Decline and increase in population
During the 20th century, the population in both countries increased and decreased.
In Russia, the population decline was influenced by the following factors:
- World War I;
- revolution of 1917;
- famine in the Volga region in the 20s;
- WWII.
These are just the main factors. In the 2nd half of the 20th century, Russia also participated in conflicts during which, for direct or indirect reasons, people died.
In the United States, the population declined during the Great Depression.
Tsarist Russia and the USA
In 1880, 82 million people lived in Russia. In 1894, this number increased to 122 million people. In 1914 the population was 182 million. The annual increase was 2.4 million people.
In the 19th century, the population of the United States was more than 31 million people. About 4 million people were slaves.
The largest cities of the Russian Empire:
- Saint Petersburg;
- Moscow;
- Warsaw;
- Odessa;
- Riga;
- Vilna;
- Kronstadt;
- Tula;
- Astrakhan;
- Kazan;
- Kyiv;
- Voronezh;
- Kishinev;
- Saratov;
- Sevastopol.
The USA is called a country of immigration. The rapid expansion of the territory created a constant need to find new human resources.
At first, the bulk of the emigrants were English, Scots and Irish. The Dutch delivered the first batch of black slaves in 1619, then the English slave trade market gradually developed.
Number of immigrants to the USA in 1820-1860.
Thus, a completely new ethnic element arose in the population of the United States of America.
USSR and USA
The population of the USSR as of January 1, 1989 was 293 million people. The number of US residents in the 40–60s of the 20th century was just over 75 million. On average, after World War II, the population of the United States increased by 18.6%.
In the 19th century, 80–88% of emigrants came to the United States from Europe. In the 20th century the situation changed somewhat.
Despite the introduction of anti-emigration legislation in the mid-60s of the 20th century, the absolute number of emigrants continued to increase all the time. At the same time, the number and share of illegal emigrants increased.
Population statistics in Russia and the USA in the XX-XXI centuries
From 1960 to 1980, from 200 thousand to 500 thousand illegal immigrants arrived in the country annually. They came mainly from Mexico.
Changes have occurred in the geography of migration flows. Back in the fifties of the 20th century, 70% of emigrants arrived in America from Europe and Canada. But already in the 80s the share of these regions decreased to 13%.
Those from Latin America (almost 50%) and from the Asia-Pacific region (35%) began to dominate among emigrants.
The socio-cultural structure of immigration has changed. In the 1980s, 15 million people with higher education entered the United States.
Of the doctors of science in the field of engineering and computer disciplines who entered the labor market at that time, 40% were emigrants. Among teachers of technical disciplines in universities, emigrants accounted for 25%.
Gender and age
The type of age pyramid refers to marker indicators of developed countries. In America, about 20% of the population are young people under 15 years of age. The working population of citizens aged 15–64 years accounts for 67%. Whereas for the age category over 65 years - only the remaining 13%.
This age pyramid belongs to the anti-aging or stationary type
Natural indicators suggest that with high life expectancy and well-developed social support in the United States, the birth rate is gradually decreasing.
The average sex ratio looks like this: for every 100 women there are 97.95 men (data for 2021).
Modern Russia and the USA
Modern Russia and America, from the very beginning of the 21st century, have faced several problems affecting population decline. The main problems are terrorism and epidemics.
The situation in modern Russia
Not long ago, Russian authorities reported the risk of a demographic crisis. It was said that in 2021 the population of Russia will decrease by 5 times. The reason for this is not only the coronavirus.
The population decline in Russia is influenced by several factors:
- demographic wave (echo of the 90s);
- reduction in the birth rate after 2021 (total fertility rate).
In 2021, according to independent data, about 60 thousand people died from COVID-19.
The most important problem is the rapid aging of Russia: the number of fertile women (aged 20-30 years) is declining.
In the first six months of 2021, the population decreased by more than 200 thousand people. At the same time, the migration increase is 100 thousand–200 thousand people.
A reduction in life expectancy is also expected from 73.3 years to 72.7 years.
Currently, cautious forecasts are being made for the next years. It is believed that the coronavirus epidemic will negatively affect the birth rate.
Main reasons:
- economic decline;
- rising unemployment;
- reduction in income;
- unclear prospects.
The situation in modern America
According to the American Constitution, a census is conducted every 10 years. Over 210 years, the country's population has increased 72 times. This is a kind of world record.
Find out from the video: why the US conducts a census every 10 years.
This population growth is primarily due to emigration to the United States (both legal and illegal), which also led to a younger age composition.
Currently, the United States continues to remain in the subgroup of economically developed countries, where expanded population reproduction is still ensured.
There are approximately 60 million women of childbearing age living in the country. The total fertility rate is 2.
In emigrant families, birth rates are higher. At the beginning of the 21st century, the average annual population growth rate increased to 9 ppm, which is only slightly lower than the world average.
The preservation of expanded population reproduction has led to the exacerbation of many social problems. The main problem is the aging of the population.
Currently, the share of elderly people is 12%: 1 pensioner for every 3 working people.
When characterizing the modern American nation, it is customary to distinguish 3 independent groups:
- US Americans;
- Aboriginal groups;
- transitional immigrant groups.
Americans in the United States make up the vast majority of all residents of the country. However, this group is not internally homogeneous. It includes 4 subgroups. The main one is white Americans (75%).
The second subgroup is formed by African Americans. Due to the high birth rate and natural increase, their share is gradually increasing. There are now 36 million African Americans living in the United States (more than 12% of the population).
The third subgroup is Hispanic Americans: their share of the population is growing even faster (37 million, or 13%).
The fourth subgroup consists of Asian Pacific Americans. Their share of the population is 3.8% (12 million people).
Aboriginal groups include:
- Aleuts;
- Eskimos;
- Indians;
- Hawaiians.
Transition immigrant groups include approximately 38 million people.
More than 1 million immigrants a year: who are these people and what awaits them in the USA
The United States has more immigrants than any other country in the world. More than 44 million people living in America were born in another country and made up about one-fifth of all migrants in the world as of 2021. More than 1 million immigrants arrive every year. Where do these people come from, who are they and what awaits them - and with them the whole country? Pew Research Center analyzed it.
Photo: Depositphotos
How many people in the US are immigrants?
The U.S. foreign-born population reached a record 44.4 million in 2021. Since 1965, when U.S. immigration laws changed the nation's quota system, the number of immigrants has more than quadrupled. Today, immigrants make up 13.6% of the U.S. population, nearly triple the share (4.7%) in 1970. However, today the share of immigrants remains below the record 14.8% in 1890, when there were 9.2 million immigrants living in the United States.
What legal status do these people have?
Illegal immigrants make up a quarter of the foreign-born population of the United States. The majority of immigrants (76%) are in the country legally. In 2021, 45% of immigrants were naturalized US citizens.
In 2021, about 27% of immigrants were permanent residents and 5% were temporary residents. Another 24% of all immigrants were illegal. From 1990 to 2007, the number of illegal immigrants tripled, from 3.5 million to a record high of 12.2 million. The number dropped by 1 million during the Great Recession and has since leveled off. In 2021, there were 10.7 million illegal immigrants in the United States (3.3% of the country's population).
The decline in the number of illegal immigrants is mainly due to the decline in the number of residents of Mexico, which is where the largest group of illegal immigrants in the United States comes from. Between 2007 and 2016, there were 1 million fewer of them. But at the same time, the flow from Central America has increased.
Do all legal immigrants want to become US citizens?
Not all. Those interested can apply after meeting certain requirements, including 5 years of US residency. In 2018, approximately 800,000 immigrants applied for naturalization. In recent years, these applications have increased, but so far the 2007 record (1.4 million applications) has not been broken.
Most immigrants eligible for naturalization apply for citizenship. However, Mexican legal immigrants have the lowest naturalization rate overall. Language and personality barriers, lack of interest and financial problems are the main reasons for the refusal of naturalization of Mexican green card holders.
On the subject: Key facts about US immigration policy and Trump's innovations
Where do immigrants come from?
Mexico, China and India remain the top birthplaces for immigrants living in the United States. Mexico leads the way, with 11.2 million (25%) immigrants coming from there in 2021. The next largest groups came from China (6%), India (6%), Philippines (5%) and El Salvador (3%).
By region of birth, immigrants from South and East Asia together made up 27%, close to the share of immigrants from Mexico (25%). Fewer people travel from other regions: Europe/Canada (13%), Caribbean (10%), Central America (8%), South America (7%), Middle East (4%) and sub-Saharan Africa ( 4 %).
Photo: Depositphotos
Who is coming to the USA today?
More than 1 million immigrants arrive in the United States each year. Among new arrivals, Asians outnumber Hispanics. In 2017, the top country of origin of new immigrants was India with 126,000 people, followed by Mexico (124,000 people), China (121,000 people) and Cuba (41,000 people).
Based on race and ethnicity, more Asian immigrants have come to America than Hispanic immigrants since 2010. Asians are projected to become the largest immigrant group in the United States by 2055, and will make up about 38% of all immigrants in 20165; Hispanics - 31%; white-skinned - 20%; and blacks – 9%.
Is the immigrant population growing?
The US foreign-born population reached 45 million in 2015; by 2065 it could reach 78 million. Immigrants and their descendants are projected to account for 88% of U.S. population growth through 2065 if current trends continue. In addition to new arrivals, U.S. births will be an important statistical factor. In 2021, the percentage of women giving birth in the country was higher among immigrants (7.5%) than among U.S.-born women (5.8%)—more than 3 million versus 780,000 children.
On the subject: How many children were born to immigrants, tourists and illegal immigrants in the USA
How many refugees have arrived in the country?
More than half of refugees in the United States in 2021 were from Congo and Burma. Since the implementation of the federal Refugee Resettlement Program in 1980, approximately 3 million refugees have been resettled in the United States, more than any other country.
In 2021, 22,491 refugees came to the United States. The largest group was the Democratic Republic of the Congo, followed by Burma (Myanmar), Ukraine, Bhutan and Eritrea. 3,495 refugees are Muslim (16%) and 16,018 are Christian (71%). Texas, Washington, Ohio and California accepted more than a quarter of all refugees in that year.
Photo: Depositphotos
Where do most American immigrants live?
Roughly half (45%) of the nation's 44.4 million immigrants live in just three states: California (24%), Texas (11%) and New York (10%). California had the most in 2021, with 10.6 million. Texas and New York each had more than 4.5 million immigrants.
About two-thirds of immigrants lived in the West (34%) and South (33%). About a fifth lived in the Northeast (21%), and 11% lived in the Midwest.
In 2021, the majority of immigrants lived in just 20 major metropolitan areas, with the largest numbers in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. There were 28.7 million immigrants in these 20 major metropolitan areas, or 64.7% of the country's total population. The vast majority of illegal immigrants live in these same regions.
What about the education of immigrants?
Immigrants to the United States generally have lower levels of education than the country's population: as of 2021, 27% of newcomers did not complete high school, versus 9% of Americans. However, immigrants are just as likely as US-born immigrants to have a bachelor's degree or higher (31% and 32%, respectively).
Educational attainment varies among immigrant groups in a country, especially among immigrants from different regions of the world. Immigrants from Mexico and Central America are less likely to be high school graduates than Americans (54% and 46%, respectively, do not have a high school diploma, compared with 9% of Americans). On the other hand, immigrants from South and East Asia, Europe/Canada, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa are more likely than U.S. residents to have a bachelor's or advanced degree.
On the subject: How much do immigrants from different countries earn in the USA?
How many immigrants work in the US?
America's overall labor force has been growing since 2007, but the number of illegal immigrant workers has been declining. In 2021, about 28 million immigrants were working or seeking work in the United States, representing about 17% of the total civilian labor force. Legal immigrants made up the majority, 20.6 million. Another 7.8 million immigrant workers are undocumented, the first time since 2006 that number was well below 8 million. They alone account for 4.8% of the civilian workforce, down 5.4% from 2007.
Immigrants, regardless of their legal status, work in a wide variety of jobs and do not constitute the majority of workers in any industry in the United States. Legal immigrants are most likely to work in professional, managerial, or business and financial positions (38%) or service positions (21%). In contrast, undocumented workers are most likely to work in the service sector (31%) or construction work (17%).
Immigrants are projected to contribute to the growth of the US working-age population until at least 2035. As the baby boomer generation retires, immigrants and their children are expected to offset the decline in the labor force, adding about 18 million people.
Photo: Depositphotos
How well do they speak English?
Based on data from 2021 onwards, half of immigrants to the United States speak English. Among immigrants aged 5 years and older, half (52%) either speak English very well (36%) or speak English only at home (16%).
Immigrants from Mexico have the lowest level of language proficiency (33%), followed by Central Americans (34%), South Americans (54%), and immigrants from South and East Asia (56%). People from Europe or Canada (77%), sub-Saharan Africa (73%) and the Middle East (61%) have the highest English language proficiency.
The longer immigrants live in the US, the more likely they are to learn the language. About 45% of immigrants who have lived in the United States for five years or less speak English well. More than half (56%) of those who have lived in the United States for 20 years or more speak English very well.
The proportion of immigrants who speak English has declined since 1980, although it has increased slightly in recent years. The decline was driven by fewer immigrants speaking only English at home, from 30% in 1980 to 16% in 2021. Meanwhile, the share of those who speak English “very well” increased slightly, from 27% to 36% over the same time period.
Among immigrants aged 5 years and older, Spanish is the most spoken language. About 43% of immigrants speak Spanish at home. The top five languages spoken by immigrants other than Spanish are exclusively English (17%), Chinese (6%), Hindi (5%), Filipino/Tagalog (4%) and French (3%).
On the subject: Immigrants are afraid to use social benefits in the USA for fear of losing their green card
How many immigrants have been deported recently?
Some 295,000 immigrants forcibly left the country in 2021, down from 2021 levels. The Obama administration deported about 3 million people between 2009 and 2016, significantly more than the 2 million immigrants the Bush administration deported between 2001 and 2008. The Trump administration deported 295,000 people in 2017, the lowest number since 2006.
The number of deportations in the US fell in 2021. Immigrants convicted of crimes made up a minority of deportations in 2017. Of all those deported, about 41% had a criminal record and 59% had not been convicted of a crime. Between 2001 and 2017, the majority (60%) of immigrants deported were not convicted of a crime.
How many arrests are there at the US-Mexico border?
The number of apprehensions has fallen sharply over the past decade, from more than 1 million in 2006 to 396,579 in 2021. Today, Mexicans are arrested less frequently at the border than people from other countries. In fiscal year 2021, Central American apprehensions exceeded Mexican apprehensions for the third year in a row.
Photo: Depositphotos
How do Americans feel about immigrants and immigration?
Even though immigration has become part of the political debate, most Americans have positive views of immigrants. Six in ten Americans (62%) say immigrants strengthen the country “through their hard work and talents,” while about a quarter (28%) say immigrants burden the country by taking up jobs, housing and health care.
However, these views vary sharply depending on political affiliation. Among Democrats and Democratic independents, 83% believe immigrants strengthen the country, while only 11% say they are a burden. Among Republicans and Republican independents, 38% say immigrants strengthen the country, while nearly half (49%) say they are a burden to America.
Americans are divided over the future of immigration. A quarter said U.S. immigration should be reduced (24%), one third (38%) said immigration should be kept at current levels, and nearly a third (32%) said immigration should be increased.
