California sees population growth for third consecutive year after pandemic-era exodus

"But that doesn't mean people weren't continuing to leave the state. In fact, the state would have experienced a population loss if not for new births and international arrivals offsetting those departures. Between 2024 and 2025 more Californians moved out of the state than people from other states moved in - a deficit of approximately 216,000 residents. Between 2023 and 2024, that number was 140,000."

"The report pointed to the Trump administration's termination of most humanitarian migration programs as a factor in slowing California's population growth. "In 2025, most of the humanitarian migration programs were terminated," the Department of Finance wrote. "As a result, net international migration for 2024-25 declined to ... approximately half of the 2023-24 level." California's population growing seemed to be a permanent feature until the pandemic, when the California exodus became the state's first years of population decline, ever."

California's population grew by about 19,200 people, a 0.05% increase from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, remaining below the pre-pandemic peak. Domestic migration showed a net outflow of roughly 216,000 residents between 2024 and 2025, up from a 140,000 deficit the prior year. New births and international arrivals offset the domestic losses, preventing an overall decline. Termination of most humanitarian migration programs in 2025 reduced net international migration for 2024-25 to about half the 2023-24 level. Los Angeles County lost about 28,000 residents, and slower growth is likely as deaths return to long-term trends.

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