The Gem State grew by 12,000 from 2011 to 2012. But that was one-eighth of 1 percent, the smallest annual increase in 20 years, the Idaho Department of Labor said Thursday of newly released U.S. Census data.

About 85 percent of rural counties had a net loss: 28 out of 33 counties lost population, with 5,600 more people moving out than in.

Four years of consecutive losses for rural counties: That’s significant. There hasn’t been such an exodus from rural Idaho since the recessions of the 1980s, labor officials say.

Just three of 11 urban counties had net gains: Ada, Canyon and Kootenai counties offset out-migration from the other seven urban counties, growing by about 13,000. Urban counties are home to almost 66 percent of the state’s 1.5 million residents.

Did Ada and Canyon counties grow? Yes to both. Ada County grew by just under 2 percent to more than 409,000 residents, while Canyon County grew by 1.32 percent to about 193,888 residents.