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# The incredible shrinking state
- URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-population-decline-2040-south/
- Published: 2026-08-31T01:37:03.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-31T01:37:03.000Z
- Author: JR Ball
- Tags: News

Louisiana's population is projected to shrink by **153,837** people by 2040—a 3.3% decline, according to new [projections](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-americas-population-change-by-state-2040/?ref=redeyebr.com) from the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.

**Why it matters:** The South is booming. Louisiana isn't invited. While the region as a whole is set to add 16.7 million people—nearly 78% of the nation's total growth through 2040—Louisiana is headed the other direction, watching its neighbors fill up as its own numbers empty out.

**By the numbers:**

- **Texas** alone is projected to add 6.56 million residents by 2040 (+20.7%)—more than any other state in the country
- **Arkansas** grows too, adding 100,277 residents (+3.2%)
- **Mississippi** shrinks faster than Louisiana, down 138,951 people (-4.7%)
- **Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia** are the only three Southern states projected to lose population, combining for a loss of more than 440,000 people
- **California**, at 39 million-plus residents, is losing people more slowly than Louisiana despite having nearly nine times the population

**The bottom line:** Between the coastline and the Census Bureau, Louisiana can't catch a break. The insane part: The state keeps following its same, unique blueprint and hoping for a different result.