Census: Population growth slows as New York, California, Illinois see steep declines
December 21, 2021 | California, Illinois, New York
New York, California and Illinois saw the largest declines in population due to outmigration in 2020, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data, as overall population growth slowed to the lowest levels since the nation’s founding.
The U.S. added only 392,665 people between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021 – about a 0.1% increase – when accounting for births, deaths and international migration.
“Population growth has been slowing for years because of lower birth rates and decreasing net international migration, all while mortality rates are rising due to the aging of the nation’s population,” Kristie Wilder, a demographer in the Population Division at the Census Bureau, said in a statement. “Now, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this combination has resulted in a historically slow pace of growth.”
