Arkansas adds more than 10,000 people over past year

The population of Arkansas rose by 10,828 people to 3.01 million people, between 2017 and 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Since 2010, the population in the state has risen 3.4%, from 2.92 million, and ranked 29^th out of 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to the Arkansas Economic Development Institute.

The Census Bureau on Dec. 19 released the July 1, 2018, population estimates for the United States, each state and Washington, D.C. The U.S. population rose by 2.02 million people to 327.17 million people. Nevada and Idaho were the fastest growing states, with populations rising by about 2.1% in the past year. The population declined in nine states, including New York, Illinois, West Virginia, Louisiana and Mississippi.

“Many states have seen fewer births and more deaths in recent years,” said Sandra Johnson, a demographer/statistician in the population division of the Census Bureau. “If those states are not gaining from either domestic or international migration, they will experience either low population growth or outright decline.”

Of the 10,828 people added to the Arkansas population in the past year, more than half of the rise was a result of natural increase, and the addition of the other 4,735 people was a result of migration, according to the Arkansas Economic Development Institute. Domestic migration accounted for more than half of the net migration into Arkansas, while international migration accounted for 48%.

Nationwide, natural increase, which is the excess of births over deaths, was 1.04 million over the past year, resulting in 3.86 million births and 2.81 million deaths. Natural increase has steadily declined over the past decade as births have fallen and deaths have risen. In 2008, natural increase was nearly 1.8 million, according to National Center for Health Statistics.

The population in Arkansas surpassed 3 million for the first time in 2017.