A drop in immigration is slowing U.S. population growth, with cities seeing the biggest impacts as the South continued to lead the nation in gains, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday. 

The nation’s population growth slowed between July 2024 and July 2025, from 1.1% in 2024 to 0.6% in 2025, driven largely by a decline in net international migration, with metro areas, home to most Americans, having noticeably weaker growth.