More than 40,000 new people started calling Alabama their “Sweet Home” last year, and most of them came from outside of the U.S., according to a recent report from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA).

Alabama gained 40,026 new residents over the one-year period from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2024, according to estimates PARCA collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

This is the second largest one-year increase in population the state has seen in over a decade, following the previous year, and the 24th highest in the nation.

This number represents an 0.8% increase in the state population in just a year, which was the 22nd fastest growth rate among states.

Alabama was home to 5,157,699 people as of July 1, 2024, according to the new Census estimates.

Deaths continued to exceed births (59,273 over 57,541) in 2024, according to the estimates. This is a trend that began in 2020 with the arrival of Covid-19 and has persisted thanks to an aging population and a smaller rising generation producing few babies, PARCA reports.

“Due to a range of negative health indicators, Alabama’s resident population has a shorter life expectancy than other states, resulting in a higher death rate,” the report reads.

“Alabama’s birth rate is higher than the U.S. average, but trails states with younger populations and higher levels of international immigration, both of which are associated with more births.”

International immigration into Alabama increased from 2023 to 2024 (12,995 to 15,763), while the number of residents coming from other states decreased in that same period (29,946 to 26,028) as part of a national trend of slowing domestic migration, according to Census estimates.

“Nationally, international immigration drove population change with 2.8 million new residents coming to the U.S. from abroad during the 2024 estimate period,” PARCA reported.

“The highest number of international migrants arrived in Florida (411,322), California (361,057) and Texas (319,569). Alabama has one of lowest rates of international in-migration in the U.S. (ranking No. 43). Despite that, the state did see an increase in new arrivals compared to 2023.”

“Both the 2023 and 2024 totals for international immigration are about double the average number of arrivals between 2010 and 2020. And far exceed the levels seen during the first Trump administration and the record lows during the pandemic.”

Many of the fastest-growing states in the nation are in the South, with Texas and Florida leading the way by a large margin.

Texas added over 560,000 people, and Florida over 460,000. California (232,500) and North Carolina (164,800) were next.