The United States of America, commonly regarded as the United States has a current population of 330,631,744 based on statistics supplied by Worldometer and the United Nations latest data. The country’s population equates to 4.25% of the global count. The United States ranks 3 rd globally by population. Its total land area is 9,147,420 Km2. The nation is structured into 50 states occupying the vast strip of North America with Alaska and Hawaii covering the Northwest and the Pacific Ocean. The US is also composed of five key self-governing territories, a federal district and a number of island possessions. The US is a federal constitutional republic where the president is the head of state and government. The federal government includes three distinct faculties; the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Economic forecast projects that the country growth in 2020 will slow to 2.0% from the previous growth realized in 2019. In 2021 and 2022 the projected growth rate is expected to be 1.9% and 1.8% respectively.
Historical Developments in Demography
In the United States, the average fertility reached a post-world war 2 maximum in the late 1950s during the peak of ‘baby boomers’. Year 1957 recorded the highest births at 4.3 million and 25.3 births per 1,000 persons. 1960s and 1970s recorded steep declines in birth rate. From the early 1970s, annual birth rates have remained constant with fluctuations in the mid-teens. According to Shrestha (2006), an all-time low birth rate of 13.9 births per 1,000 people was recorded in 2002. In 2008, the United States registered 14.0 live births per a population of 1,000 individuals with annual births of 4.25 million. The Census Bureau projects that the US total fertility rate will fluctuate at 2.1 births among women aged 15 to 44 years, a trend that will continue up to 2050.
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The United States crude death rate (CDR) has been constant since 1050, only oscillating with a range of 8.1 to 9.7 fatalities per a population of 1,000 persons. Year 2007 registered a record low death rate of 8.0. Infant mortality rate stood at 6.75 demises per 1,000 live births, which was a slight rise from 2006 ( Shrestha, 2006) . From 2006 to 2007, differences between men and women mortality rate increased slightly. The age adjusted fatality rate among males was 40.8% greater than that of females. At birth, females’ life expectancy was eighty and half years while that of males was seventy five years. Between black and white populations, disparities in mortality have persisted. Since 1997, the risk of dying for black population has been 30% more than for white populace. Differences have also existed between white and Hispanic populations. The Census Bureau forecasts that crude deaths will remain low with a range of 8.6 to 9.7 fatalities per 1,000 persons all the way to 2050.
Migration has been a key population component in the US, with the overall migration forecasted to be positive with in-immigration surpassing out-immigration from 1950 to 2020. Between 1950 and 1979, the immigration inflow oscillated between 1.5 to 2.4 immigrants per a group of 1,000 persons. Since 1980, a surging trend has been noted with annual 1902 rates fluctuating from 3.0 to 3.9 ( Shrestha, 2006) . The Census Bureau forecasted that migration will continue being integral in the US population expansion up to 2050 with net immigration rates increasing more than currently observed.
Since 1950, the United States has experienced profound demographic change with its population aging sharply. Number of 65 years and older individuals has been rising rapidly. In 1950, the older population represented 8.1% of the overall population. The percentage rose to 12.8% in 2009 and is forecasted to hit 20.2% by 2050.
The US overall population is projected to become highly diverse in terms of race and ethnicity due to immigration and age structure. While in year 2000 the whites were approximately 81%, the figure is forecasted to flop by 2050 to seventy four percent ( Frey, 2018) . Between 2000 and 2050 Asian population is forecasted to rise by 23.7 million while other races will increase by an approximated 15.8 million or 223%.
Importance of the selected course theme
The migration policy encompasses the United States statement of its intentions including orders, laws, decisions and regulations regarding admission, selection, settlement and deportation of foreign citizens’ already in the US or those seeking to settle in the US. A migration policy that supports in-immigration will be critical in replacing the current aging baby-boomer carder which threatens the country’s finances. The ratio of seniors to working age adults and the age dependency ratio has been surging over time. Due to the increase in the age dependency proportion, the working age population will continuously be financially overburdened. In the coming decades, the age dependency ratio is projected to soar sharply with the ratio climbing up to 35 retirees for every 100 working age persons by 2030 and 42 by 2060 ( Vespa et al., 2018) . Migration policy encouraging in-immigration particularly younger immigrants is imperative in addressing the looming age dependency ratio challenge. A favorable migration policy is important in improving the country’s tax base contribution. Pursuing an immigration policy that exhorts workers entry for employment reasons would be essential in slowing the aging rate of global population thereby delaying or averting possible policy challenges that could emanate from increased population aging.
Immigration will be important in stimulating not only the United States economy but also other global economies through provision of both low and high skilled workers. Immigrants have historically been known to boost economic growth. The immigrant population will be crucial in raising global worker’s general productivity by offering much needed skills. A migration policy that encourages in-immigration will provide a workforce whose domino effect will be expansion of important global economic sectors leading to increased attraction of investment and employment creation for native born workers ( Steil & Vasi, 2014) . International monetary fund conducted a survey which indicated that a favourable global migration policy increased GDP per capita in advanced economies such as the United States.
A less stringent immigration policy will be essential as immigrants contribute by generating new ideas, products and innovation. Immigrants in the US fill a third of patents and account for more than 30% of US workers who have acquired PhD in STEM disciplines. Studies have shown that more than half of the Silicon Valley high-skilled technology workers and entrepreneurs are immigrants which indicates the meaningful contribution the foreign workers would exert in the United States ( Steil & Vasi, 2014) . A migration policy would be important in fuelling entrepreneurship. Past studies have shown that immigrants are more likely to venture into start-ups than native born Americans. Among the 500 fortune companies, immigrants and their children had founded 40% of them.
Globally, statistics indicate that there are approximately 244 million international migrants. International migration would lead to significant global economic gains both for countries of origin and destination. Migrants contribute positively to the socio-economic development of host communities’ worldwide. Migration serves as a catalyst for sustainable development globally. Moving into developed nations would enable migrants from poor countries have increased access to quality health services through for example universal health care plans thereby improving their general health outcomes. World Health Organization indicated that favourable migration policies globally to international migrants positively shapes global health. The migrants contribute to the host country’s health plans by purchasing personal insurance covers thereby bolstering the nation’s health financial capability. In 2016, migrants remitted $429 billion to low and middle income national worldwide. The remittances are channelled by receiving countries to improve and expand sectors such as healthcare.
References
Frey, W. H. (2018). Diversity explosion: How new racial demographics are remaking America . Brookings Institution Press.
Shrestha, L. B. (2006, May). The changing demographic profile of the United States. library of congress Washington dc congressional research service.
Steil, J. P., & Vasi, I. B. (2014). The new immigration contestation: Social movements and local immigration policy making in the United States, 2000–2011. American Journal of Sociology , 119 (4), 1104-1155.
Vespa, J., Armstrong, D. M., & Medina, L. (2018). Demographic turning points for the United States: Population projections for 2020 to 2060 . Washington, DC: US Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, US Census Bureau.
