BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana is showing modest year-over-year improvement on key measures of education, workforce, economy, infrastructure and environment, according to the 2025 Louisiana Fact Book: Facts for the Future released Wednesday by Leaders for a Better Louisiana.
The report tracks 35 indicators of statewide wellbeing. This year, 20 indicators are trending upward compared to 16 in 2024, while 13 are declining and two remain unchanged.
“The good news is that the number of indicators trending upward is the highest we have seen in the three years since we have been tracking this data,” said Adam Knapp, CEO of Better Louisiana. “While that’s encouraging, we should be moving up or at least holding our ground on all of these indicators.”
Education and workforce metrics showed the most consistent gains, with improvements in eighth-grade math, overall student performance in grades 3-8, high school graduation and postsecondary attainment. However, kindergarten readiness continued to decline.
Economic data also showed some positive movement. Louisiana’s population grew slightly for the first time since 2020, though the state still has 50,000 fewer residents than five years ago. Job growth reached 1.2 percent, outpacing the national rate, and employment returned to pre-pandemic levels. Still, the state continues to face high poverty rates and net outmigration, with about 17,000 more residents leaving than arriving in 2024.
Health indicators remained a concern, with declines in life expectancy and continued challenges with infant mortality, food insecurity and rural water system safety.
“As we work as a state to improve economic development and create more jobs, we can’t ignore the things that are holding us back,” said Barry Erwin, chief policy officer of Better Louisiana.
The Louisiana Fact Book, now in its third year, is available online and is designed to provide policymakers and citizens with data to guide policy decisions.