Recent research from LSU Demographer Tim Slack found that three in four Louisiana parishes saw more deaths than births from 2020 to 2022. Slack says overall the state’s population declined by 67,000 during that time period.
“The reason this is especially notable is that fertility has been the state’s population engine. When considered next to the better-known state population trend of out-migration this represents a double whammy for our state, that sets us up loss on balance.”
Between 2020 and 2022, Louisiana had the fourth-largest population loss in the country. Slack says the state had the fifth-highest overall death rate during that time period, with only 414 more births than deaths.
“You have to think about all the deaths related to COVID. We had a lot of deaths related to gun violence. Louisiana has not been immune to the overdose epidemic.”
Slack says urban areas and suburban parishes in south Louisiana are exceptions, as they are seeing more births than deaths. The same goes for the Fort Polk area, Bossier Parish, and Lincoln Parish.
He says some of the parishes where deaths outnumber births by more than ten percent, Webster, Morehouse, Winn, Franklin, LaSalle, Iberville, and Pointe Coupee parishes. Slack says it’s a significant problem.
“If we’re losing those folks, that has an impact on communities, economies, leadership positions, and industry and public life. On down to tax bases, and the economy and so forth.”
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