The principal migratory movements have been an influx of southern blacks after the Civil War and, more recently, the rapid growth of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, coupled with shrinkage in the population of the District itself. Between 1950 and 1970, the District suffered a net loss from migration of as much as 260,000, much of it to Maryland and Virginia; there was, however, an estimated net inflow of 87,000 blacks in this period. Net emigration totaled between 150,000 and 190,000 during the 1970s, and roughly 23,000 more during 1981–83.
From 1985 to 1990, the District had a net loss from migration of over 30,000. Between 1990 and 1998, there was a net loss of 139,000 in domestic migration and a net gain of 28,000 in international migration. In 1998, 2,377 foreign immigrants arrived in Washington, D.C. The District's overall population decreased 13.8% between 1990 and 1998. In the period 1995–2000, 113,029 people moved into the state and 158,360 moved out, for a net loss of 45,331.