New Census Bureau population estimates show that international migration fell in every state in 2025. In some places, this decrease in international migrants effectively cut total population growth in half. In Oregon, that anemic growth is now hard to miss (0.2% in 2024–2025), and it’s happening at the same time natural change is slipping into the red as deaths outpace births.
As natural growth weakens, migration carries a greater share of the total population growth. But the migration “engine” is getting less reliable, and Oregon’s longstanding trend of net in-migration has already downshifted dramatically since 2020.
Click through to come with us as we unpack what’s driving these trends across the West (CA, CO, OR, WA), why a continued decline in international migration could tip us from slow growth into actual decline, and what it means for local economies, fiscal capacity, and long-range planning.
ECO will continue to interpret population and economic data as it is released and help you understand what the data mean for your community’s resilience.