US Population Passes 300-Million Milestone

The population of the United States officially passed the 300 million mark on Tuesday (October 17). While it took almost two centuries for the U.S. population to reach 200 million, it took just 40 years to add the last 100 million. The number of people living in America almost tripled in the 20th century, with most of that growth coming just since the 1960s. The United States is now the third most populous nation in the world, behind China and India. A baby is born in the U.S. every 14 seconds. The current U.S. population growth rate -- about one percent annually or three million new mouths to feed every year-- is moderate compared to many countries in the developing world. Still, the growth is fueling public debate about the pressures a larger population will put on America's environment, energy resources and social fabric.

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