California lost more than 50,000 residents last year, according to a report released Friday by the state’s Department of Finance, as officials pointed to changes in migration patterns and housing trends impacting overall population levels.

The department described the decline as a “slight” drop, noting it represented less than one-seventh of 1% of the state’s total population.

In a press release, officials attributed a significant portion of the slowdown in growth to changes in legal international migration, which they said were influenced by federal policy shifts.

The report found that legal international migration fell sharply, dropping from 248,400 people in 2024 — the highest level since 2018 — to 126,400 in 2025, a decrease of more than 50%.

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State officials said that without those changes, California’s population would have grown by an estimated 66,000 residents.

“Net legal international migration has been a significant driver of California’s overall population, offsetting declines in natural increase — the net number of births and deaths — and net domestic migration from California,” officials said in the release.

Despite the report’s findings, Gov. Gavin Newsom offered a different characterization during a Friday appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” where he stated, “We’ve also seen the last three year population growth — we’ve got to update our talking points.”

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The data shows uneven population changes across the state’s largest regions.

Four of California’s ten largest cities experienced population declines last year, including Los Angeles, which saw a 0.9% decrease.

Los Angeles County, with a population of 9.8 million, declined by 0.6%, making it the largest county to lose residents.

Overall, the state’s ten largest counties, which account for 72% of California’s population, saw a combined loss of approximately 52,000 residents.

At the same time, some areas of the state recorded population growth.

Sacramento County added roughly 9,000 residents, while regions such as Riverside and San Bernardino continued to see modest increases, reflecting a broader trend of population movement toward inland areas.

Placer County recorded the fastest growth rate at 1.39%, followed by Yuba County at 1.24% and San Benito County at 0.69%.

Among major cities, Sacramento grew by 1.3%, adding 6,809 residents, while San Diego increased by 10,102 residents, a 0.7% gain.

Statewide, 148 cities reported population increases, while 333 cities experienced declines.

Housing production was also highlighted in the report as a contributing factor.

California added 115,165 housing units in 2025, representing a 0.77% increase. That figure was lower than the 0.84% growth recorded the previous year.

A portion of the new housing units came from accessory dwelling units, which accounted for 29,710 additions.

However, those gains were partially offset by losses from wildfires, including the Eaton and Palisades fires, which destroyed 11,160 housing units.

The report also drew reactions from political figures and organizations.

Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for governor, criticized the governor’s public statements following the report’s release.

“This shows that Newsom was blatantly lying to Bill Maher on Friday night, when he claimed California’s population was actually increasing,” Hilton said.

“His own statistics show the opposite!”

Corrin Rankin, chairwoman of the California Republican Party, also commented on the population trends.

“Californians are not leaving because Washington finally started enforcing the law,” Rankin said.

“They are leaving because Sacramento made this state too expensive, too unsafe, and too hard to build a future.”

Nick Poche, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, also addressed the issue, stating, “Gavin Newsom is only losing his mind because President Trump is taking away his biggest supporters.”

The Department of Finance report reflects ongoing shifts in California’s population, with declines in some regions and growth in others, as officials continue to assess the factors influencing migration, housing, and demographic trends across the state.

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