Indiana’s population grew by 34,800 between July 2008 and July 2009, an increase of only 0.54 percent over the previous year and well below the national rate of 0.86 percent, in what Indiana University’s Business Research Center (BRC) is calling the state’s smallest annual population increase since 2004, when Indiana added 32,700 residents.

By contrast, the state’s average population growth between 2005 and 2008 was 43,500, according to a statement released on Wednesday the BRC.

BRC is attributing the slowdown in growth to the staggering economy, which in turn is impacting migration. “Indiana had a net domestic migration loss of 6,800 residents between 2008 and 2009,” the statement said. “This was the state’s second largest annual net out-migration of domestic residents this decade, behind the 2002 figure of nearly 13,000. Job losses and high unemployment are the most likely causes for this domestic out-migration.”

A total of 23 states experienced a net out-migration of domestic residents between 2008 and 2009, the BRC said, including Florida and Nevada, which had experienced significant domestic in-migration for much of the decade.

Even so, a net in-migration of 9,200 international residents to Indiana offset those domestic losses and produced a positive net migration of 2,400 in 2009, the BRC noted. Ten states—including neighboring Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan—had negative net migration in 2009.

Fully 94 percent of Indiana’s 2009 population growth is attributable to natural increase, that is, more births than deaths, the BRC said. There were 88,700 births recorded in the state between 2008 and 2099, the third highest tally this decade.

The U.S. population grew by 2.6 million between 2008 and 2009 to bring the nation’s total population to 307 million. Sixty-eight percent of the nation’s growth last year was attributable to natural increase, while 32 percent to international migration.

Other highlights from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2009 national and state population estimates:

•With its 0.54 percent population increase, Indiana was the 35th fastest among all states. The Midwest region as a whole recorded an increase of 0.36 percent.

•Indiana was the 16th most populous state as of July 1.

•Indiana’s population grew by 5.6 percent between 2000 and 2009. This rate ranks fourth fastest among the 12 Midwest states and exceeds neighboring Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio.

•Indiana experienced a net in-migration of 71,600 residents since 2000. Only four other Midwest states—Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota—registered positive net migration over this period.

•Michigan (-32,800), Maine (-1,400), and Rhode Island (-300) were the only states to lose population between 2008 and 2009. Michigan’s population decline was driven by a net migration loss of 71,900 residents. With a mark of -24,400 Ohio had the nation’s second greatest net migration loss.

•Texas added 3.9 million residents between 2000 and 2009 to lead all states, followed by California (3.1 million) and Florida (2.6 million).

•Nevada is the nation’s fastest growing state since 2000 with a 32 percent population growth. Arizona and Utah round out the top three with increases of 29 percent and 25 percent respectively.

•Since 2000, population growth in the West (13.2 percent) and the South (13.1 percent) region continued to outpace the Midwest (3.8 percent) and the Northeast (3.2 percent).

For more information visit www.stats.indiana.edu/topic/population.asp