By T.A. DeFeo
(The Center Square) — Georgia saw its population increase by 1.1% from 2022 to 2023, though new numbers show the rate of its increase trailed that of several neighboring states.
According to the latest estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau, Georgia’s population stood at more than 11 million people in 2023, up from 10.9 million in 2022. Census numbers show that the state’s population has grown more than 2.9% since 2020.
Neighboring South Carolina (1.7%), Florida (1.6%) and North Carolina (1.3%) saw their populations increase at a higher rate than Georgia, while the Peach State’s population outpaced that of Alabama (0.7%). Overall, Georgia saw its population increase by 116,077 residents in 2023.
“Georgia continues to meet the needs of both employees and job creators as we welcome the incredible job growth we’ve seen over the past several years,” Republican Gov. Brian Kemp said in an unrelated release last month announcing the launch of the Technical College System of Georgia’s Labor Exchange Platform.
While the state saw its “net natural change” — the net number of births and deaths — increase by 27,817 in 2023, its net migration increased by 88,325. The state’s international migration population increased by 30,119, and its domestic migration increased by 58,206.
However, Georgia saw its domestic migration drop by roughly 27.8% in 2023 from a year earlier — from 80,599 in 2022 to 58,206 in 2023.
Between April 1, 2020, and July 1, 2023, Georgia’s net domestic migration increased by 185,752 people, the seventh most nationwide. Census numbers show six of the 10 states with the highest net domestic migration during the timeframe were in the southeast, while Arizona, Texas, Idaho and Oklahoma accounted for the remaining states atop the list.
