(The Center Square) – For the ninth consecutive year, Illinois lost population and the losses are accelerating.

Overall, the United States grew by 0.4% over the past year that ended July 1. That’s 1.25 million additional people for a total of nearly 333.3 million nationwide.

Most of the states grew, with Florida and Texas leading the way in the latest U.S. Census estimates released Dec. 22. Eighteen states saw negative net migration. Behind only California and New York, Illinois was third-worst for people leaving the state.

Illinois had more births than deaths in the year that ended July 1, and more inbound international migration. But domestic migration saw the state lose 141,600. For the year that ended July 1, Illinois lost 110,000 on net.

“Not good numbers for the state, and continued rejection of the policies that we’ve seen from here, and it’s important to note that our neighboring states, with the exception of Michigan, they all grew,” Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski told The Center Square.

The total net loss for Illinois in the past year equates to around the size of Peoria or Springfield.

When looking at the annual estimate change from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2022, Illinois’ population went from 12.8 million to 12.5 million, a decline of more than 230,513.

It’s not just the annual estimates that show Illinois’ decline accelerating. There’s continued IRS migration data, or moving companies that have Illinois high on the list for outbound moves.

Another Census number released earlier this month was the poverty rate. Illinois’ edged up from last year to 12.1%. Dabrowski said Illinois is spiraling.

“We’re putting more and more people on food stamps, more people on Medicaid, so we’re creating more dependency and creating less jobs, and that combination is a disaster, which is one of the reasons why people will just leave the state,” he said.