California Reports First Ever Yearly Population Decline

A person wears a protective mask as he walks in front of the skyline on Bernal Heights Hill during the coronavirus pandemic in San Francisco, Calif., on Dec. 7, 2020. Jeff Chiu/AP Photo

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—California’s population fell by more than 182,000 people in 2020, marking the first year-over-year loss ever recorded for the nation’s most populous state.

State officials announced Friday that California’s population dipped 0.46 percent to just under 39.5 million people from January 2020 to January 2021.