Maine deaths outnumber births in last year
The latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show Maine had more deaths than births for the first time in recent history, joining only West Virginia among states that saw natural population declines from July 2011 to July 2012.
The estimates issued Thursday show Maine had 103 more deaths than births, a trend that state officials and economists say forewarns of challenges for Maine's hospitals, rural communities, schools and businesses.
The Bangor Daily News reported that Charlie Colgan, chairman of the Muskie School of Public Service's Community Planning and Development Program, projected the number of deaths outpacing births in the state to happen about three or four years later.
Colgan says it's unlikely that the state can make up for its increasingly older population by migration from other states or countries alone.
The latest census figures show Maine had a net increase of migrants to the state of 859, all coming from international migration. Domestic migration saw a net loss of 261 people. As a result of international migration, the state saw a net increase in population of 648 people.
Nationally, births still far outpace deaths by nearly 1.5 million, but census demographer Ben Bolender told the BDN that the natural population gain has been slowly declining in recent years.
While Maine was one of only two states to see a net natural decrease in population, West Virginia saw a steeper natural decrease of 1,606.
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