New York continues to lead the country in population loss and outmigration, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. 

The Empire State saw the largest annual numeric and percent decline in its population between July 2021 and July 2022, dropping by 180,341 people. Overall, that's a 0.9% decrease in people living in New York, the bureau reported. 

Net domestic migration accounted for much of the decline in the state's population, with New York losing 299,557 to other states. 

New York in the last two years has seen a sharp drop in its population, losing more than 400,000 people during that time. 

The state has for generations struggled to retain residents to other states, a trend that worries the business community. 

"The continuation of the Empire State Exodus is a crisis that demands immediate attention and action," said Justin Wilcox, the executive director of Upstate United, a pro-business organization. "This troubling trend will continue until Governor Hochul and legislative leaders enact meaningful tax relief and pro-growth reforms. We need to get our economy moving – not our people." 

Population decline can have political ramifications, too. The state is set to lose a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after New York's population did not grow as fast as many other states.