Louisiana Population Report Shows Major Shifts

(KNGT-FM) - How has Louisiana’s population changed over the past few years? A new report from AOL/Shreveport Times is breaking down where people are moving, which parishes are growing, and which areas are losing residents the fastest.

New data shows that Louisiana’s population is starting to change again, with some areas growing while others continue to lose people. A lot of the data used comes from our friends at World Population Review.

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Across the United States, population growth has slowed in many places between 2024 and 2025. Experts say this is because fewer people are moving into the country and more people are moving to different states.

After several years of decline, the state saw a small increase between 2024 and 2025, adding about 3,300 people. This growth came from people moving in and more births than deaths. However, about 14,400 more residents still left Louisiana for other states.

The population in Southwest Louisiana, especially in Cameron and Calcasieu Parishes, has been heavily impacted since Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020. Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed, forcing many families to move away and never return.

Photo By TSM M. Soileau

Fastest Growing Parishes in Louisiana

Ascension Parish
Tangipahoa
St. Tammany Parish
Lafayette Parish
Livingston Parish

Some parts of the state are losing people faster than others. Vernon Parish saw one of the biggest drops. The population went down by 988 people in just one year. That is a 2.1% decrease. Other parishes are also struggling with little or no growth. These include Cameron, Madison, Catahoula, Red River, and Morehouse parishes.