Hawai'i's population grew an estimated 0.7 percent per year from July 1, 2000, to July 1, 2009, a slight decrease from the previous decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released yesterday.

From 1990 to 1999, the state population grew at an annual rate of 0.9 percent.

The estimate was part of the last set of census data drawing from the 2000 census.

An analysis of that data, by Eugene Tian, research and statistics officer at the Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism, found that Hawai'i's population increase was due to natural growth — an average of 18,303 births per year versus 9,046 deaths — and by international migration.

According to Tian, Hawai'i continued to lose residents to the Mainland, with a net loss of 3,225 people per year. That was offset by an average of 4,101 people migrating to Hawai'i from foreign countries.

The slowdown in overall population growth in the state was due in part to slower growth on the Neighbor Islands, Tian noted.

Maui County experienced its slowest annual population growth rate (0.5 percent) since 1968.

Hawai'i County's population grew at a rate of 0.8 per year, its slowest rate in 10 years.

Honolulu County grew by 0.5 percent in 2009, the same as the previous year. Kaua'i County recorded the state's highest rate of growth in 2009 at 1.0 percent.

The population share per county in 2009 remained the same as the previous year. Honolulu accounted for 70.1 percent of the total state population, followed by the Big Island (13.7 percent), Maui (11.2) and Kaua'i (5.0).