A century of population growth and change

摘要

The United States began the 20th century with 76.2 million people. It ended the century with 275 million people, an extraordinary growth of about 200 million, or 3.6 times as many as there were in 1900 (fig. 1). U.S. demographic changes in the century have been just as dynamic, dramatic surprising, and significant as so many other facets of American life. Population trends and characteristics help shape what is grown and eaten by the country's inhabitants. This article examines the most salient of these trends.