Illinois continues to purge its population.
In new estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday, Illinois’ population was just over 12.6 million people as of July 1st. That’s down nearly a full percentage point or just over 113,000 people since the official 2020 census.
According to the Census Bureau, several factors contributed to the change, but the single largest issue was people simply moving out of the state. According to the data, over 122,000 people moved from Illinois to other states during the period from April 1, 2020, to July 1st while only 5,766 people moved in.
Those losses were offset by a net gain of 5,766 people through international migration as well as a “natural” increase of 2,778 people. According to the State Journal Register, the state’s numbers are reflective of a broader national trend f decreased international migration, lower birth rates and increased mortality, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the data, Illinois had the third largest population decline of all the states in the country.