Utah is the nation's seventh-fastest-growing state with a population that rose by 1.6 percent over the past year to an estimated 2.39 million, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The nation's population grew by 1 percent to an estimated 293.7 million from July 1, 2003, to July 1, 2004, according to the census population estimates.

Utah's population growth is the continuation of a trend fueled largely by a high birth rate and a strong economy, said Robert Spendlove, manager of demographic and economic analysis at the Governor's Office of Budget and Planning. Since 2000, the census has shown a 7 percent increase in Utah's population, Spendlove said.

"One of the big reasons Utah has high population growth is our natural increase. A lot of people are having children," he said. "In 2004, there were over 50,000 births in the state of Utah, which is an all-time record."

Spendlove said Utah is also seeing an influx of workers. In 2004, Utah's employment grew by 2.5 percent, compared to 1 percent nationwide, he said. Last year, Utah saw a net gain of 18,367 people from out of state, Spendlove said.

Despite Utah's strong growth, Nevada, which ranks 35th in population, continued toward surpassing Utah, which ranks 34th. With a population of 2.33 million, Nevada had just 54,268 people fewer than Utah, according to the estimates.

Nevada, which grew by 4.1 percent, was the nation's fastest-growing state, followed by Arizona, which grew by 3 percent. Idaho and New Mexico also made the top 10.

The 10 fastest-growing states, which accounted for nearly half of the nation's population growth, were all in the West or South. The West, which grew by 1.5 percent, was the fastest-growing region. The South had the largest numerical population increase of 1.5 million and the largest total population.

The South now accounts for 36 percent of the nation's population; the West is 23 percent; the Midwest is 22 percent; and the Northeast, 19 percent.

Janis Houston, senior policy analyst at the University of Utah's Center for Public Policy and Administration, said much of Utah's growth from outside can be attributed to immigration, and she expects the state's population to continue to diversify. The state is seeing a continued influx of immigrants from Latin America and also is a refugee state, she said.

"The racial composition and ethnic composition is going to continue to change," Houston said. "Ethnic minorities also tend to have large families, as well. We have quite a significant amount of international migration."

The census estimates are used in a formula for distributing federal funds to states.

Spendlove said estimates by the Utah Population Estimates Committee show a 2004 population estimate of 2.47 million for Utah, which is an increase of 2.3 percent over the previous year.

Spendlove said different methods are used for the different sets of estimates, and while the census numbers are "very valid for federal funding and ranking states, we feel (state estimates) are a more accurate representation of Utah-specific population growth."

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