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Population in Illinois Declined by More than 45K Last Year

Illinois’ population decreased in 2018 by more than 45,100 residents, second largest statewide decline in the U.S., according to the Illinois Policy Institute.

The figure is based on a U.S. Census Bureau report on national population trends, which was released in late December.

The institute said the population decline, the state’s highest in recent history, came in the year following the passage of a record-setting, permanent income tax increase.

The institute reported that more than 114,000 Illinois residents moved to other states from July 2017 to July 2018.

In addition, the birthrate in the state is declining.

Illinois is projected to lose one or two of its 18 seats in U.S. House of Representatives following the 2020 Census if the rate of population loss continues, the Illinois Policy Institute said.

Highlights of the Census Bureau data include:

• Illinois’ population shrank by 45,100 people
• 114,154 Illinoisans left for other states on net
• Illinois loses 1 resident every 4.6 minutes to other states
• None of Illinois’ neighboring states saw population losse
• Illinois has had one of the most severe declines in births in recent years
• Since 2010, Illinois has had the worst population loss in the nation, in raw terms
• Illinois’ population loss over the last five years is equivalent to losing the entire city of Joliet, Naperville or Rockford (the third-, fourth- and fifth-largest cities in the state respectively)
• Over the past year, states with a progressive income tax lost 293,000 people to other states, while states with no income tax gained 339,000 residents from other states

Source: Illinois Policy Institute