The Congressional Budget Office projects more deaths than births in the U.S. by 2033, about seven years earlier than previous estimates, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The CBO, in its annual demographic outlook released Monday, estimated that the U.S. population will hit 350 million by the end of 2025, an increase of 4 million from the outlook released one year ago.
However, the CBO also estimated that the population will only rise to 372 million by 2054, a drop from the 383 million estimated a year ago, for a population growth rate of 6.3% over the next three decades.
"The annual number of births is projected to exceed the annual number of deaths through 2032," the report stated. "Those net births account for about one-sixth of projected population growth during that period; net immigration accounts for the rest. Beginning in 2033, annual deaths exceed annual births in CBO’s projections, and net immigration is projected to more than account for the population growth from 2033 to 2055."
According to the report, the decline is attributable to less-than-expected levels of immigration, caused by restrictions at the border imposed by the Biden administration, and lower fertility rates.
"Net immigration becomes an increasingly important source of population growth," the agency said in its report. "Without immigration, the population would shrink beginning in 2033, in part because fertility rates are projected to remain too low for a generation to replace itself."