Michigan’s population loss will grow over the next 25 years unless birth trends change and more people start moving into the state.
A new report from the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics shows the state could lose 700,000 people by the year 2050. The lead analyst says there will be sustained and steepening loss as residents get older and fewer women have children.
Bridge Magazine reporter Mike Wilkinson, who wrote the article, said the big difference between Michigan and other states is more people are leaving the state.
“Other states that have losses where there are more deaths than births,” Wilkinson said. “Tennessee is one of them. They still get more people from other states, so it doesn’t appear on the net balance sheet that they’re losing population. In fact, they’re gaining it. Michigan’s problem is it has more deaths than births. Now that gap is going to increase, and it’s just not done a very good job of attracting people from other states like you see in the south or the mountain west or the west.”
Lower population could lead to fewer tax dollars coming into the state.
The governor’s office established the Growing Michigan Together Council last year to look at ways to bring more people to the state.
