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US State economic profile
Louisiana - Economic Profile
Statistics, economic information and rankings for the Pelican State
In 2026, the state of Louisiana has a population of 4,592,588, having declined an annualized -0.2% over the five years to 2026, which ranks it 49th out of all 50 US states by growth rate. Louisiana's gross state product (GSP) in 2026 reached $262.1b, with growth of 1.6% over the 5 years to 2026. Businesses in Louisiana employed a total of 2,243,083 people in 2026, with average annual employment growth over the past five years of 1.5%. The top three sectors by total employment are Manufacturing, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing, Healthcare & Social Assistance, while the unemployment rate across the state in 2026 was 4.8%.
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State economic profile
Louisiana Economic Overview
$262.1b
Gross state product
4,592,588
Population
428,311
Businesses
What is Louisiana's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
In 2026, Louisiana's GDP reached $262.1b, representing an increase of 1.6% from 2025. Louisiana's GDP has grown at an annualized rate of 1.5% over the five years to 2026. Moreover, Louisiana's trailing five-year GDP growth ranks it 39th out of all 50 US states.
State GDP, or Gross State Product, is a measurement of a state's output, or the sum of value added from all industries in the state. It is a common indicator used to track the health of a state's economy.
You can track trends in Louisiana's GDP, and compare them to the national average, using the chart below.
State economic profile
Louisiana Industry Trends
Learn about current trends affecting the most significant industries for Louisiana's state economy, down to the county level. IBISWorld offers state industry research reports on over 30,000 industries across all 50 states in the US, including 633 industries in Louisiana.
What are Louisiana's Largest Industries by Revenue?
The largest industries by revenue in Louisiana are Petroleum Refining, Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction and Public Schools, which generated $126.6b, $33.8b and $20.9b in 2026.
| Industry | 2026 revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Petroleum Refining | $126.6b |
| 2. | Oil Drilling & Gas Extraction | $33.8b |
| 3. | Public Schools | $20.9b |
| 4. | Gasoline & Petroleum Bulk Stations | $20.6b |
| 5. | Hospitals | $20.4b |
| 6. | Corn, Wheat & Soybean Wholesaling | $20.0b |
| 7. | New Car Dealers | $19.9b |
| 8. | Organic Chemical Manufacturing | $18.0b |
| 9. | Health & Medical Insurance | $17.4b |
| 10. | Plastic & Resin Manufacturing | $16.3b |
State economic profile
Top Companies in Louisiana
Learn about current trends affecting the top companies in Louisiana. IBISWorld offers benchmarking data and tools on over 5,000 companies in the US.
Top 10 Companies Headquartered in Louisiana by Employment
The largest companies by employment in Louisiana are State of Louisiana, Jefferson Parish and Walmart Inc., which employed 68,184, 40,645 and 37,465 people in 2026.
| Company | 2026 employment | Share of employment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | State of Louisiana | 68,184 | 3.0% |
| 2. | Jefferson Parish | 40,645 | 1.8% |
| 3. | Walmart Inc. | 37,465 | 1.7% |
| 4. | Fort Polk | 15,000 | 0.7% |
| 5. | Willis-Knighton Health System | 8,000 | 0.4% |
| 6. | Amazon.Com, Inc. | 8,000 | 0.4% |
| 7. | The Home Depot, Inc. | 6,133 | 0.3% |
| 8. | Exxon Mobil Corporation | 6,000 | 0.3% |
| 9. | Acousti Engineering Company Of Florida | 5,000 | 0.2% |
| 10. | City of Baton Rouge | 4,000 | 0.2% |
State economic profile
Louisiana Sector Statistics
In Louisiana, certain sectors drive a higher share of state GDP and employ more workers than others. However, simply looking at raw numbers doesn't always tell the whole story. Factoring in the current year growth percentage, in addition to the annualized growth percentage over the past five years, will give you a deeper understanding of the economic situation.
What is Louisiana's GDP by Sector?
The Manufacturing, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing and Healthcare & Social Assistance sectors contributed the most to Louisiana's GDP in 2026, representing a combined 44.3% of state GDP.
GDP trends by sector are an important indicator of which sectors are contributing the most value-add to the state economy, in addition to how the state economy is evolving over time.
| Sector | GDP | Growth 2026 | Annualized growth 2021-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 47,794,447,306 | 4.5% | 4.1% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing | 31,400,162,247 | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance | 23,915,285,873 | 3.8% | 4.0% |
| Retail Trade | 18,189,024,266 | 2.2% | 1.7% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 15,420,407,436 | 4.9% | 5.7% |
| Wholesale Trade | 12,025,327,983 | -0.6% | -0.6% |
| Finance & Insurance | 11,981,685,377 | 1.6% | 0.8% |
| Construction | 11,010,677,266 | -3.5% | -4.5% |
| Mining | 9,184,508,236 | -2.0% | -0.3% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 8,993,620,360 | 1.2% | 0.2% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 8,096,618,926 | 2.4% | 2.7% |
| Administration, Business Support and Waste Management Services | 7,216,552,719 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Utilities | 6,726,277,859 | 6.0% | 6.9% |
| Information | 5,115,562,920 | -1.3% | -0.6% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 4,541,568,888 | -1.6% | -0.8% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 3,800,734,395 | 4.4% | 4.9% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 3,343,661,145 | 6.5% | 7.2% |
| Educational Services | 2,751,640,606 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 1,450,888,817 | -0.5% | -3.2% |
What is Louisiana's Employment by Sector?
The Healthcare & Social Assistance, Retail Trade and Educational Services sectors contributed the most to employment in Louisiana in 2026, representing a combined 37.8% of state employment.
Employment trends by sector are an important indicator of which sectors are growing or contracting most rapidly relative to the state economy as a whole.
| Sector | Employment | Growth 2026 | Annualized growth 2021-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare & Social Assistance | 351,474 | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| Retail Trade | 264,339 | 1.0% | 1.3% |
| Educational Services | 233,179 | 1.3% | 1.7% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 211,878 | 0.6% | 2.7% |
| Construction | 192,829 | 1.5% | 2.2% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 159,192 | 1.6% | 2.0% |
| Administration, Business Support and Waste Management Services | 127,199 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Manufacturing | 120,637 | 0.6% | 1.7% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 118,991 | 2.2% | 3.1% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 94,462 | 0.7% | 2.3% |
| Finance & Insurance | 85,449 | 1.2% | 0.9% |
| Wholesale Trade | 75,512 | 0.5% | 1.5% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing | 69,900 | 1.6% | 2.8% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 43,955 | 3.0% | 6.2% |
| Mining | 40,169 | -1.9% | 2.8% |
| Information | 24,814 | 1.4% | 2.1% |
| Utilities | 20,713 | 0.7% | 0.0% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 8,391 | -0.3% | -1.8% |
State economic profile
Louisiana Employment Trends
2.2m
Employment
4.8%
Unemployment
What Employment Trends are Impacting Louisiana?
The state of Louisiana employs 2,243,083 people in 2026, which ranks it 24th out of all 50 US states. Employment in Louisiana has grown at an annualized rate of 2.0% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the national average of 1.7%. Major sectors by employment in Louisiana include Healthcare & Social Assistance, Retail Trade and Educational Services, which employed 351,474, 264,339 and 233,179 people in 2026, respectively. Louisiana's unemployment rate is 4.8% in 2026, which ranks it 35th out of all 50 US states. Louisiana's unemployment rate has trended downwards at a rate of -2.9% over the five years to 2026, overperforming the US economy as a whole.
Employment trends indicate the degree of tightness or slack in labor markets, in addition to the overall strength of an economy. Faster employment growth typically indicates a strong and growing economy, while lower unemployment tends to imply tightness in labor markets.
You can track unemployment trends in Louisiana, and compare them to the US economy, using the chart below.
$89.3k
Per capita disposable income
What is Louisiana's Per Capita Disposable Income?
Per capita disposable income, also known as disposable personal income (DPI), is the amount of money that the average person in an economy has available for spending and saving after accounting for income taxes. Louisiana's DPI in 2026 was $89.3k, compared to the US average of $156.5k, which places it 49th out of all 50 US states.
Disposable income is regarded as a key economic indicator as trends in disposable income are indicative of the level of aggregate demand, the state of labor markets and the financial strength of households.
You can track trends in Louisiana's per capita disposable income, and compare it to the US average, using the chart below.
State economic profile
Louisiana Construction & Building Trends
$8,840.1tn
Nonresidential construction
$3.6tn
Residential construction
13,764
Building permits
What can construction trends tell you about a state’s economy?
In Louisiana, non-residential construction was $8,840.1tn in 2026, which ranks it 24th out of all 50 US states. Residential construction was $3.6tn in 2026, which places Louisiana 10th out of all 50 US states. The number of building permits issued in Louisiana in 2026 was 13,764, representing a -7.0% annualized growth rate between 2021 and 2026.
Trends in the construction sector are important because it creates jobs, income and tax revenue for a state. In addition, construction sector activity impacts other sectors in its supply chain, including manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing, transportation, and real estate, rental and leasing services. Therefore, construction trends are important indicators of the health of an economy.
You can track trends in the number of building permits issued in Louisiana, and compare it to trends in the number issued in the United States as a whole, using the chart below.
State economic profile
Louisiana Population Statistics
Which Counties in Louisiana have the Largest Populations?
The counties with the highest populations in Louisiana are East Baton Rouge Parish, Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish, which had populations of 442,509, 407,427 and 347,870 people in 2026.
| Region | 2026 population | Annual growth 2021-26 | Share of population |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Baton Rouge Parish | 442.5k | -0.4% | 9.6% |
| Jefferson Parish | 407.4k | -1.1% | 8.9% |
| Orleans Parish | 347.9k | -1.5% | 7.6% |
| St. Tammany Parish | 284.4k | 1.0% | 6.2% |
| Lafayette Parish | 256.5k | 0.9% | 5.6% |
| Caddo Parish | 217.6k | -1.3% | 4.7% |
| Calcasieu Parish | 200.2k | -0.6% | 4.4% |
| Livingston Parish | 156.9k | 1.5% | 3.4% |
| Ouachita Parish | 155.9k | -0.3% | 3.4% |
| Tangipahoa Parish | 142.2k | 1.0% | 3.1% |
| Ascension Parish | 136.1k | 1.1% | 3.0% |
| Bossier Parish | 130.9k | 0.3% | 2.9% |
| Rapides Parish | 123.3k | -0.8% | 2.7% |
| Terrebonne Parish | 98.7k | -1.6% | 2.1% |
| Lafourche Parish | 92.7k | -0.8% | 2.0% |
| St. Landry Parish | 80.5k | -0.4% | 1.8% |
| Iberia Parish | 65.5k | -1.0% | 1.4% |
| Vermilion Parish | 56.9k | N/A | 1.2% |
| Acadia Parish | 55.5k | -0.6% | 1.2% |
| St. Martin Parish | 50.4k | -0.5% | 1.1% |
| St. Charles Parish | 48.9k | -1.1% | 1.1% |
| Lincoln Parish | 47.7k | -0.2% | 1.0% |
| St. Mary Parish | 45.1k | -1.4% | 1.0% |
| St. Bernard Parish | 44.8k | 0.3% | 1.0% |
| Washington Parish | 44.3k | -0.4% | 1.0% |
State economic profile
Louisiana Demographics
In Louisiana, 28.8% of the population has a Bachelors or higher. The largest ethnic group in Louisiana is White, accounting for 55.2% of the state's population.
Education level in Louisiana
| Education level | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Bachelors or higher | 28.8 |
| Other | 71.2 |
Race in Louisiana
| Race | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| White | 55.2 |
| Black | 31.6 |
| Hispanic | 8.6 |
| Other | 2.5 |
| Asian | 2.1 |
Louisiana State industry reports
IBISWorld State Industry Reports help you quickly understand how an industry performs at the state level compared with the national level, with accurate and unbiased industry information with a local focus. Use this collection to:
- Discover key local industry trends
- Identify threats and opportunities at the subnational level
- Inform your business strategies and planning
See our list of 633 Louisiana industry reports.
Other states to explore
Compare Louisiana’s economy with other states in the United States.
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