Illinois’ population is growing older with fewer working age people than before, according to the latest U.S. Census data released Thursday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker told members of Congress earlier this month the state is growing.
“Our population is increasing,” Pritzker said June 12, during a U.S. House hearing on states with migrant sanctuary policies. “We have a higher population as a result of the Census that was done in 2020.”
While the state did see a gain of nearly 68,000 people from 2023 to 2024, Illinois has lost nearly 89,000 people since 2020. Data released Thursday also show there are fewer people under 18 with the 65 and older population growing.
Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski said that spell trouble for Illinois.
“Fewer young people coming up in the pipeline that take jobs and pay taxes. Our workforce is shrinking,” Dabrowski told The Center Square. “Wow. We better dramatically change our policies and flip the dynamics of our state, or we're going to be in massive trouble.”
As the final Vintage 2024 Population Estimates data to be revealed, Thursday’s release from the U.S. Census Bureau also shows the racial makeup of the state, and demographic data for male, female and age.
In 2024, there were more women than men in Illinois, 51 percent to 49 percent. The median age has increased from 38.6 years old in 2020 to 39.4 years old in 2024. The national median age is 39.1, up 0.6 years since 2020.
The Census shows that across the country, older adults outnumbered children in nearly half of U.S. counties in 2024, including in counties across Illinois. While there are counties in Illinois where that is reflected, statewide, at nearly 2.7 million Illinoisans 18 and under, that compares to 2.2 million Illinoisans over the age of 65.
Across the country, the Census shows the U.S. population age 65 and older rose by 3.1 percent while the population under age 18 decreased by 0.2 percent from 2023 to 2024. Illinois numbers reflect that for the same timeframe with Illinoisans 65 and up increasing by 62,500 and those 18 and under decreasing by 26,800.
Since 2020, there are more than 172,000 fewer Illinoisans 18 and under. That number is surpassed only by California with 485,000 fewer 18 and under and New York with 230,000 fewer 18 and under. By percent of decline over four years, California had a 5.45 percent decline, New York had a 5.47 percent decline and Illinois had a 6 percent decline in the number of people 18 and under.
Dabrowski said that’s not good news.
“Very worrisome is that we have fewer working age people, so all of those things are going to work against the state,” Dabrowski said.
Data shows there were fewer Illinoisans under the age of 18 across all demographics, and fewer 45 to 64 year olds than there were four years ago. Drilling down further, there were 12,000 fewer 35 to 39 year olds in 2024 than in 2020.
“It's not only that, we're losing our wealthy people and we're gaining very poor people,” Dabrowski said. “And, from a tax base perspective and from a workforce perspective, from a, you know, a productivity perspective, it's very dangerous for Illinois.”
One demographic where the state gained is the Hispanic and Asian populations, which increased 217,000 combined since 2020. The American Indian and Alaskan Native population increased by more than 7,500 over four years. The Asian population in Illinois increased by more than 93,000. The Hispanic population increased by more than 124,000.
There are 187,000 fewer white Illinoisans than in 2020, as well as 31,000 fewer Blacks in the Land of Lincoln.
Illinois’ total population is 12,710,158 in 2024, up from 12,642,259 in 2023. The population for Illinois in 2020 was 12,799,088.
This article was first published in the Center Square. Read the originalhere.
