Immigration drives population growth to fastest rate since 2001: Census

U.S. population growth sped up toward more "historical norms" this year following a two-decade slump, spurred by international migration.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data released Thursday, the country’s population grew by almost 1 percent this year to surpass 340 million people, marking the fastest annual growth rate since 2001.

“An annual growth rate of 1.0% is higher than what we’ve seen over recent years but well within historical norms,” said Kristie Wilder, a Census Bureau demographer, in a press release.