Florida’s population growth is modestly slowing as deaths outpace births, and as a rush of people moving from other states during the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
Still, with an estimated 22.25 million residents as of April 1, Florida continues to see population increases that are roughly equivalent to adding a city the size of Orlando each year, according to a state report released Tuesday.
The report by economists, sitting as what is known as the Demographic Estimating Conference, revised the state’s growth rate to 1.29 percent for the period through April 1, 2027. In December, the conference had estimated the growth rate at 1.41 percent.
Florida during the past two years saw an increase in people moving to Florida from states that maintained lockdown and health-safety measures longer than Florida because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But such gains have been offset by “fewer births and more deaths than previously forecast,” according to the report.
Florida Department of Health figures show that through June 22 this year, the state had totaled 106,000 deaths and 96,000 births.
The new estimates put the state on pace to annually add 294,756 net new residents in the next five years, or 808 a day. That is down from a December projection of 309,867 new residents annually, or 849 a day.
