Demographics
Animated Chart: America’s Demographics Over 100+ Years
Animated: America’s Demographics Over 100+ Years
The United States has famously been called a melting pot, due its demographic makeup of various cultures, races, religions, and languages. But what shape does that mixture take? And how has it changed over time?
Beginning over 100 years ago, this video from Kaj Tallungs assesses how America’s demographics have changed from 1901 to 2020. It uses data from multiple sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Human Mortality Database.
A Look at the Total Population
The most obvious takeaway from this animation is that America’s population has soared over the last century. America’s population grew from 77 million in 1901 to over 330 million in 2020—or total growth of 330% over the 119 years.
And the U.S. has continued to add to its population totals. Here’s a brief look at at the population in 2021 by regional breakdowns:
Region | Population (2021) | Share of Total Population |
---|---|---|
South | 127,225,329 | 38.3% |
West | 78,667,134 | 23.7% |
Midwest | 68,841,444 | 20.7% |
Northeast | 57,159,838 | 17.2% |
And here’s a glance at how some of the population shakes out, across the top 10 most populous states in the country:
Rank | State | Population (2021) |
---|---|---|
#1 | California | 39,237,836 |
#2 | Texas | 29,527,941 |
#3 | Florida | 21,781,128 |
#4 | New York | 19,835,913 |
#5 | Pennsylvania | 12,964,056 |
#6 | Illinois | 12,671,469 |
#7 | Ohio | 11,780,017 |
#8 | Georgia | 10,799,566 |
#9 | North Carolina | 10,551,162 |
#10 | Michigan | 10,050,811 |
Demographic Breakdowns
Diving a little deeper, the country’s demographic breakdowns have also changed significantly over the last 100+ years. While the share of men and women is an obvious near-even split, age and race distributions have changed drastically.
For starters, though birth rates have remained fairly strong in the U.S., they have been slowing over time. This is similar to many other Western countries, and can eventually result in a larger share of elderly people as well as an increased financial cost of subsidizing their care. Additionally, fewer births results in a depleting workforce as the young population shrinks.
The shares of Black, Asian, Hispanic, and people of two or more races have also been growing. In fact, between 2010–2020 the population of people identifying as two races or more increased by a whopping 276%.
Here’s a glance at some of the other demographic growth rates over the 2010-2020 period:
- Black or African American alone population: +5.6%
- Asian alone population: +35.5%
- Hispanic or Latino alone population: +23%
- White population: -9%
Looking Ahead
Like many countries, a “graying” of the population will become a concern in the United States.
By 2060, it is expected that 95 million Americans will be over 65. But the share of those 18 and under will also continue to grow (albeit at a much slower pace) from 74 million people in 2020 to 80 million in 2060.
Another interesting insight from the Census Bureau is that from 2016–2060, the American-born population is expected to grow by only 20%, whereas the foreign-born population—the share of population who will immigrate to the U.S.—is expected to rise 58%.
True to the melting pot moniker, America’s demographics will continue to change dramatically over the coming decades.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Misc
Ranked: U.S. International Students by Country
Explore the top countries sending international students to the U.S. in 2023/24, with India and China leading the way.

Ranked: America’s Top Sources of International Students
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- China and India accounted for more than half of total international student intake during the 2023/24 year
- Overall, the U.S. welcomed 1,126,690 students from over 210 different countries
Despite travel bans by the current U.S. administration, international education remains a cornerstone of the U.S. academic landscape. In the 2023/24 academic year, over 1.1 million international students enrolled in U.S. institutions.
In this infographic, we break down where these students come from, ranking the top source countries.
Data & Discussion
The data for this visualization comes from Open Doors. It highlights U.S. international students by country, showing both numeric totals and their percentage shares of the overall intake.
Country | Number of Students (2023/2024 Year) | Percentage |
---|---|---|
🇮🇳 India | 331,602 | 29.4% |
🇨🇳 China | 277,398 | 24.6% |
🇰🇷 South Korea | 43,149 | 3.8% |
🇨🇦 Canada | 28,998 | 2.6% |
🇹🇼 Taiwan | 23,144 | 2.1% |
🇻🇳 Vietnam | 22,066 | 2.0% |
🇳🇬 Nigeria | 21,975 | 2.0% |
🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 17,099 | 1.5% |
🇧🇷 Brazil | 16,877 | 1.5% |
🇳🇵 Nepal | 16,742 | 1.5% |
🇲🇽 Mexico | 15,994 | 1.4% |
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 14,829 | 1.3% |
🇯🇵 Japan | 13,598 | 1.2% |
🇮🇷 Iran | 12,490 | 1.1% |
🇵🇰 Pakistan | 11,133 | 1.0% |
🇬🇧 UK | 10,473 | 0.9% |
🇨🇴 Colombia | 10,420 | 0.9% |
🇬🇭 Ghana | 9,394 | 0.8% |
🇩🇪 Germany | 9,230 | 0.8% |
🇹🇷 Türkiye | 8,972 | 0.8% |
🇪🇸 Spain | 8,842 | 0.8% |
🇫🇷 France | 8,543 | 0.8% |
🇮🇩 Indonesia | 8,145 | 0.7% |
🇮🇹 Italy | 6,345 | 0.6% |
🇭🇰 Hong Kong | 5,627 | 0.5% |
🌐 Other | 175,624 | 15.6% |
📊 Total | 1,126,690 | 100.0% |
India Surpasses China as the Top Source
India sent over 331,000 students to the U.S. last year, surpassing China’s 277,000. This shift reflects a growing trend seen over the past few years as Chinese enrollments have declined.
As The New York Times reports, expanding middle-class ambitions have helped India take the lead, though the recent halt on visa interviews is throwing things into disarray. The U.S. also happens to have the largest Indian immigrant population in the world.
Smaller Countries See Growth
While giants like India and China dominate, countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Nigeria have quietly grown their presence.
According to the 2023/24 Open Doors report, Bangladesh and Nepal both reached all-time highs, while Nigerian enrollment grew by 13.5% year-over-year.
Declines in South Korean Enrollment
Some countries are sending fewer students. South Korea, while still the third largest source, sent 43,149 students in 2023/24, down from 73,351 in 2010/11.
One reason could be South Korea’s declining fertility rate, which results in fewer young people enrolling in higher education both domestically and abroad.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out America’s Top Universities in 2024 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
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