(The Center Square) – California has seen the largest loss of inward migration among the 50 states this year, but still ranks first as the most populous state in the country, according to a report released Tuesday by the US Census. Office.

This year, California has lost nearly 367,300 residents via net migration, according to the Tuesday report. In total, the state’s population decreased by 0.7% between 2020 and 2021.

Despite these losses, California remains the most populous state in the nation, with an estimated population of more than 39.2 million as of July 2021, the report notes. The second most populous state is Texas, which has over 29.5 million people.

The report did not speculate on why California might experience population losses, but did note that nationwide population growth was slow this year.

According to the report, the country’s population grew by just 0.1% in 2021 – the lowest since the nation was founded. This slow growth can be attributed to declining international migration, declining fertility and increasing mortality due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, the report said.

“Population growth has been slowing for years due to declining birth rates and declining net international migration, while death rates are rising due to the country’s aging population,” said demographer Kristie Wilder. to the Population Division of the Census Bureau. in a report. “Now, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, that combination has resulted in a historically slow pace of growth.”

A report published earlier this month by the nonpartisan California Policy Lab found that the state is likely experiencing population losses due to a sharp drop in the number of people migrating to the state. According to the report, inflows to California fell 38% between March 2020 and September 2021, while outflows increased by 12%.

Due to population loss, California will lose a seat in Congress for the first time in history. The state will now have 52 seats in the House of Representatives up from 53.