As we usher in the new year, the global population is on the verge of reaching a significant milestone, surging past eight billion individuals, with an increase of 75 million people this year alone, reports the Associated Press.

This year's world population growth hovered just under 1 percent, projecting an average of 4.3 births and two deaths per second at the turn of the year, as projected by the US Census Bureau.

In contrast, the US population growth rate in the past year stood at 0.53 percent, indicating slower growth compared to the international rate. The country's population is expected to hit 335.8 million at the onset of the New Year, having increased by 1.7 million individuals.

Demographic expert William Frey from the "Brooking Institute" suggests that if the current growth rate continues through the decade's end, it might mark the slowest population growth in US history. The projected growth rate from 2020 to 2030 is anticipated to fall below 4 percent.

Comparatively, the lowest US population growth occurred in the fourth decade of the last century, during the Great Depression's aftermath, with a growth rate of 7.3 percent.