Recently there have been updates on the demographics of Utah for 2025
and projections for the future. The updates are provided at the
following two websites:
Utah’s population growth is slowing down. Here’s how it compares with
other states | KSL.com by Carter Williams, Jan. 27, 2026. Discussing a
recent U.S. Census Bureau report
Utah 2065: Long-Term Planning Projection (Vintage 2025) – Kem C.
Gardner Policy Institute Nov. 2025
The following provides a few of the key findings with some comparisons
to previous population numbers.
Utah gained nearly 36,000 new residents between July 1, 2024, and July
1, 2025, representing a growth rate of 1%, according to U.S. Census
Bureau data released on Jan. 27, 2026. That’s nearly a full percentage
point below its growth rate in 2024, but still strong enough to remain
one of the five fastest-growing states in the country.” (In 2024 Utah
added 50,392 residents. Policy Brief February 2025 State and County
Population Estimates for Utah: 2024 Authored by Emily Harris, Senior
Demographer, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.)
As the KSL article states “What Utah is experiencing is not all that
different from what other states are experiencing. The entire U.S.
population grew by 0.5% last year, a half-percentage point behind the
previous year.”
“With births and deaths remaining relatively stable compared to the
prior year, the sharp decline in net international migration is the main
reason for the slower growth rate we see today,” said Christine Hartley,
assistant division chief for estimates and projections for the Census
Bureau.
For the United States, federal demographers reported, “Net
international migration plummeted from 2.7 million in 2024 to 1.3
million in 2025, and it’s expected to drop to approximately 321,000 in
2026.” If the trend persists “the U.S. may reach negative net migration
for the first time in over 50 years.” (New Population Estimates Show
Historic Decline in Net International Migration, Population Estimates
Program Staff, U.S. Census Bureau, January 27, 2026.)
“Last year was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that net
migration didn’t surpass natural growth. Rising housing costs could be a
factor in the growth “moderation” that Utah is experiencing, as could
other factors leading to fewer people moving in, state experts
explained.” (From KSL Report)
The report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of
Utah in Nov. 2025 provides a wealth of population data and projections
for the future. Their long-term planning projections indicate the state’s
population “will increase from nearly 3.6 million residents to 5.6 million
by 2065, an increase of 2 million people, or the approximate size of
Idaho today.”
The Feb. 27 UPEC blog on the Great Salt Lake discusses many of the
challenges that face the Great Salt Lake. If the Great Salt Lake becomes
an increasingly harmful environmental concern, this could decrease the
future growth in Utah.
In Summary: Utah is still growing rapidly, but there has been a recent
decline in population growth. Variables such as the current decrease in
international migration and components such as housing costs and the
health of the Great Salt Lake will help determine Utah’s growth in the
future.
Due to numerous factors, the Utah Population and Environment Council
encourages decreasing population growth in Utah. But not at the cost of
people’s lives and welfare. A future blog will further explore the
broader issues relating to the decrease in international migration.