| Year | Population. | Positive increase. |
Percentage of increase. |
| 1790 | 3,929,214 | ||
| 1800 | 5,308,483 | 1,379,269 | 35.10 |
| 1810 | 7,239,881 | 1,931,398 | 36·38 |
| 1820 | 9,633,822 | 2,393,941 | 33·06 |
| 1830 | 12,866,020 | 3,232,198 | 32·51 |
| 1840 | 17,069,453 | 4,203,433 | 33·52 |
| 1850 | 23,191,876 | 6,122,423 | 35·83 |
| 1860 | 31,443,321 | 8,251,445 | 35·11 |
| 1870 | 38,558,371 | 7,115,050 | 22·65 |
| 1880 | 50,155,783 | 11,597,412 | 30·08 |
| 1890 | 62,622,250 | 12,466,467 | 24·86 |
The regularity of increase from 1800 to 1860 is striking, and then the influence of the war and of other elements is shown in the serious break in the regularity which occurs between 1860 and 1870, the percentage dropping from 35·11 in 1860 to 22·65 in 1870. With increased industrial and commercial activity the percentage rose again in 1880 to 30·08, but has now receded to 24·86. The influence of immigration upon this great increase in population, and the rate of natural increase since the decade from 1830 to 1840, are shown as follows:
| Period. | Natural. | Immigration. | Total percentage. |
| 1830-'40 | 28·87 | 4·65 | 35·52 |
| 1840-'50 | 26·15 | 9·68 | 35·83 |
| 1850-'60 | 23·73 | 11·38 | 35·11 |
| 1860-'70 | 15·40 | 7·25 | 22·65 |
| 1870-'80 | 22·79 | 7·29 | 30·08 |
| 1880-'90 | 14·40 | 10·46 | 24·86 |
Until the full data of the census for 1890 are available, it is impossible to make any careful study of the reasons why the natural increase of population should vary so greatly. The highest natural increase during the period of immigration, as shown in the foregoing table, was between 1830 and 1840, it having been 28·87 per cent, the lowest natural increase being during the last decade, when it was 14·40. It seems almost incredible that such a variation could actually occur in the natural increase of population; but this matter must be left for future consideration. The population at the last three censuses has been distributed over the country, in accordance with geographical divisions, as follows:
| Geographical Divisions. |
population. | increase from 1880 to 1890. |
increase from 1870 to 1880. |
increase from 1860 to 1870. | |||||
| 1890. | 1880. | 1870. | Number. | Per cent. |
Number. | Per cent. |
Number. | Per cent. | |
| The United States. | 62,622,250 | 50,155,783 | 38,558,371 | 12,466,467 | 24·86 | 11,597,412 | 30·08 | 7,115,050 | 22·63 |
| North Atlantic | 17,401,545 | 14,507,407 | 12,298,730 | 2,894,138 | 19·95 | 2,208,677 | 17·96 | 1,704,462 | 16·09 |
| South Atlantic | 8,857,920 | 7,597,197 | 5,853,610 | 1,260,723 | 16·59 | 1,743,587 | 29·79 | 488,907 | 9·11 |
| Northern Central | 22,362,279 | 17,364,111 | 12,981,111 | 4,998,168 | 28·78 | 4,383,000 | 33·76 | 3,884,395 | 42·70 |
| Southern Central | 10,972,893 | 8,919,371 | 6,434,410 | 2,058,522 | 23·02 | 2,484,961 | 38·62 | 665,752 | 11·54 |
| Western | 3,027,613 | 1,767,697 | 990,510 | 1,259,916 | 71·27 | 777,187 | 78·46 | 371,534 | 60·02 |
