Colorado's population will grow to nearly 8 million by 2040, state officials predict

DENVER – Colorado’s population will continue to grow in the coming years but at a slightly slower rate than it has been, the Colorado Demography Office predicts.

The state’s population was approximately 5.54 million in July 2016, marking an increase of 1.68 percent since July 2015 -- the 7th biggest growth rate in the country.

Officials expect that rate to slowly decline over the next several decades, dropping to slightly more than 1 percent by 2030. That steady growth will push Colorado’s population to almost 8 million people by 2040.

The state demography office predicts that migration to Colorado will be responsible for 57 to 59 percent of the population growth during that time.

Colorado’s population growth has been fairly steady since 2000, when the growth rate dropped by about half. The average rate of growth during the 1990s was close to 3 percent. The 1970s also saw a growth rate close to 3 percent, while growth dropped below current levels in the 1980s.