evidence: As the state and nation recovered from the pandemic, the number of births returned to pre-pandemic levels and the number of deaths returned to pre-pandemic trends. An estimated 121,000 babies were born to North Carolina residents last year. This exceeded the 108,000 deaths during the same period. As a result, natural increase added a net 13,000 people last year – three times that experienced between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022. Since April 1, 2020, there was a net gain of only 20,000 people due to natural increase – accounting for just 5% of all population growth. [...] At the same time, international migration has recovered from the pandemic – adding a net 29,000 people during the previous year – slightly above the net gain in international migrants between 2021 and 2022.