On the eve of the 2010 Census, as the Census Bureau prepares to conduct an actual count of the nation’s population, the bureau projects that on Jan. 1, 2010 — three months out from Census Day — the total U.S. population will be 308,400,408.

 This would represent an increase of 2,606,181, or 0.9 percent, from New Year’s Day 2009.

     In January 2010, one birth is expected to occur every eight seconds in the United States and one death every 12 seconds.

     Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person every 37 seconds to the U.S. population in January 2010, resulting in an increase in the total U.S. population of one person every 14 seconds.

     The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to distribute congressional seats to states and used to allocate more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year. The 2010 Census questionnaire will be one of the shortest in history and consists of 10 questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. It’s safe, it’s easy, it’s important. For more information, visit <http://2010.census.gov/2010census>.