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Background: Thirteen of Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. Two of the most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment, and rapid advances in technology.


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Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

Geographic coordinates: 38 00 N, 97 00 W

Map reference: North America

Area
Total: 9,833,517 km²
Land: 9,147,593 km²
Water: 685,924 km²
Note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia, no overseas territories
Comparative: about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union
Country comparison total: 12,002 km
Country comparison border countries: (2) Canada 8,891 km; (including 2,475 km; with Alaska) Mexico 3,111 km
Country comparison note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28.5 km

Land boundaries
Total: 12,002 km
Border countries: (2) Canada 8,891 km; (including 2,475 km; with Alaska) Mexico 3,111 km
Note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28.5 km

Coastline: 19,924 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: not specified

Climate: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Note: many consider Denali, the highest peak in the US, to be the world’s coldest mountain because of its combination of high elevation and its subarctic location at 63 degrees north latitude; permanent snow and ice cover over 75 percent of the mountain, and enormous glaciers, up to 45 miles long and 3,700 feet thick, spider out from its base in every direction; it is home to some of the world’s coldest and most violent weather, where winds of over 150 miles per hour and temperatures of -93˚F have been recorded.

Terrain: vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii

Elevation
Highest point: Denali 6,190 m (Mount McKinley) (highest point in North America)
Lowest point: Death Valley (lowest point in North America) -86 m
Mean elevation: 760 m
Note: the peak of Mauna Kea (4,207 m above sea level) on the island of Hawaii rises about 10,200 m above the Pacific Ocean floor; by this measurement, it is the world's tallest mountain - higher than Mount Everest (8,850 m), which is recognized as the tallest mountain above sea level

Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land
Note: the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total

Land use
Agricultural land: 44.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 16.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 27.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 33.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 22.2% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 234,782 km² (2017)

Major rivers
By length in km: Missouri - 3,768 km; Mississippi - 3,544 km; Yukon river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) - 3,190 km; Saint Lawrence (shared with Canada) - 3,058 km; Rio Grande river source ( mouth shared with Mexico) - 3,057 km; Colorado river source (shared with Mexico [m]) - 2,333 km; Arkansas - 2,348 km; Columbia river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) - 2,250 km; Red - 2,188 km; Ohio - 2,102 km; Snake - 1,670 km
By length in km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Gulf of Mexico) Mississippi* (3,202,185 km²); Rio Grande (607,965 km²); (Gulf of Saint Lawrence) Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 km² total, US only 505,000 km²); Pacific Ocean drainage: Yukon* (847,620 km², US only 23,820 km²); Colorado (703,148 km²); Columbia* (657,501 km², US only 554,501 km²)
Note: watersheds shared with Canada shown with *

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 58.39 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 209.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 176.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 3.07 trillion m³ (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development
Volcanism: volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands; both Mauna Loa (4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pavlof (2,519 m) is the most active volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to air travel since the area constitutes a major flight path between North America and East Asia; St. Helens (2,549 m), famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today; numerous other historically active volcanoes exist, mostly concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii; they include: in Alaska: Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna, Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell, Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof; in Hawaii: Haleakala, Kilauea, Loihi; in the Northern Mariana Islands: Anatahan; and in the Pacific Northwest: Mount Baker, Mount Hood; see note 2 under 'Geography - note'

Geography
Note 1: world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Denali (Mt. McKinley) is the highest point (6,190 m) in North America and Death Valley the lowest point (-86 m) on the continent
Note 2: the western coast of the United States and southern coast of Alaska lie along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire
Note 3: the Aleutian Islands are a chain of volcanic islands that divide the Bering Sea (north) from the main Pacific Ocean (south); they extend about 1,800 km westward from the Alaskan Peninsula; the archipelago consists of 14 larger islands, 55 smaller islands, and hundreds of islets; there are 41 active volcanoes on the islands, which together form a large northern section of the Ring of Fire
Note 4: Mammoth Cave, in west-central Kentucky, is the world's longest known cave system with more than 650 km (405 miles) of surveyed passageways, which is nearly twice as long as the second-longest cave system, the Sac Actun underwater cave in Mexico -- the world's longest underwater cave system (see 'Geography - note under Mexico)
Note 5: Kazumura Cave on the island of Hawaii is the world's longest and deepest lava tube cave; it has been surveyed at 66 km (41 mi) long and 1,102 m (3,614 ft) deep
Note 6: Bracken Cave outside of San Antonio, Texas is the world's largest bat cave; it is the summer home to the largest colony of bats in the world; an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October making it the world's largest known concentration of mammals
Note 7: three food crops are generally acknowledged to be native to areas of what is now the United States: cranberries, pecans, and sunflowers


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Population
Distribution: large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western tier states; mountainous areas, principally the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian chain, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prarie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on the city of Anchorage - and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu
Total: 341,963,408
Male: 168,598,780
Female: 173,364,628 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 0.67% (2024 est.)

Nationality
Noun: American(s)
Adjective: American

Ethnic groups: White 61.6%, Black or African American 12.4%, Asian 6%, Indigenous and Alaska native 1.1%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.2%, other 8.4%, two or more races 10.2% (2020 est.)
Note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or South American origin living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (White, Black, Asian, etc.); an estimated 18.7% of the total US population is Hispanic as of 2020

Languages: English only 78.2%, Spanish 13.4%, Chinese 1.1%, other 7.3% (2017 est.)
Note: data represent the language spoken at home; the US has no official national language, but English has acquired official status in 32 of the 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii, and 20 indigenous languages are official in Alaska

Religions: Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.6%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don't know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.1% (male 31,618,532/female 30,254,223)
15-64 years: 63.4% (male 108,553,822/female 108,182,491)
65 years and over: 18.5% (2024 est.) (male 28,426,426/female 34,927,914)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 53.7
Youth dependency ratio: 28
Elderly dependency ratio: 25.6
Potential support ratio: 3.9 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 38.9 years (2022 est.)
Male: 37.8 years
Female: 40 years

Population growth rate: 0.67% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 12.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: 3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western tier states; mountainous areas, principally the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian chain, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prarie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on the city of Anchorage - and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu

Urbanization
Urban population: 83.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 18.937 million New York-Newark, 12.534 million Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, 8.937 million Chicago, 6.707 million Houston, 6.574 million Dallas-Fort Worth, 5.490 million WASHINGTON, D.C. (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution; large emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; declining natural freshwater resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; deforestation; mining; desertification; species conservation; invasive species (the Hawaiian Islands are particularly vulnerable)
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Protocol

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 7.18 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 5,006.3 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 685.74 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 27 years (2019 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 21 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 5.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 78.7 years
Female: 83.1 years

Total fertility rate: 1.84 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 73.9% (2017/19)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 99.9% of population
Unimproved rural: 0.3% of population
Unimproved total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: 0.1% of population

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 99.8% of population
Improved rural: 98.9% of population
Improved total: 99.7% of population
Unimproved urban: 0.2% of population
Unimproved rural: 11.1% of population
Unimproved total: 0.3% of population (2020 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 36.2% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 8.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 3.97 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 1.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 3.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 23% (2020 est.)
Male: 28.4% (2020 est.)
Female: 17.5% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 0.4% (2017/18)

Education expenditures: 6.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 17 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 7.9% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 8.7% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 7.1% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment


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Country name
Conventional long form: United States of America
Conventional short form: United States; abbreviation: US or USA
Etymology: the name America is derived from that of Amerigo VESPUCCI (1454-1512) - Italian explorer, navigator, and cartographer - using the Latin form of his name, Americus, feminized to America

Government type: constitutional federal republic

Capital
Name: Washington, DC
Geographic coordinates: 38 53 N, 77 02 W
Time difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
Note: the 50 United States cover six time zones
Etymology: named after George WASHINGTON (1732-1799), the first president of the United States

Administrative divisions: 50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Dependent areas

Independence: 4 July 1776 (declared independence from Great Britain); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

Constitution
History: previous 1781 (Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union); latest drafted July - September 1787, submitted to the Congress of the Confederation 20 September 1787, submitted for states' ratification 28 September 1787, ratification completed by nine of the 13 states 21 June 1788, effective 4 March 1789
Amendments: proposed as a 'joint resolution' by Congress, which requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by at least two thirds of the state legislatures; passage requires ratification by three fourths of the state legislatures or passage in state-held constitutional conventions as specified by Congress; the US president has no role in the constitutional amendment process; amended many times, last in 1992

Legal system: common law system based on English common law at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law, except Louisiana, where state law is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative acts

International law organization participation: withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: no, but the US government acknowledges such situtations exist; US citizens are not encouraged to seek dual citizenship since it limits protection by the US
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (since 20 January 2021)
Head of government: President Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (since 20 January 2021)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president, approved by the Senate
Elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by the Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)
Election results: 2020: Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. elected president; electoral vote - Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 306, Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 232; percent of direct popular vote - Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. 51.3%, Donald J. TRUMP 46.9%, other 1.8%; 2016: Donald J. TRUMP elected president; electoral vote - Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 304, Hillary D. CLINTON (Democratic Party) 227, other 7; percent of direct popular vote - Hillary D. CLINTON 48.2%, Donald J. TRUMP 46.1%, other 5.7%
Note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Congress consists of: Senate (100 seats; 2 members directly elected in each of the 50 state constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia and Louisiana which require an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years), House of Representatives (435 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia which requires an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 2-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024), House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)
Elections results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 51, Republican Party 49; composition - men 75, women 25, percentage women 25%, House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 222, Democratic Party 213; composition - men 305, women 126, percentage women 29.2%; total US Congress percentage women 28.4%
Note: in addition to the regular members of the House of Representatives there are 6 non-voting delegates elected from the District of Columbia and the US territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands; these are single seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term (except for the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico who serves a 4-year term); the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegates last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 3 November 2024)

Judicial branch
Highest courts: US Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices - the chief justice and 8 associate justices)
Judge selection and term of office: president nominates and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints Supreme Court justices; justices serve for life
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (includes the US Court of Appeal for the Federal District and 12 regional appeals courts); 94 federal district courts in 50 states and territories
Note: the US court system consists of the federal court system and the state court systems; although each court system is responsible for hearing certain types of cases, neither is completely independent of the other, and the systems often interact

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party, Republican Party

International organization participation: ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Quad, SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UPU, USMCA, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, and friendship, red symbolizes courage, zeal, and fervency, while white denotes purity and rectitude of conduct; commonly referred to by its nickname of Old Glory
Note: the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

National symbols: bald eagle; national colors: red, white, blue

National anthem
Name: 'The Star-Spangled Banner'
Lyrics/music: Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH
Note: adopted 1931; during the War of 1812, after witnessing the successful American defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore following British naval bombardment, Francis Scott KEY wrote the lyrics to what would become the national anthem; the lyrics were set to the tune of 'The Anacreontic Song'; only the first verse is sung

National heritage
Total world heritage sites: 26 (13 cultural, 12 natural, 1 mixed)
Note: includes one site in Puerto Rico
Selected world heritage site locales:


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Economy overview: high-income, diversified North American economy; NATO leader; largest importer and second-largest exporter; home to leading financial exchanges; high and growing public debt; rising socioeconomic inequalities; historically low interest rates; hit by COVID-19

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $24.662 trillion (2023 est.); $24.051 trillion (2022 est.); $23.594 trillion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 2.54% (2023 est.); 1.94% (2022 est.); 5.8% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $73,600 (2023 est.); $72,200 (2022 est.); $71,100 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 68% (2022 est.)
Government consumption: 13.9% (2022 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.3% (2022 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.6% (2022 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 11.6% (2022 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -15.4% (2022 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.9% (2021 est.)
Industry: 17.7% (2021 est.)
Services: 76.7% (2021 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: maize, soybeans, milk, wheat, sugarcane, sugar beets, chicken, potatoes, beef, pork (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries: highly diversified, world leading, high-technology innovator, second-largest industrial output in the world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

Industrial production growth rate: 3.25% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 170.549 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 3.63% (2023 est.); 3.65% (2022 est.); 5.35% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 7.9% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 8.7% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 7.1% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $5.038 trillion (2022 est.)
Expenditures: $6.306 trillion (2022 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 12.18% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt: 110.39% of GDP (2022 est.)
Note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.12% (2023 est.); 8% (2022 est.); 4.7% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$818.822 billion (2023 est.); -$971.594 billion (2022 est.); -$831.453 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $3.052 trillion (2023 est.); $3.018 trillion (2022 est.); $2.567 trillion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: Canada 16%, Mexico 15%, China 8%, Japan 4%, UK 4% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, natural gas, cars, integrated circuits (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $3.832 trillion (2023 est.); $3.97 trillion (2022 est.); $3.409 trillion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: China 18%, Canada 14%, Mexico 14%, Germany 5%, Japan 4% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: crude petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, garments, computers (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $773.426 billion (2023 est.); $706.644 billion (2022 est.); $716.152 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:
Note 1: the following countries and territories use the US dollar officially as their legal tender: British Virgin Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Timor Leste, Turks and Caicos, and islands of the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba)
Note 2: the following countries and territories use the US dollar as official legal tender alongside local currency: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama
Note 3: the following countries and territories widely accept the US dollar as a dominant currency but have yet to declare it as legal tender: Bermuda, Burma, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Somalia


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 1.201 billion kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 4.128 trillion kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 15.758 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 56.97 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 204.989 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 59.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 18% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 4.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources wind: 10.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 5.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 1.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Production: 548.849 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Consumption: 476.044 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Exports: 80.081 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 5.788 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 248.941 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 20.879 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 20.246 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 38.212 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 1.029 trillion m³ (2022 est.)
Consumption: 914.301 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Exports: 195.497 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Imports: 85.635 billion m³ (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 13.402 trillion m³ (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 4.941 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 938.649 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 2.26 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 1.742 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 284.575 million Btu/person (2022 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 91.623 million (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 372.682 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 3.4% of GDP (2024 est.); 3.2% of GDP (2023); 3.3% of GDP (2022); 3.5% of GDP (2021); 3.6% of GDP (2020)

Military and security forces: United States Armed Forces (aka US Military): US Army (USA), US Navy (USN; includes US Marine Corps or USMC), US Air Force (USAF), US Space Force (USSF); US Coast Guard (USCG); National Guard (Army National Guard and Air National Guard) (2024)
Note 1: the US Coast Guard is administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy
Note 2: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority; the US military also maintains reserve forces for each branch
Note 3: US law enforcement personnel include those of federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice, the 50 states, special jurisdictions, local sheriff’s offices, and municipal, county, regional, and tribal police departments
Note 4: some US states have 'state defense forces' (SDFs), which are military units that operate under the sole authority of state governments; SDFs are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state; most are organized as ground units, but air and naval units also exist

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for voluntary service for men and women; no conscription (currently inactive, but males aged 18-25 must register with Selective Service in case conscription is reinstated in the future); maximum enlistment age 34 (Army), 42 (Air Force/Space Force), 39 (Navy), 28 (Marines), 31 (Coast Guard); 8-year service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active duty (Navy), 4 years active duty (Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Space Force) (2024)
Note 1: the US military has been all-volunteer since 1973, but an act of Congress can reinstate the draft in case of a national emergency
Note 2: all military occupations and positions open to women; in 2022, women comprised 17.5% of the total US regular military personnel
Note 3: non-citizens living permanently and legally in the US may join as enlisted personnel; they must have permission to work in the US, a high school diploma, and speak, read, and write English fluently; minimum age of 17 with parental consent or 18 without; maximum age 29-39, depending on the service; under the US Nationality Act, honorable service in the military may qualify individuals to obtain expedited citizenship; under the Compact of Free Association, citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands may volunteer; under the Jay Treaty, signed in 1794 between Great Britain and the US, and corresponding legislation, Native Americans/First Nations born in Canada are entitled to freely enter the US and join the US military

Space program

Terrorist groups: Hizballah; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa'ida; Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 99 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 7,249
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 889.022 million (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 42,985,300,000 (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: N

Airports: 15,873 (2024)

Heliports: 7,914 (2024)

Pipelines: 1,984,321 km natural gas, 240,711 km petroleum products (2013)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 6,586,610 km
Paved: 4,304,715 km (includes 76,334 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 2,281,895 km (2012)

Waterways: 41,009 km (2012) (19,312 km used for commerce; Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, is shared with Canada)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: the US admitted 25,465 refugees during FY2022, including: 7,810 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 4,556 (Syria), 2,156 (Burma), 1,669 (Sudan), 1,618 (Afghanistan), 1,610 (Ukraine)
Stateless persons: 47 (2022)

Illicit drugs: world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center