INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana’s population swelled to just under 7 million residents last year — but international immigration accounted for most of the growth, according to a Thursday Indiana University analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.
The 44,144 residents added in 2024 represent Indiana’s largest one-year increase since 2008. The Hoosier state’s population totaled 6.92 million.
“While the size of Indiana’s growth in 2024 was similar to 2008, the drivers of change in these years were drastically different,” said Matt Kinghorn, senior demographer at IU’s Indiana Business Research Center, in a news release.
Natural increase — the difference between births and deaths — was 77% of the state’s growth in 2008, according to Kinghorn. But that’s flipped.
In 2024, net international immigration of 30,852 residents accounted for 70% of growth.
Net international migration is any change of residence across U.S. borders, per the Census Bureau. It includes those who are foreign-born; who are migrating between the U.S. and Puerto Rico; American citizens migrating to and from the U.S.; and military personnel movement between the U.S. and abroad.
The analysis found immigration particularly prominent in rural and mid-sized counties. The news comes as lawmakers and Gov. Mike Braun are cracking down on illegal immigration.
Read more of the Leslie Bonilla Muñiz story for the Indianapolis Capital Chronicle and Local News Digital, here.
