S. Census Bureau said that based on the growing influx of other countries' citizens, in addition to domestic births, the U.S. population should reach 303,146,284 on New Year's Day, The Washington Times reported Saturday. That would represent an increase of 0.9 percent from the same date in 2007.

"It's about what we expected," Census Bureau demographer Greg Harper said of the 2008 estimate. "Growth (for 2007) will be a little bit less than in the past, but it's right in line with what we've seen in growth in the past."

While census officials estimate a new immigrant will arrive in the United States every 30 seconds by the beginning of 2008, the nation's birth rate has also played a significant role in the population increase.

The Times said that by January, one birth is expected to occur every eight seconds in comparison to estimates of one death every 11 seconds.