United States · state

Louisiana population 2026

Q: What is the population of Louisiana in 2026?

The latest official figure is 4,618,189, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Louisiana would have about 4.6 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Louisiana has 4,618,189 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 3,311 more than a year earlier (+0.07%). It is 25th of the US’s 50 states and DC by population, home to 1.4% of the US’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 4.6 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Louisiana in numbers

Population: 4.6 million 1 July 2025
Change in a year: +0.07% +3,311 people
Change since 2020: −0.73% from 4.7 million
Share of the US: 1.4% 25th of 50 states and DC
Population density: 41per km² 111,921 km²
Births in the year: 52 thousand deaths: 49 thousand
International migration: +15 thousand net arrivals from abroad
Moves within the US: −14 thousand more people left than moved in

In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 2,774, 14,900 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 14,387 more people moved to the rest of the US than moved in.

That is about as many people as Panama (4.6 million).

Population of Louisiana by year

4.6M

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
2010	4,544,635
2011	4,576,244
2012	4,602,067
2013	4,626,040
2014	4,645,938
2015	4,666,998
2016	4,681,346
2017	4,673,673
2018	4,664,450
2019	4,658,285
2020	4,652,145
2021	4,628,595
2022	4,600,892
2023	4,598,777
2024	4,614,878
2025	4,618,189

Year	Population	Change	%
2025	4,618,189	+3,311	+0.07%
2024	4,614,878	+16,101	+0.35%
2023	4,598,777	−2,115	−0.05%
2022	4,600,892	−27,703	−0.60%
2021	4,628,595	−23,550	−0.51%
2020	4,652,145	−6,140	−0.13%
2019	4,658,285	−6,165	−0.13%
2018	4,664,450	−9,223	−0.20%
2017	4,673,673	−7,673	−0.16%
2016	4,681,346	+14,348	+0.31%
2015	4,666,998	+21,060	+0.45%
2014	4,645,938	+19,898	+0.43%
2013	4,626,040	+23,973	+0.52%
2012	4,602,067	+25,823	+0.56%
2011	4,576,244	+31,609	+0.70%

2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.

Louisiana among the US’s states

Full ranking →

States of the US by population
#
1	California	39,355,309	−0.02%	11.5%	98
2	Texas	31,709,821	+1.25%	9.3%	47
3	Florida	23,462,518	+0.84%	6.9%	169
4	New York State	20,002,427	+0.01%	5.9%	164
5	Pennsylvania	13,059,432	+0.10%	3.8%	113
6	Illinois	12,719,141	+0.13%	3.7%	89
7	Ohio	11,900,510	+0.34%	3.5%	113
8	Georgia (US State)	11,302,748	+0.88%	3.3%	76
9	North Carolina	11,197,968	+1.32%	3.3%	89
10	Michigan	10,127,884	+0.28%	3.0%	69
11	New Jersey	9,548,215	+0.44%	2.8%	501
12	Virginia	8,880,107	+0.69%	2.6%	87
13	Washington State	8,001,020	+0.92%	2.3%	47
14	Arizona	7,623,818	+0.89%	2.2%	26
15	Tennessee	7,315,076	+0.88%	2.1%	69
16	Massachusetts	7,154,084	+0.22%	2.1%	354
17	Indiana	6,973,333	+0.56%	2.0%	75
18	Missouri	6,270,541	+0.43%	1.8%	35
19	Maryland	6,265,347	+0.32%	1.8%	249
20	Colorado	6,012,561	+0.40%	1.8%	22
21	Wisconsin	5,972,787	+0.26%	1.7%	43
22	Minnesota	5,830,405	+0.57%	1.7%	28
23	South Carolina	5,570,274	+1.46%	1.6%	72
24	Alabama	5,193,088	+0.58%	1.5%	40
25	Louisiana	4,618,189	+0.07%	1.4%	41
26	Kentucky	4,606,864	+0.50%	1.3%	45
27	Oregon	4,273,586	+0.19%	1.3%	17
28	Oklahoma	4,123,288	+0.62%	1.2%	23
29	Connecticut	3,688,496	+0.38%	1.1%	294
30	Utah	3,538,904	+1.02%	1.0%	17
31	Nevada	3,282,188	+0.88%	1.0%	12
32	Iowa	3,238,387	+0.25%	0.9%	22
33	Arkansas	3,114,791	+0.60%	0.9%	23
34	Kansas	2,977,220	+0.40%	0.9%	14
35	Mississippi	2,954,160	+0.14%	0.9%	24
36	New Mexico	2,125,498	−0.06%	0.6%	7
37	Idaho	2,029,733	+1.44%	0.6%	10
38	Nebraska	2,018,006	+0.62%	0.6%	10
39	West Virginia	1,766,147	−0.07%	0.5%	28
40	Hawaii	1,432,820	−0.15%	0.4%	86
41	New Hampshire	1,415,342	+0.48%	0.4%	61
42	Maine	1,414,874	+0.46%	0.4%	18
43	Montana	1,144,694	+0.63%	0.3%	3
44	Rhode Island	1,114,521	+0.37%	0.3%	416
45	Delaware	1,059,952	+0.94%	0.3%	210
46	South Dakota	935,094	+0.86%	0.3%	5
47	North Dakota	799,358	+0.75%	0.2%	5
48	Alaska	737,270	+0.10%	0.2%	1
49	District of Columbia	693,645	+0.34%	0.2%	4,381
50	Vermont	644,663	−0.29%	0.2%	27
51	Wyoming	588,753	+0.35%	0.2%	2

Largest cities in Louisiana

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

New Orleans362,701
Baton Rouge227,470
Shreveport187,593
Metairie138,481
Lafayette121,374
Lake Charles76,070

Questions

What is the population of Louisiana in 2026?

The latest official figure is 4,618,189, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Louisiana would have about 4.6 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Is Louisiana’s population growing or shrinking?

It grew by 3,311 people (+0.07%) in the latest year, and has changed −0.73% since 2020. In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 2,774, 14,900 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 14,387 more people moved to the rest of the US than moved in.

How does Louisiana rank in the US?

Louisiana is 25th of the US’s 50 states and DC, with 1.4% of the people. California is the largest, with 39.4 million.

What is the population density of Louisiana?

About 41 people per km², on 111,921 km². Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer.

What is the largest city in Louisiana?

New Orleans, with about 363 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Louisiana population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/louisiana/

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