Introduction
Tennessee vs. United States
Tennessee:
2022 Population = 7,051,339
2022 Percent of U.S. = 2.12%
U.S.:
2022 Population = 333,287,557
Attracting and retaining people to live, work, raise a family, and retire underlies the economic vitality of any region. Population growth is both a cause--and a consequence--of economic growth. Patterns of population growth and change reflect differences among regions to attract and retain people both as producers and consumers in their economy.
The following graphs offer a broad overview of trends in the pattern of population growth and change of Tennessee with comparisons to the nation at large. The data used are those compiled by the Regional Income and Product Divisions of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Page 2 of 11
Population, 1958-2022
Population, 1958-2022
Figure 1.
Figure 1 tracks Tennessee's annual population for the period 1958-2022 to illustrate population patterns over time. During this 65-year period, Tennessee's population rose from 3,471,000 in 1958 to 7,051,339 in 2022, for a net gain of 3,580,339, or 103.15%.
NOTE: The state population totals reported by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) are from the Bureau of Census midyear (July 1) estimates. These estimates may differ from those prepared independently in some states by various agencies and/or universities.
Page 3 of 11
Population Indices (1958=100): 1958-2022
Population Indices (1958=100): 1958-2022
Figure 2.
Figure 2 portrays Tennessee's population growth in a broader context by offering direct comparisons across time with the United States. The growth indices shown here express each region's population in 1958 as a base figure of 100, and the populations in later years as a percentage of the 1958 base figure. This method allows for more direct comparison of differences in population growth between regions that may differ vastly in size.
Tennessee's overall population growth was 103.15% over 1958-2022 outpaced the United States' increase of 91.38%.
Page 4 of 11
Population as a Percent of the United States Total: 1958-2022
Population as a Percent of the United States Total: 1958-2022
Figure 3.
Another interesting and insightful way of contrasting the population growth of Tennessee is to trace its individual percentage contributions to the United States' total population over time, as shown in Figure 3. A rising share means a region's population grew faster, or declined less, than the United States' population, while a declining share shows it grew more slowly.
In 1958, Tennessee's population totaled 1.99% of the United States' population, while in 2022 it equated to 2.12% thereby yielding a +0.12% share-shift.
   
 
Population Share-Shift
2022 vs. 1958
 
Share-
Shift*
 
2022
vs.
1958
+0.12%
=
2.12%
-
1.99%
 
   
Page 5 of 11
Tennessee Population:
Annual Percent Change, 1959-2022
Tennessee Population:
Annual Percent Change, 1959-2022
Figure 4.
Figure 4 shows the short-run pattern of Tennessee's population growth by tracking the year-to-year percent change over 1959-2022. The average annual percent change for the entire 64-year period is also traced on this chart to provide a benchmark for gauging periods of relative high--and relative low--growth against the backdrop of the long-term average.
On average, Tennessee's population grew at an annual rate of 1.11% over 1959-2022. The state recorded its highest growth in 1972 (1.95%) and posted its lowest growth in 1983 (0.30%). In 2022, Tennessee's population grew by 1.19%
Page 6 of 11
Tennessee Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1959-2022
Tennessee Population:
Annual Percent Change and Decade Averages Over 1959-2022
Figure 5.
Over the past six decades some states have experienced extreme swings in growth, and often such swings have tended to coincide with the decades themselves. Figure 5 again traces the annual percent change in Tennessee's population since 1959, but this time they are displayed with average growth rates for the decade of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020-2022.
During the 1960s, Tennessee's annual population growth rate averaged 1.02%. It averaged 1.52% throughout the 1970s, 0.69% in the 1980s, 1.51% during the 1990s, 1.13% in the 2000s, 0.85% in the 2010s, 0.91% thus far this decade (2020-2022).
Page 7 of 11
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change by Decade
Figure 6.
Figure 6 compares the decade average growth rates for Tennessee noted in the previous graph with the corresponding decade averages for the nation.
Relative to nationwide population growth trends, Tennessee fell below the nation during the 1960s (1.02% vs. 1.29%), outperformed the nation in the 1970s (1.52% vs. 1.10%), fell below the nation during the 1980s (0.69% vs. 0.95%), led the nation throughout the 1990s (1.51% vs. 1.23%), topped the nation over the 2000s (1.13% vs. 0.95%), topped the nation throughout the 2010s (0.85% vs. 0.74%), and topped the nation over 2020-2022 (0.91% vs. 0.31%).
   
 
Population Growth:
Average Annual Percent Change
 
 
 
1.11
1.02
1.52
0.69
1.51
1.13
0.85
0.91
1.19
 
1.02
1.29
1.10
0.95
1.23
0.95
0.74
0.31
0.38
 
   
Page 8 of 11

Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
Tennessee:
Population, 1958-2022
 
1958
 
3,471,000
100.0
N
1.99
1959
 
3,522,000
101.5
1.47
1.99
1960
 
3,575,000
103.0
1.50
1.99
1961
 
3,622,000
104.4
1.31
1.98
1962
 
3,673,000
105.8
1.41
1.98
1963
 
3,718,000
107.1
1.23
1.97
1964
 
3,771,000
108.6
1.43
1.97
1965
 
3,798,000
109.4
0.72
1.96
1966
 
3,822,000
110.1
0.63
1.95
1967
 
3,859,000
111.2
0.97
1.96
1968
 
3,878,000
111.7
0.49
1.95
1969
 
3,897,000
112.3
0.49
1.94
1970
 
3,936,975
113.4
1.03
1.93
1971
 
4,010,238
115.5
1.86
1.94
1972
 
4,088,445
117.8
1.95
1.95
1973
 
4,138,417
119.2
1.22
1.96
1974
 
4,201,621
121.0
1.53
1.97
1975
 
4,260,829
122.8
1.41
1.98
1976
 
4,329,160
124.7
1.60
1.99
1977
 
4,401,939
126.8
1.68
2.00
1978
 
4,461,639
128.5
1.36
2.01
1979
 
4,533,297
130.6
1.61
2.02
1980
 
4,600,252
132.5
1.48
2.02
1981
 
4,627,662
133.3
0.60
2.02
1982
 
4,646,043
133.9
0.40
2.01
1983
 
4,659,757
134.2
0.30
1.99
1984
 
4,686,743
135.0
0.58
1.99
1985
 
4,715,292
135.8
0.61
1.98
1986
 
4,738,708
136.5
0.50
1.97
1987
 
4,782,939
137.8
0.93
1.97
1988
 
4,822,438
138.9
0.83
1.97
1989
 
4,854,432
139.9
0.66
1.97
1990
 
4,894,492
141.0
0.83
1.96
1991
 
4,966,587
143.1
1.47
1.96
1992
 
5,049,742
145.5
1.67
1.97
1993
 
5,137,584
148.0
1.74
1.98
1994
 
5,231,438
150.7
1.83
1.99
1995
 
5,326,936
153.5
1.83
2.00
1996
 
5,416,643
156.1
1.68
2.01
1997
 
5,499,233
158.4
1.52
2.02
1998
 
5,570,045
160.5
1.29
2.02
1999
 
5,638,706
162.5
1.23
2.02
2000
 
5,703,719
164.3
1.15
2.02
2001
 
5,750,789
165.7
0.83
2.02
2002
 
5,795,918
167.0
0.78
2.02
2003
 
5,847,812
168.5
0.90
2.02
2004
 
5,910,809
170.3
1.08
2.02
2005
 
5,991,057
172.6
1.36
2.03
2006
 
6,088,766
175.4
1.63
2.04
2007
 
6,175,727
177.9
1.43
2.05
2008
 
6,247,411
180.0
1.16
2.05
2009
 
6,306,019
181.7
0.94
2.06
2010
 
6,356,320
183.1
0.80
2.05
2011
 
6,404,344
184.5
0.76
2.05
2012
 
6,463,111
186.2
0.92
2.06
2013
 
6,507,640
187.5
0.69
2.05
2014
 
6,558,710
189.0
0.78
2.05
2015
 
6,612,901
190.5
0.83
2.05
2016
 
6,672,356
192.2
0.90
2.06
2017
 
6,739,437
194.2
1.01
2.06
2018
 
6,806,545
196.1
1.00
2.07
2019
 
6,862,378
197.7
0.82
2.08
2020
 
6,925,619
199.5
0.92
2.09
2021
 
6,968,351
200.8
0.62
2.10
2022
 
7,051,339
203.2
1.19
2.12
Source: Calculations by the United States Regional Economic Analysis Project (US-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_SA1400_100_PN
 
   
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Interactive TableTip: To augment your analysis click on the column headers in the following table to rank and/or sort the data.

   
 
United States:
Population, 1958-2022
 
1958
 
174,153,000
100.0
N
1959
 
177,136,000
101.7
1.71
1960
 
179,972,000
103.3
1.60
1961
 
182,976,000
105.1
1.67
1962
 
185,739,000
106.7
1.51
1963
 
188,434,000
108.2
1.45
1964
 
191,085,000
109.7
1.41
1965
 
193,460,000
111.1
1.24
1966
 
195,499,000
112.3
1.05
1967
 
197,375,000
113.3
0.96
1968
 
199,312,000
114.4
0.98
1969
 
201,298,000
115.6
1.00
1970
 
203,798,722
117.0
1.24
1971
 
206,817,509
118.8
1.48
1972
 
209,274,882
120.2
1.19
1973
 
211,349,205
121.4
0.99
1974
 
213,333,635
122.5
0.94
1975
 
215,456,585
123.7
1.00
1976
 
217,553,859
124.9
0.97
1977
 
219,760,875
126.2
1.01
1978
 
222,098,244
127.5
1.06
1979
 
224,568,579
128.9
1.11
1980
 
227,224,719
130.5
1.18
1981
 
229,465,744
131.8
0.99
1982
 
231,664,432
133.0
0.96
1983
 
233,792,014
134.2
0.92
1984
 
235,824,907
135.4
0.87
1985
 
237,923,734
136.6
0.89
1986
 
240,132,831
137.9
0.93
1987
 
242,288,936
139.1
0.90
1988
 
244,499,004
140.4
0.91
1989
 
246,819,222
141.7
0.95
1990
 
249,622,814
143.3
1.14
1991
 
252,980,941
145.3
1.35
1992
 
256,514,224
147.3
1.40
1993
 
259,918,588
149.2
1.33
1994
 
263,125,821
151.1
1.23
1995
 
266,278,393
152.9
1.20
1996
 
269,394,284
154.7
1.17
1997
 
272,646,925
156.6
1.21
1998
 
275,854,104
158.4
1.18
1999
 
279,040,168
160.2
1.15
2000
 
282,162,411
162.0
1.12
2001
 
284,968,955
163.6
0.99
2002
 
287,625,193
165.2
0.93
2003
 
290,107,933
166.6
0.86
2004
 
292,805,298
168.1
0.93
2005
 
295,516,599
169.7
0.93
2006
 
298,379,912
171.3
0.97
2007
 
301,231,207
173.0
0.96
2008
 
304,093,966
174.6
0.95
2009
 
306,771,529
176.2
0.88
2010
 
309,378,433
177.6
0.85
2011
 
311,841,632
179.1
0.80
2012
 
314,344,331
180.5
0.80
2013
 
316,735,375
181.9
0.76
2014
 
319,270,047
183.3
0.80
2015
 
321,829,327
184.8
0.80
2016
 
324,367,742
186.3
0.79
2017
 
326,623,063
187.5
0.70
2018
 
328,542,157
188.7
0.59
2019
 
330,233,102
189.6
0.51
2020
 
331,511,512
190.4
0.39
2021
 
332,031,554
190.7
0.16
2022
 
333,287,557
191.4
0.38
Source: Calculations by the United States Regional Economic Analysis Project (US-REAP)
with data provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis
November 2023
REAP_PI_SA1400_100_PN
 
   
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