A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies projects how different levels of immigration would impact the future size of America's population. The findings, show that the current level of immigration will add 105 million to the population by 2060.
Findings:
-- Currently, 1.6 million legal and illegal immigrants settle in the country each year; 350,000 immigrants leave each year, resulting in net immigration of 1.25 million.
-- If immigration continues at current levels, the nation's population will increase from 301 million today to 468 million in 2060 -- a 167 million (or 56 percent) increase. Future immigrants plus their descendants will account for 105 million (or 63 percent) of the increase.
-- The total projected growth of 167 million is equal to the combined populations of Great Britain, France, and Spain. The 105 million from immigration by itself is equal to 13 additional New York Cities.
-- If the annual level of net immigration was reduced to 300,000, future immigration would add 25 million people to the population by 2060
-- The above projection follows exactly the Census Bureau's assumptions about future birth and death rates, including a decline in the birth rate for Hispanics, who comprise the largest share of immigrants.
-- Net immigration has been increasing for five decades; if that trend continues, the increase caused by immigration will be higher than the projected 105 million.
-- While immigration has a very large impact on the size of the nation's population, it has only a small effect in slowing the aging of American society.