Is population growing or shrinking?

Updated annually
It grew by 13,600 between 2024 and 2025. Changes in population reflect birth and death rates, immigration patterns, regional shifts, and even the overall health of the economy. Pennsylvania’s 0.1% annual increase was primarily driven by immigration to the state. In the decade between 2015 and 2025, Pennsylvania’s population grew by 1.2%.

+13.6K

population change (2024 to 2025)

+0.1%

percent change in population (2024 to 2025)
Since 2000, Pennsylvania's population increased in 24 of 25 years. The largest increase occurred between 2005 and 2006, when it gained 60,800 residents. The state's largest decline during the 21st century occurred between 2021 and 2022 when it lost 32,000 residents.

Pennsylvania gained 13,600 residents between 2024 and 2025.

Annual population change

A state’s population is influenced by three factors:
  • Natural population change: If births outnumber deaths in a given year, natural population growth is positive. If deaths exceed births, it is negative. Between 2024 to 2025 natural population change was negative in Pennsylvania, with deaths exceeding births by 10,700.
  • Immigration: international migration directly into or out of a state. If more people move in than move out, population change from immigration is positive. If more people move out than move in, it’s negative. Pennsylvania’s population change from immigration was positive, with about 26,900 more people coming from another country to Pennsylvania than leaving.
  • Domestic migration, moving between states: Pennsylvania’s population change from domestic migration was negative, with about 2,900 more people leaving for another state than moving in.

Between 2024 and 2025, immigration was the primary driver of population growth in Pennsylvania.

Components of population change

Among 67 county equivalents, Philadelphia County had the largest population growth in Pennsylvania, welcoming 10,567 new residents. Fayette County lost the most, with a loss of 758 residents. County-level population data is available as of 2024.
Forest County led Pennsylvania in percent population increase between 2023 and 2024 at 1.8 percent. Greene County ranked last with a 1.5 percent decline.

Between 2023 and 2024, Forest County gained 1.8% in population, the largest increase in Pennsylvania.

Population change

Between 2015 and 2025, Pennsylvania’s population has increased by 1.2%. During that same period, the US population grew by 6.2%. Pennsylvania ranks 41st among states in population growth over that decade.

Pennsylvania ranked 41st in population growth between 2015 and 2025.

Percent change in population

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.