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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana’s population swelled to almost 7 million residents last year—but international immigration accounted for most of the growth, according to an Indiana University analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data released Thursday.
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.
Seventeen of the state’s 23 rural counties—which aren’t part of federally designated metropolitan or micropolitan areas—grew last year.
They netted about 1,550 residents through in-migration, but collectively recorded a natural decrease: 716 more deaths than births.
“As in rural Indiana, growth in the state’s mid-sized counties has been driven exclusively by a net in-migration of residents,” the analysis reads.
Indiana’s 25 mid-sized counties, known as micropolitan areas, had a net inflow of 3,289 residents. But they recorded a natural population decrease of 588.
Urban areas led growth, however.
The 44 Indiana counties that are part of a metropolitan area combined to add 40,667 residents in 2024, accounting for 92% of the state’s growth that year. They posted net in-migration of 30,281 residents—and a natural population increase of 10,463.
In total, 73 of the state’s 92 counties grew last year. This is the largest number of Indiana counties to show an annual population increase since 1997, Kinghorn said.
Of them, 75 had more people move in than out. But just 30 had more births than deaths, according to the analysis.
Chalkbeat Indiana is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
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Great News!!!
The corollary is that with no International Immigration and Indiana will shrink.
I suspect like a lot of things that have changed since Jan 20th, next years story will be a lot different and we won’t be “winning”.
Young people!!! Make babies!!!!
Young person in a dual income no kids situation, here! It’s not a great time to have babies. 1. Her life could be put in jeopardy should she have a complication that requires an abortion. 2. Childcare is incredibly expensive and would be a necessity for us. 3. Once the kid would enter school, we’d need to deal with the government affecting their ability to learn through limiting access to diverse view-points, an accurate portrayal of our country’s history, and the potential challenges that they’ll need to contend with in a warming planet. 4. Speaking of a warming planet, life is going to be very difficult in 50-100 years and it’s going to be our kids who have to navigate that.
All in all, not a lot of points in favor of having babies these days! Maybe the government should do something about that instead of taking rights away and banning books.