Below is the 2nd section from the recent Alaska Economic Update. To read the full report, visit the Alaskanomics What's New Section to the left of the post.
Population increases only 0.6% - The most recent Department of Labor estimate for Alaska's population is 736,399. That is a 0.6% increase in 2013 resulting from an additional 4,572 people. This is the smallest increase in the last 17 years. The period between 1994 and 1996 saw similarly low levels. In historical perspective, this is the 7th lowest rate of population change in the 68 years since the end of World War Two in 1945.
A majority of the growth is due to natural increase. There were 11,263 births reported and 3,843 deaths recorded for a natural increase of 7,420 people. This is very consistent with the last ten years. Where the variability comes from is the net of in and out migration of people internationally and from other parts of the U.S. Migration resulted in a net loss of -2,848 people. This again was the largest decrease since the 1994-1996 period. The driving factor is likely to be the relative improvement of the U.S. and world economy compared to Alaska.
The median age is 34, but that is one of the least common ages in the state. The distribution is heavily weighted on the young and older end. Of ages under 65, the fewest people are age 35 to 44. The male and female gap has also been narrowing over time with women now accounting for 48.3% of the population.
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