Is New Mexico's population growing or shrinking?
Updated annually
It declined by 1,300 between 2024 and 2025, one of 5 states to lose population. Changes in population reflect birth and death rates, immigration patterns, regional shifts, and even the overall health of the economy. New Mexico’s -0.06% annual decrease was primarily driven by people moving to other states. In the decade between 2015 and 2025, New Mexico’s population grew by 1.4%.
-1.28K
population change (2024 to 2025)
-0.06%
percent change in population (2024 to 2025)
Since 2000, New Mexico's population increased in 21 of 25 years. The largest increase occurred between 2005 and 2006, when it gained 29,900 residents. The state's largest decline during the 21st century occurred between 2021 and 2022 when it lost 4,400 residents.
New Mexico lost 1,300 residents between 2024 and 2025.
Annual population change
A state’s population is influenced by three factors:
- Natural population change: If births outnumber deaths in a given year, natural population growth is positive. If deaths exceed births, it is negative. Between 2024 to 2025 natural population change was negative in New Mexico, with deaths exceeding births by 1,900.
- Immigration: international migration directly into or out of a state. If more people move in than move out, population change from immigration is positive. If more people move out than move in, it’s negative. New Mexico’s population change from immigration was positive, with about 2,900 more people coming from another country to New Mexico than leaving.
- Domestic migration, moving between states: New Mexico’s population change from domestic migration was negative, with about 2,300 more people leaving for another state than moving in.
Between 2024 and 2025, domestic migration was the primary driver of population decline in New Mexico.
Components of population change
Among 32 county equivalents, Sandoval County had the largest population growth in New Mexico, welcoming 1,814 new residents. Bernalillo County lost the most, with a loss of 825 residents. County-level population data is available as of 2024.
Lea County led New Mexico in percent population increase between 2023 and 2024 at 2.2 percent. Quay County ranked last with a 1.8 percent decline.
Between 2023 and 2024, Lea County gained 2.2% in population, the largest increase in New Mexico.
Population change
Between 2015 and 2025, New Mexico’s population has increased by 1.4%. During that same period, the US population grew by 6.2%. New Mexico ranks 39th among states in population growth over that decade.
New Mexico ranked 39th in population growth between 2015 and 2025.
Percent change in population
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
