NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. is experiencing modest population growth, according to the Census Bureau’s 2024 Census Survey report. This growth is attributed mostly to international migration which accounts for roughly 84% of the 3.3‑million increase. The impact is that migration to the U.S. is offsetting the historically low natural increases from births coupled with an aging native population.
While this growth is moderate, at just under 1%, the Census Bureau reports it is the fastest population growth in the last 23 years, surpassing 340 million in 2024. While most states reported moderate growth due to migration, Mississippi, Vermont, West Virginia, and New Mexico registered net population declines in 2024. Texas, Florida, and Arizona, on the other hand, have experienced the highest growth.
Brookings Institution demographer William Frey noted, “Immigration is now the backbone of U.S. population growth—without it, many regions would see declines.”
As with much of the country, the overall population growth in Louisiana was largely driven by international migration which offset declines caused by low birth rates, higher death rates, and domestic out-migration. Louisiana’s demographic statistics show that the immigrant population is relatively small overall at about 4.2% of residents. Most come from a few key countries including Honduras (18.8%), Mexico (13.6%), Vietnam (11.3%), Cuba (5.8%), and India (4.4%).
Domestic migration trends are reshaping the configuration within states, while many rural parishes continue to struggle with persistent population loss, in contrast, some Louisiana suburban areas near New Orleans and Baton Rouge have recorded slight population upticks.
Specifically, East Baton Rouge Parish grew by about 2,080 residents (a 0.5% increase) to roughly 453,020 people, and Jefferson Parish increased by about 1,600 residents (0.4%) to approximately 427,250. In addition, slight gains were noted in St. John the Baptist and St. Bernard parishes.
Parishes that have shown strong growth in recent years also continued to expand with Livingston Parish growing by about 2,320 residents (1.5%) to around 152,890, Ascension Parish increasing by 1.2% to about 133,530, St. Tammany Parish seeing a 0.7% rise to roughly 277,600, and Lafayette Parish registering the largest gain, adding about 3,760 residents (1.5%) to reach nearly 254,240.
While some of this growth may be attributed to the same international migration that is buoying growth in the rest of the nation, domestic shifts due to the availability of jobs may also be a driving factor as some parishes gain and others lose. Economic pressures and changing birth rates will continue to play critical roles and some parishes are more dramatically impacted than others.
According to a report by Jeff Adelson in Nola.com, recent estimates reveal that nearly two‑thirds of Louisiana parishes experienced population declines last year, losing almost 2,470 residents in just one year and over 20,000 since 2020. The city's population is now around 362,700 which is just 73% of its pre-Katrina level.
States with the highest population growth typically offer lower housing costs, fewer taxes, and strong job markets that attract both domestic and international migrants. California and New York are among the states that are shrinking, with net domestic losses over recent years. High housing costs and higher taxes have contributed to these declines.
Projections from the Congressional Budget Office and Pew Research Center suggest that by mid‑century the racial and ethnic makeup of the U.S. will continue to shift, with non‑Hispanic whites falling below 50% of the population by 2050.
For Louisiana, the challenge is two‑fold: reversing the trends in parishes that are losing residents and harnessing the potential benefits of immigration.
