California’s population drops for the first time in history

Population decline comes as Governor Gavin Newsom faces recall over his COVID response and high taxes.

California’s population fell by more than 182,000 people in 2020, marking the first year-over-year loss ever recorded for the nation’s most populous state. State officials announced on Friday that California’s population dipped 0.46 percent to just under 39.5 million people from January 2020 to January 2021. The news comes one week after the US Census Bureau announced a paltry population growth for California, resulting in the state losing a congressional seat for the first time because it grew more slowly than other states over the past decade.