Alabama Recorded More Deaths Than Births in 2020 for 1st Time in State History

A horse drawn carriage carrying the body of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) prepares to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge as people on the street pay their respects in Selma, Ala., on July 26, 2020. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The state of Alabama recorded more deaths than births in 2020, according to preliminary data gathered by state officials.

“This past year, 2020, is going to be the first year that we know of in the history of our state where we actually had more deaths than births. Our state literally shrunk,” Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama’s state health officer, told a COVID-19 town hall on Sept. 17.