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US State economic profile
Mississippi - Economic Profile
Statistics, economic information and rankings for the Magnolia State
In 2026, the state of Mississippi has a population of 2,939,488, having declined an annualized -0.1% over the five years to 2026, which ranks it 48th out of all 50 US states by growth rate. Mississippi's gross state product (GSP) in 2026 reached $127.2b, with growth of 1.8% over the 5 years to 2026. Businesses in Mississippi employed a total of 1,138,144 people in 2026, with average annual employment growth over the past five years of 1.3%. The top three sectors by total employment are Manufacturing, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing, Retail Trade, while the unemployment rate across the state in 2026 was 4.2%.
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State economic profile
Mississippi Economic Overview
$127.2b
Gross state product
2,939,488
Population
208,158
Businesses
What is Mississippi's Gross Domestic Product (GDP)?
In 2026, Mississippi's GDP reached $127.2b, representing an increase of 1.8% from 2025. Mississippi's GDP has grown at an annualized rate of 1.9% over the five years to 2026. Moreover, Mississippi's trailing five-year GDP growth ranks it 28th 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 Mississippi's GDP, and compare them to the national average, using the chart below.
State economic profile
Mississippi Industry Trends
Learn about current trends affecting the most significant industries for Mississippi'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 629 industries in Mississippi.
What are Mississippi's Largest Industries by Revenue?
The largest industries by revenue in Mississippi are Petroleum Refining, Hospitals and Commercial Banking, which generated $32.3b, $12.1b and $9.3b in 2026.
| Industry | 2026 revenue | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Petroleum Refining | $32.3b |
| 2. | Hospitals | $12.1b |
| 3. | Commercial Banking | $9.3b |
| 4. | New Car Dealers | $8.9b |
| 5. | Health & Medical Insurance | $7.6b |
| 6. | Electric Power Transmission | $7.5b |
| 7. | Meat, Beef & Poultry Processing | $5.4b |
| 8. | Gas Stations with Convenience Stores | $5.3b |
| 9. | Pharmacies & Drug Stores | $5.1b |
| 10. | Iron & Steel Manufacturing | $4.9b |
State economic profile
Top Companies in Mississippi
Learn about current trends affecting the top companies in Mississippi. IBISWorld offers benchmarking data and tools on over 5,000 companies in the US.
Top 10 Companies Headquartered in Mississippi by Employment
The largest companies by employment in Mississippi are State Of Mississippi, Walmart Inc. and North Mississippi Health Services, which employed 32,000, 26,441 and 7,200 people in 2026.
| Company | 2026 employment | Share of employment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | State Of Mississippi | 32,000 | 2.8% |
| 2. | Walmart Inc. | 26,441 | 2.3% |
| 3. | North Mississippi Health Services | 7,200 | 0.6% |
| 4. | Amazon.Com, Inc. | 7,000 | 0.6% |
| 5. | University of Mississippi | 6,091 | 0.5% |
| 6. | Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. | 5,000 | 0.4% |
| 7. | Sanderson Farms, Incorporated | 4,603 | 0.4% |
| 8. | Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation | 3,659 | 0.3% |
| 9. | The Home Depot, Inc. | 3,067 | 0.3% |
| 10. | Toyota Motor Corp | 2,400 | 0.2% |
State economic profile
Mississippi Sector Statistics
In Mississippi, 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 Mississippi's GDP by Sector?
The Manufacturing, Real Estate & Rental & Leasing and Retail Trade sectors contributed the most to Mississippi's GDP in 2026, representing a combined 43.7% 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 | 18,836,355,334 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing | 17,030,301,149 | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| Retail Trade | 11,282,702,997 | 4.1% | 3.3% |
| Healthcare & Social Assistance | 10,914,165,227 | 3.7% | 4.2% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 5,936,977,157 | 7.8% | 8.4% |
| Finance & Insurance | 5,535,117,375 | 0.6% | -0.6% |
| Wholesale Trade | 5,452,745,617 | -0.8% | -1.3% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 4,785,198,559 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 4,321,713,658 | -0.9% | -1.6% |
| Utilities | 4,204,917,953 | 5.9% | 6.2% |
| Administration, Business Support and Waste Management Services | 3,925,879,391 | 2.9% | 2.4% |
| Construction | 3,331,890,859 | -1.6% | -2.7% |
| Information | 2,987,438,733 | 1.3% | 0.4% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 2,467,372,607 | 1.2% | 0.2% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2,362,410,943 | -1.8% | -1.0% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,034,933,903 | 3.7% | 4.6% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 911,875,767 | 8.7% | 7.9% |
| Educational Services | 824,594,298 | 1.7% | 2.8% |
| Mining | 624,092,423 | -6.5% | -6.6% |
What is Mississippi's Employment by Sector?
The Healthcare & Social Assistance, Retail Trade and Manufacturing sectors contributed the most to employment in Mississippi in 2026, representing a combined 43.4% 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 | 188,871 | 1.8% | 1.0% |
| Retail Trade | 152,797 | 0.6% | 1.4% |
| Manufacturing | 152,771 | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Accommodation & Food Services | 136,217 | 0.3% | 2.0% |
| Transportation & Warehousing | 66,908 | 3.3% | 2.6% |
| Administration, Business Support and Waste Management Services | 65,768 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Educational Services | 63,803 | -1.6% | -0.9% |
| Construction | 53,448 | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | 47,022 | 1.1% | 0.4% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 46,676 | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| Finance & Insurance | 44,075 | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| Wholesale Trade | 40,390 | 0.9% | 1.6% |
| Real Estate & Rental & Leasing | 24,425 | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Utilities | 20,062 | 0.9% | -0.4% |
| Information | 12,248 | 1.5% | 4.0% |
| Arts, Entertainment & Recreation | 10,331 | -0.6% | 1.5% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting | 9,286 | 0.1% | -1.2% |
| Mining | 3,046 | -6.7% | -2.8% |
State economic profile
Mississippi Employment Trends
1.1m
Employment
4.2%
Unemployment
What Employment Trends are Impacting Mississippi?
The state of Mississippi employs 1,138,144 people in 2026, which ranks it 35th out of all 50 US states. Employment in Mississippi has grown at an annualized rate of 1.1% over the five years to 2026, underperforming the national average of 1.7%. Major sectors by employment in Mississippi include Healthcare & Social Assistance, Retail Trade and Manufacturing, which employed 188,871, 152,797 and 152,771 people in 2026, respectively. Mississippi's unemployment rate is 4.2% in 2026, which ranks it 22nd out of all 50 US states. Mississippi's unemployment rate has trended downwards at a rate of -5.1% 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 Mississippi, and compare them to the US economy, using the chart below.
$104.7k
Per capita disposable income
What is Mississippi'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. Mississippi's DPI in 2026 was $104.7k, compared to the US average of $156.5k, which places it 22nd 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 Mississippi's per capita disposable income, and compare it to the US average, using the chart below.
State economic profile
Mississippi Construction & Building Trends
$3,181.4tn
Nonresidential construction
$1.6tn
Residential construction
7,596
Building permits
What can construction trends tell you about a state’s economy?
In Mississippi, non-residential construction was $3,181.4tn in 2026, which ranks it 43rd out of all 50 US states. Residential construction was $1.6tn in 2026, which places Mississippi 18th out of all 50 US states. The number of building permits issued in Mississippi in 2026 was 7,596, representing a -2.1% 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 Mississippi, and compare it to trends in the number issued in the United States as a whole, using the chart below.
State economic profile
Mississippi Population Statistics
Which Counties in Mississippi have the Largest Populations?
The counties with the highest populations in Mississippi are Harrison County, Hinds County and Desoto County, which had populations of 212,212, 204,850 and 200,210 people in 2026.
| Region | 2026 population | Annual growth 2021-26 | Share of population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison | 212.2k | 0.2% | 7.2% |
| Hinds | 204.9k | -1.6% | 7.0% |
| Desoto | 200.2k | 1.2% | 6.8% |
| Rankin | 163.9k | 0.7% | 5.6% |
| Jackson | 149.5k | 0.7% | 5.1% |
| Madison | 116.0k | 1.0% | 3.9% |
| Lee | 82.5k | -0.1% | 2.8% |
| Forrest | 78.6k | 0.2% | 2.7% |
| Lauderdale | 68.5k | -1.0% | 2.3% |
| Lamar | 67.8k | 0.8% | 2.3% |
| Jones | 65.5k | -0.4% | 2.2% |
| Lafayette | 60.8k | 1.3% | 2.1% |
| Pearl River | 59.9k | 1.1% | 2.0% |
| Lowndes | 56.1k | -0.7% | 1.9% |
| Oktibbeha | 50.7k | -0.3% | 1.7% |
| Hancock | 46.4k | 0.2% | 1.6% |
| Warren | 40.7k | -1.3% | 1.4% |
| Washington | 39.7k | -1.8% | 1.4% |
| Pike | 38.6k | -0.7% | 1.3% |
| Marshall | 34.5k | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Lincoln | 34.5k | -0.2% | 1.2% |
| Alcorn | 33.7k | -0.4% | 1.1% |
| Monroe | 33.2k | -0.4% | 1.1% |
| Panola | 32.4k | -0.3% | 1.1% |
| Pontotoc | 31.9k | 0.4% | 1.1% |
State economic profile
Mississippi Demographics
In Mississippi, 29.2% of the population has a Bachelors or higher. The largest ethnic group in Mississippi is White, accounting for 55.0% of the state's population.
Education level in Mississippi
| Education level | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Bachelors or higher | 29.2 |
| Other | 70.8 |
Race in Mississippi
| Race | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| White | 55.0 |
| Black | 37.2 |
| Hispanic | 4.4 |
| Other | 2.1 |
| Asian | 1.4 |
Mississippi 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 629 Mississippi industry reports.
Other states to explore
Compare Mississippi’s economy with other states in the United States.
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