California’s Projected Population Growth Revised Downward: Declining Latino Birthrate is Major Factor

The California state Finance Department projects 51 million more people in the state by the year 2040, 7 million fewer than projected. The lower rate of growth is due to several factors, including a reduced birth rate among all racial and ethnic groups, but especially among Latinas, who have almost half of California’s babies. While seven million less people is a decline, the state’s population will still increase by about 50%, necessitating infrastructure and other projects to keep up with it all. Experts Mary Heim, chief of the California state Finance Department’s demographic research unit. and Hans Johnson, a demographer with the Public Policy Institute of California join host Larry Mantle do discuss the issue.

The California state Finance Department projects 51 million more people in the state by the year 2040, 7 million fewer than projected. The lower rate of growth is due to several factors, including a reduced birth rate among all racial and ethnic groups, but especially among Latinas, who have almost half of California’s babies. While seven million less people is a decline, the state’s population will still increase by about 50%, necessitating infrastructure and other projects to keep up with it all. Experts Mary Heim, chief of the California state Finance Department’s demographic research unit. and Hans Johnson, a demographer with the Public Policy Institute of California join host Larry Mantle do discuss the issue.