The number of
licensed amateurs in the United States increased by about 1% from 2017 to 2018,
according to FCC statistics collected by Joe Speroni, AH0A, reaching a total of
755,430 at the end of the year. This number includes both additions of new
amateurs - more than 31,000 for the fifth year in a row, according to the ARRL
VEC - and reductions due to non-renewed licenses and deaths.
In addition, QRZnow.com reports that the Radio Amateurs of Canada says that country's ham population grew by nearly 7000 in 2018, including more than 1750 new licensees, the largest number of new hams in Canada in four years.