(The Center Square) – Minnesota’s population is steadily increasing, with international migration, births and domestic migration all playing a role.
This is according to Vintage 2025 population estimates, which were released by the U.S. Census Bureau and covered the period from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025.
Last year, the state added 33,000 residents. That is an increase of 0.57%. That was a decline from 2024’s increase of 44,000, but up significantly from the COVID-19 pandemic slump of 3,800 in 2020 and 3,500 in 2021.
Since 2020, Minnesota’s population has grown by 2.1%, performing better or comparably to nearby states like Michigan (0.55%), Iowa (1.48%), and Wisconsin (1.28%). The state has also outperformed the Midwest as a whole, which has grown by an average of 1.14% since 2020 and 0.35% in the past year.
Nationwide, population growth has been even stronger, averaging 3.08% since 2020 and 0.52% over the past year.
Unlike other states where international migration is largely fueling increases in population, Minnesota actually saw good growth on multiple fronts.
In its natural population change (deaths versus births), Minnesota saw an increase of 12,000. That is similar to past years.
The state also saw domestic migration increases, meaning more people are choosing to move to the state than are moving out. In 2025, that increase totaled 8,300. That was the first time Minnesota saw an increase in domestic migration in many years, with the largest decrease coming in 2022 with 17,100 more people leaving the state than entering.
Even as the state’s international immigrant community has been embroiled in controversy over widespread taxpayer-funded frauds, recent census figures have shown that Minnesota’s population increase in recent years was largely fueled by international migration.
For example, in recent years Minnesota total population growth versus international migration was:
• A net increase of 33,000 in 2025, with a net increase of 12,500 international migrants. That is 38%.
• A net increase of 44,400 in 2024, with a net increase of 33,400 international migrants. That is 75%
• A net increase of 25,400 in 2023, with a net increase of 24,800 international migrants. That is 98%.
• A net increase of 13,500 in 2022, with a net increase of 20,300 international migrants. That is more than 100%, partly due to significant domestic migration with more than 17,000 Minnesotans moving out of the state in 2022.
Census officials attributed the recent rise in international migration in part to changes in population-tracking methodology, while also noting a “historic” decline in international migration early in 2025 that likely contributed to the smaller increase from 2024 to 2025.
