According to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau, the country will be 312.8 million people strong to kick off 2012.

That’s an increase of 2.25 million people since the start of 2011, and just over 4 million since Census Day in April 2010.

The Bureau says one birth is expected every eight seconds in the U.S. this coming January, with one death every 12 seconds. Add in one international immigrant every 46 seconds, and the Bureau predicts a net increase in the total U.S. population of one person every 17 seconds next month.