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Do not fill this in! ==Demographics== {{Main|Demographics of Louisiana}} [[File:Louisiana population map.png|thumb|upright=1.15|Louisiana's population density|left]] {{US Census population |1810= 76556 |1820= 153407 |1830= 215739 |1840= 352411 |1850= 517762 |1860= 708002 |1870= 726915 |1880= 939946 |1890= 1118588 |1900= 1381625 |1910= 1656388 |1920= 1798509 |1930= 2101593 |1940= 2363516 |1950= 2683516 |1960= 3257022 |1970= 3641306 |1980= 4205900 |1990= 4219973 |2000= 4468976 |2010= 4533372 |2020= 4657757 |estimate= 4573749 |estyear= 2023 |align-fn=center |footnote=Sources: 1910–2020<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> }} The majority of the state's population lives in southern Louisiana, spread throughout [[New Orleans metropolitan area|Greater New Orleans]], the [[Florida Parishes]], and [[Acadiana]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Adelson|first=Jeff|title=Census 2020: South Louisiana parishes grew, while northern and rural parishes decline|url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_4e00a05a-fb96-11eb-947e-9f738c7b98c2.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=NOLA.com|date=August 12, 2021 |language=en|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818201603/https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_4e00a05a-fb96-11eb-947e-9f738c7b98c2.html}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite web|date=August 12, 2021|title=Louisiana population shifts to southern, suburban parishes|url=https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-census-2020-suburbs-032dfbe0e0ffdb859d21b4e2bfa4fc5e|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=AP News|language=en|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818201603/https://apnews.com/article/louisiana-census-2020-suburbs-032dfbe0e0ffdb859d21b4e2bfa4fc5e}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Baton Rouge, suburbs grow in population while rural parishes decline, Census data shows|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_c5ca968a-fb88-11eb-86bc-bba0012a0054.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=The Advocate|date=August 12, 2021 |language=en|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818201605/https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_c5ca968a-fb88-11eb-86bc-bba0012a0054.html}}</ref> while [[Central Louisiana|Central]] and [[North Louisiana]] have been stagnating and losing population.<ref>{{cite web|date=August 13, 2021|title=Census data: Northern LA loses population, area along I-10 makes major gains|url=https://www.brproud.com/news/local-news/census-data-northern-la-loses-population-area-along-i-10-makes-major-gains/|access-date=2021-08-18|website=BRProud.com|language=en-US|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818201604/https://www.brproud.com/news/local-news/census-data-northern-la-loses-population-area-along-i-10-makes-major-gains/|url-status=live}}</ref> From the [[2020 United States census|2020 U.S. census]], Louisiana had an apportioned population of 4,661,468.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hilburn|first=Greg|title=2020 Census: Louisiana keeps 6 congressional seats as population grows 2.7%|url=https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2021/04/26/2020-census-louisiana-keeps-6-congressional-seats-population-grows/7389638002/|access-date=2021-04-27|website=The Daily Advertiser|archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429054907/https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2021/04/26/2020-census-louisiana-keeps-6-congressional-seats-population-grows/7389638002/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Analyzing the Census: Louisiana saw one of the slowest growth rates in the U.S., but why?|url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_f2f6d1d6-a6cf-11eb-8297-2b280471e64b.html|access-date=2021-04-27|website=NOLA.com|date=April 26, 2021 |archive-date=June 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618012235/https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_f2f6d1d6-a6cf-11eb-8297-2b280471e64b.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gremillion|first=Nick|title=Louisiana's population has grown by 107k since 2010, Census says|url=https://www.kplctv.com/2021/04/26/louisianas-population-grew-by-k-since-census-says/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-04-27|website=KPLC-TV|date=April 26, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429120833/https://www.kplctv.com/2021/04/26/louisianas-population-grew-by-k-since-census-says/}}</ref> Its resident population was 4,657,757 as of 2020.<ref>{{cite web|date=April 26, 2021|title=Table A. Apportionment Population, Resident Population, and Overseas Population: 2020 Census and 2010 Census|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/apportionment/apportionment-2020-tableA.pdf|access-date=April 27, 2021|website=United States Census Bureau|archive-date=April 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426202031/https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/apportionment/apportionment-2020-tableA.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, the state of Louisiana had a population of 4,533,372, up from 76,556 in [[1810 United States census|1810]]. Despite historically positive trends of population growth leading up to the 2020 census, Louisiana began to experience population decline and stagnation since 2021, with [[Southwest Louisiana]]'s Calcasieu and Cameron parishes losing more than 5% of their populations individually.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adelson |first=Jeff |title=Population declines in most Louisiana parishes, except for the suburbs, new estimates show |url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/population-declines-in-most-louisiana-parishes-except-for-the-suburbs-new-estimates-show/article_fc5ff816-aba5-11ec-b605-234640609e50.html |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=NOLA.com |date=March 25, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Experiencing decline due to deaths and emigration to other states outpacing births and in-migration,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mosbrucker |first=Kristen |title=Louisiana's population continues to shrink: Stats show nearly 13K decline between 2019, 2020 |url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/louisianas-population-continues-to-shrink-stats-show-nearly-13k-decline-between-2019-2020/article_3833634c-5cdc-11eb-951d-b39a30651d28.html |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=The Advocate |date=January 29, 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Adelson |first=Jeff |title=Louisiana saw fifth highest population loss in U.S. in 2021, according to new estimates |url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/louisiana-saw-fifth-highest-population-loss-in-u-s-in-2021-according-to-new-estimates/article_c9a00050-637b-11ec-a1a3-773fc5fa7af3.html |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=NOLA.com |date=December 22, 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Michigan ranked No.4 for most people moving out of the state |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/michigan-ranked-no-4-for-most-people-moving-out-of-the-state/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=CBS News |date=January 3, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="USCensusEst2022">{{cite web|url= https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/2022-population-estimates.html|title=Growth in U.S. Population Shows Early Indication of Recovery Amid COVID-19 Pandemic.|publisher= www.census.gov.|access-date= April 14, 2023}}</ref> Louisiana's 2022 census-estimated population was 4,590,241.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Louisiana |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/LA |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=United States Census Bureau |language=en}}</ref> According to [[Immigration to the United States|immigration]] statistics in 2019, approximately 4.2% of Louisianians were immigrants, while 2% were native-born U.S. citizens with at least one immigrant parent. The majority of Louisianian immigrants came from Honduras (18.8%), Mexico (13.6%), Vietnam (11.3%), Cuba (5.8%), and India (4.4%); an estimated 29.4% were undocumented immigrants.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Take a look: How immigrants drive the economy in Louisiana |url=https://map.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/locations/louisiana/ |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=American Immigration Council |language=en-US}}</ref> Its documented and undocumented population collectively paid $1.2 billion in taxes.<ref name=":2" /> New Orleans has been defined as a [[sanctuary city]].<ref>{{cite web|title=New Orleans: How the Crescent City Became a Sanctuary City {{!}} U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee|url=https://judiciary.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=1894|access-date=2021-08-18|website=judiciary.house.gov|language=en|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818202518/https://judiciary.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=1894|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sanctuary city ban advances in Louisiana Legislature, with New Orleans in mind|url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_5c63625b-7ab5-573c-8bb9-743dfa0e1f34.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=NOLA.com|date=April 27, 2017 |language=en|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818202517/https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_5c63625b-7ab5-573c-8bb9-743dfa0e1f34.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='Sanctuary city' policy puts an end to NOPD's immigration enforcement|url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_ded80350-e854-540b-a607-7cf2fdd8b90e.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=NOLA.com|date=March 2, 2016 |language=en|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818202518/https://www.nola.com/news/politics/article_ded80350-e854-540b-a607-7cf2fdd8b90e.html}}</ref> The population density of the state is 104.9 people per square mile.<ref name="2010.census.gov">{{cite web|author=2010 Census Data|url=http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/index.php|title=2010 Census Data—2010 Census|publisher=2010.census.gov|access-date=February 18, 2012|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215083619/http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/index.php |archive-date=February 15, 2012}}</ref> The [[center of population]] of Louisiana is located in [[Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana|Pointe Coupee Parish]], in the city of [[New Roads, Louisiana|New Roads]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Population and Population Centers by State—2000 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 5, 2008 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080918020344/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |archive-date=September 18, 2008 }}</ref> According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|HUD]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 7,373 [[Homelessness|homeless]] people in Louisiana.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf}}</ref> ===Race and ethnicity=== {| class="wikitable sortable collapsible"; text-align:right; font-size:80%;" |+ style="font-size:90%" |Racial and ethnic composition as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] |- ! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |title=Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 12, 2021 |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2021-09-26 |archive-date=August 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815165418/https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Alone ! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total |- | [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White (non-Hispanic)]] |align=right| {{bartable|55.8|%|2||background:gray}} |align=right| {{bartable|58.7|%|2||background:gray}} |- | [[African Americans|African American (non-Hispanic)]] |align=right| {{bartable|31.2|%|2||background:mediumblue}} |align=right| {{bartable|32.6|%|2||background:mediumblue}} |- | [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]{{efn|Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.}} |align=right| {{bartable}} |align=right| {{bartable|6.9|%|2||background:green}} |- | [[Asian Americans|Asian]] |align=right| {{bartable|1.8|%|2||background:purple}} |align=right| {{bartable|2.3|%|2||background:purple}} |- | Native American |align=right| {{bartable|0.6|%|2||background:gold}} |align=right| {{bartable|1.9|%|2||background:gold}} |- | [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] |align=right| {{bartable|0.04|%|2||background:pink}} |align=right| {{bartable|0.1|%|2||background:pink}} |- | Other |align=right| {{bartable|0.4|%|2||background:brown}} |align=right| {{bartable|1.1|%|2||background:brown}} |} [[File:Louisiana counties by race.svg|thumb|216x216px|Map of parishes in Louisiana by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census{{Collapsible list | title = Legend|{{col-begin}}{{col-2}} '''Non-Hispanic White''' {{legend|#dd7e6b|40–50%}} {{legend|#cc4125|50–60%}} {{legend|#a61c00|60–70%}} {{legend|#85200c|70–80%}} {{legend|#5b0f00|80–90%}} {{legend|#410b00|90%+}} {{col-2}} '''Black or African American''' {{legend|#ffe599|40–50%}} {{legend|#ffd966|50–60%}} {{legend|#f1c232|60–70%}} {{legend|#bf9000|70–80%}} {{col-end}} }}]] Several [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]] tribes such as the [[Atakapa]] and [[Caddo]] inhabited Louisiana before European colonization, concentrated along the [[Red River of the South|Red River]] and Gulf of Mexico.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Joseph T. Butler|first=Jr.|date=1970|title=The Atakapa Indians: Cannibals of Louisiana|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4231120|journal=Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association|volume=11|issue=2|pages=167–176|jstor=4231120|issn=0024-6816|access-date=August 18, 2021|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818213453/https://www.jstor.org/stable/4231120|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Atakapa Indians|url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/atakapa-indians|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=TSHA|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818213454/https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/atakapa-indians}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Early Caddo History – El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail (U.S. National Park Service)|url=https://www.nps.gov/elte/learn/historyculture/caddo-early-history.htm|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=National Park Service|language=en|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818213453/https://www.nps.gov/elte/learn/historyculture/caddo-early-history.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Caddo Nation – Know Louisiana|url=https://64parishes.org/entry/caddo-nation|access-date=2021-08-18|website=64 Parishes|language=en|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818213455/https://64parishes.org/entry/caddo-nation|url-status=live}}</ref> At the beginning of French and Spanish colonization of Louisiana, [[White Americans|white]] and black Americans began to move into the area.<ref>{{cite web|title=Louisiana as a French Colony {{!}} Articles and Essays {{!}} Louisiana: European Explorations and the Louisiana Purchase {{!}} Digital Collections {{!}} Library of Congress|url=https://www.loc.gov/collections/louisiana-european-explorations-and-the-louisiana-purchase/articles-and-essays/louisiana-as-a-french-colony/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=Library of Congress|archive-date=August 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210821221602/https://www.loc.gov/collections/louisiana-european-explorations-and-the-louisiana-purchase/articles-and-essays/louisiana-as-a-french-colony/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Louisiana as a Spanish Colony {{!}} Articles and Essays {{!}} Louisiana: European Explorations and the Louisiana Purchase {{!}} Digital Collections {{!}} Library of Congress|url=https://www.loc.gov/collections/louisiana-european-explorations-and-the-louisiana-purchase/articles-and-essays/louisiana-as-a-spanish-colony/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=Library of Congress|archive-date=October 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008195718/https://www.loc.gov/collections/louisiana-european-explorations-and-the-louisiana-purchase/articles-and-essays/louisiana-as-a-spanish-colony/}}</ref> From French and Spanish rule in Louisiana, they were joined by [[Filipino Americans|Filipinos]], [[German Americans|Germans]] and Spaniards both slave and free, who settled in enclaves within the Greater New Orleans region and Acadiana;<ref>{{cite web|title="Ancestors in the Americas" : Timeline|url=https://www.pbs.org/ancestorsintheamericas/time_06.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=PBS|archive-date=March 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321101112/http://www.pbs.org/ancestorsintheamericas/time_06.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Aráullo|first=Kirby|title=The Earliest Asian American Settlement Was Established by Filipino Fishermen|url=https://www.history.com/news/first-asian-american-settlement-filipino-st-malo|access-date=2021-08-18|website=HISTORY|date=May 12, 2021 |language=en|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818213455/https://www.history.com/news/first-asian-american-settlement-filipino-st-malo|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=German Settlers in Louisiana and New Orleans|url=https://www.hnoc.org/research/german-settlers-louisiana-and-new-orleans|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=The Historic New Orleans Collection|archive-date=January 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119053926/https://www.hnoc.org/research/german-settlers-louisiana-and-new-orleans}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Getting to Gemütlichkeit: German History and Culture in Southeast Louisiana|url=https://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/German.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=Louisiana Folk Life|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818213454/https://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/German.html}}</ref> some of the Spanish-descended communities became the [[Isleños (Louisiana)|Isleños]] of [[St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana|St. Bernard Parish]].<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=Isleños |url=https://64parishes.org/entry/islenos |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=64 Parishes |language=en}}</ref> By the 19th and 20th centuries, the state's most-populous racial and ethnic group fluctuated between white and black Americans; 47% of the population was [[African Americans|black or African American]] in 1900.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals by Race, 1790 to 1990, and by Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990|url=https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/working-papers/2002/demo/POP-twps0056.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=August 12, 2012|website=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812191959/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html}}</ref> The [[African Americans in Louisiana|black Louisianian]] population declined following migration to states including New York and California in efforts to flee Jim Crow regulations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Legacy of Great Migration of black people from the South lives on, speakers say|url=https://www.nola.com/news/article_0dc3a162-f86b-57ad-b52c-e2b13ff9a719.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=NOLA.com|date=March 10, 2018 |language=en|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818213453/https://www.nola.com/news/article_0dc3a162-f86b-57ad-b52c-e2b13ff9a719.html}}</ref> At the end of the 20th century, Louisiana's population has experienced diversification again, and its [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|non-Hispanic or non-Latino American white]] population has been declining.<ref name=":3" /> Since 2020, the black or African American population have made up the largest non-white share of youths.<ref>{{cite web|last=Frey|first=William H.|date=August 13, 2021|title=New 2020 census results show increased diversity countering decade-long declines in America's white and youth populations|url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/new-2020-census-results-show-increased-diversity-countering-decade-long-declines-in-americas-white-and-youth-populations/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=Brookings|language=en-US|quote=In several southern states ranging from Louisiana to Virginia, black youths make up the largest nonwhite share.|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818213458/https://www.brookings.edu/research/new-2020-census-results-show-increased-diversity-countering-decade-long-declines-in-americas-white-and-youth-populations/}}</ref> [[Hispanic and Latino Americans]] have also increased as the second-largest racial and ethnic composition in the state, making up nearly 7% of Louisiana's population at the 2020 census.<ref name=":3" /> As of 2018,<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=American Community Survey 2018 Demographic and Housing Estimates|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Louisiana%20population&tid=ACSDP1Y2018.DP05&hidePreview=false|url-status=live|access-date=October 28, 2020|website=United States Census Bureau|archive-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105061150/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Louisiana%20population&tid=ACSDP1Y2018.DP05&hidePreview=false}}</ref> the largest single Hispanic and Latino American ethnicity were [[Mexican Americans]] (2.0%), followed by [[Puerto Ricans]] (0.3%) and [[Cuban Americans]] (0.2%). Other Hispanic and Latino Americans altogether made up 2.6% of Louisiana's Hispanic or Latino American population. The [[Asian Americans|Asian American]] and [[Multiracial Americans|multiracial]] communities have also experienced rapid growth,<ref name=":3" /> with many of Louisiana's multiracial population identifying as [[Cajuns|Cajun]] or [[Louisiana Creole people|Louisiana Creole]].<ref>{{cite web|title=New origin options for 2020 census could provide useful Cajun, Creole data|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/coronavirus/article_940221f2-7387-11ea-96f6-87e4a08768c8.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=The Advocate|date=April 2020 |language=en|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016031931/https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/coronavirus/article_940221f2-7387-11ea-96f6-87e4a08768c8.html}}</ref> At the 2019 [[American Community Survey]], the largest ancestry groups of Louisiana were African American (31.4%), [[French Americans|French]] (9.6%), German (6.2%), [[English Americans|English]] (4.6%), [[Italian Americans|Italian]] (4.2%), and [[Scottish Americans|Scottish]] (0.9%).<ref>{{cite web|title=2019 Selected Social Characteristics|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0400000US22&tid=ACSDP1Y2019.DP02&hidePreview=true|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-18|website=United States Census Bureau|archive-date=August 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818213453/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=0400000US22&tid=ACSDP1Y2019.DP02&hidePreview=true}}</ref> African American and French heritage have been dominant since colonial Louisiana. As of 2011, 49.0% of Louisiana's population younger than age{{spaces}}1 were minorities.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html|title=Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot|last=Exner|first=Rich|date=June 3, 2012|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|access-date=February 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714084214/http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html|archive-date=July 14, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Religion=== {{bar box |title=Religion in Louisiana (2020)<ref name="PRRI2020">{{cite news|url=http://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-LA|title=Public Religion Research Institute Study|newspaper=Public Religion Research Institute|date=2020|access-date=August 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221221714/http://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-LA|archive-date=February 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> |titlebar= |left1=Religion |right1=Percent |float=right |bars= {{bar percent|[[Protestant]]|Gold|53}} {{bar percent|[[Catholic]]|Red|22}} {{bar percent|Other Christian|DarkViolet|1.5}} {{bar percent|[[Irreligion|Unaffiliated]]|Black|19}} {{bar percent|Jewish|Blue|1}} {{bar percent|Other faith|green|4}} |caption=}} As an ethnically and culturally diverse state, pre-colonial, colonial and present-day Louisianians have adhered to a variety of religions and spiritual traditions; pre-colonial and colonial Louisianian peoples practiced various [[Native American religions]] alongside [[Christianity]] through the establishment of [[Spanish missions in Louisiana|Spanish]] and [[French colonization of the Americas|French missions]];<ref name=":8" /> and other faiths including [[Haitian Vodou]] and [[Louisiana Voodoo]] were introduced to the state and are practiced to the present day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Voudou |url=https://64parishes.org/entry/voudou |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=64 Parishes |language=en}}</ref> In the colonial and present-day [[U.S. state]] of Louisiana, Christianity grew to become its predominant religion, representing 84% of the adult population in 2014 and 76.5% in 2020,<ref name=":6">{{cite web|title=Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics|url=https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/louisiana/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-10|website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project|archive-date=October 31, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031065154/https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/louisiana/}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{cite web|title=PRRI – American Values Atlas|url=http://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-LA|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-19|website=Public Religion Research Institute|archive-date=February 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221221714/http://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-LA}}</ref> during two separate studies by the [[Pew Research Center]] and [[Public Religion Research Institute]]. [[File:Antioch Baptist Church Shreveport.JPG|thumb|[[Antioch Baptist Church (Shreveport, Louisiana)|Antioch Baptist Church]] in Shreveport]] Among its Christian population—and in common with other southern U.S. states—the majority, particularly in the north of the state, belong to various Protestant denominations. [[Protestantism]] was introduced to the state in the 1800s, with Baptists establishing two churches in 1812, followed by Methodists; Episcopalians first entered the state by 1805.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Terry L. |date=2019-07-01 |title=The Protestant Intrusion |url=https://countryroadsmagazine.com/api/content/47530850-9c35-11e9-a87a-12f1225286c6/ |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=Country Roads Magazine |language=en-us}}</ref> Protestant Christians made up 57% of the state's adult population at the 2014 Pew Research Center study, and 53% at the 2020 Public Religion Research Institute's study. Protestants are concentrated in North Louisiana, Central Louisiana, and the northern tier of the Florida Parishes. Because of French and Spanish heritage, and their descendants the Creoles, and later Irish, Italian, Portuguese and German immigrants, southern Louisiana and Greater New Orleans are predominantly Catholic in contrast; according to the 2020 Public Religion Research Institute study, 22% of the adult population were Catholic.<ref name=":7" /> Since Creoles were the first settlers, planters and leaders of the territory, they have traditionally been well represented in politics; for instance, most of the early governors were Creole Catholics, instead of Protestants.<ref name=":8">{{CathEncy|wstitle=Louisiana}}</ref> As Catholics continue to constitute a significant fraction of Louisiana's population, they have continued to be influential in state politics. The high proportion and influence of the Catholic population makes Louisiana distinct among southern states.{{efn|Other Southern states have longstanding indigenous Catholic populations, and Florida's largely Catholic population of Cuban emigres has been influential since the 1960s. Yet, Louisiana is still unusual or exceptional in its extent of aboriginal Catholic settlement and influence. Among states in the [[Deep South]] (discounting [[Florida Panhandle|Florida's Panhandle]] and much of Texas) the historic role of Catholicism in Louisiana is unparalleled and unique. Among the states of the Union, Louisiana's unique use of the term ''parish'' (French {{lang|fr|la parouche}} or "{{lang|fr|la paroisse}}") for ''county'' is rooted in the pre-statehood role of Catholic church parishes in the administration of government.}} The [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge|Diocese of Baton Rouge]], and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana|Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana]] are the largest Catholic jurisdictions in the state, located within the Greater New Orleans, Greater Baton Rouge, and Lafayette metropolitan statistical areas.[[File:St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans).jpg|thumb|[[St. Louis Cathedral (New Orleans)|Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis]] in New Orleans]] Louisiana was among the southern states with a significant Jewish population before the 20th century; Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia also had influential Jewish populations in some of their major cities from the 18th and 19th centuries. The earliest Jewish colonists were [[Sephardic Jews]] who immigrated to the [[Thirteen Colonies]]. Later in the 19th century, German Jews began to immigrate, followed by those from eastern Europe and the Russian Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jewish communities have been established in the state's larger cities, notably New Orleans and Baton Rouge.<ref>Isaacs, Ronald H. ''The Jewish Information Source Book: A Dictionary and Almanac'', Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1993. p. 202.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sinai Scholars Seek Students |url=http://tulane.edu/news/newwave/011210_sinai.cfm |agency=Tulane University |date=January 12, 2010 |quote=Registration is open for the spring session of the Sinai Scholars Society, Tulane chapter. The national organization provides funding for a course on Judaism each semester at more than 50 campuses nationwide. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712063709/http://tulane.edu/news/newwave/011210_sinai.cfm |archive-date=July 12, 2015 }}</ref> The most significant of these is the Jewish community of the New Orleans area. In 2000, before the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, its population was about 12,000. Dominant Jewish movements in the state include [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] and [[Reform Judaism]]; Reform Judaism was the largest Jewish tradition in the state according to the Association of Religion Data Archives in 2020, representing some 5,891 Jews.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |title=Maps and data files for 2020 {{!}} U.S. Religion Census {{!}} Religious Statistics & Demographics |url=https://www.usreligioncensus.org/index.php/node/1639 |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=U.S. Religion Census |publisher=Association of Religion Data Archives}}</ref> Prominent Jews in Louisiana's political leadership have included Whig (later Democrat) [[Judah P. Benjamin]], who represented Louisiana in the [[U.S. Senate]] before the [[American Civil War]] and then became the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] secretary of state; Democrat-turned-Republican [[Michael Hahn]] who was elected as governor, serving 1864–1865 when Louisiana was occupied by the Union Army, and later elected in 1884 as a U.S. congressman;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.knowla.org/entry/940/ |title="Michael Hahn." ''KnowLA Encyclopedia of Louisiana.'' Ed. David Johnson. Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, 27 Jul 2011. Web. Mar 2. 2016, accessed March 2, 2016 |access-date=March 2, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307131517/http://www.knowla.org/entry/940/ |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Democrat [[Adolph Meyer]], [[Confederate Army]] officer who represented the state in the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] from 1891 until his death in 1908; [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Secretary of State (U.S. state government)|secretary of state]] [[Jay Dardenne]], and Republican ([[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] before 2011) [[List of Attorneys General of Louisiana|attorney general]] [[Buddy Caldwell]]. Other non-Christian and non-Jewish religions with a continuous, historical presence in the state have been [[Islam]], [[Buddhism]] and [[Hinduism]]. In the [[Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area]], Muslims made up an estimated 14% of Louisiana's total Muslim population as of 2014.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 8, 2014|title=A Look at Religion in Shreveport-Bossier City|url=https://www.shreveportnews.com/shreveport_news/look-religion-shreveport-bossier-city/468/|access-date=October 28, 2020|website=Shreveport News|archive-date=October 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026020646/https://www.shreveportnews.com/shreveport_news/look-religion-shreveport-bossier-city/468/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives estimated there were 24,732 Muslims living in the state.<ref name=":22" /> The largest Islamic denominations in the major metropolises of Louisiana were [[Sunni Islam]], [[Non-denominational Muslim|non-denominational Islam]] and [[Quranism]], [[Shia Islam]], and the [[Nation of Islam]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Mosques and Islamic schools in Eastern Louisiana, Louisiana – Salatomatic – your guide to mosques & Islamic schools|url=https://www.salatomatic.com/sub/wGRWFW3KGA?|access-date=2021-04-27|website=www.salatomatic.com|archive-date=April 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427162841/https://www.salatomatic.com/sub/wGRWFW3KGA|url-status=live}}</ref> Among Louisiana's irreligious community, 2% affiliated with [[atheism]] and 13% claimed no religion as of 2014; an estimated 10% of the state's population practiced nothing in particular at the 2014 study. According to the Public Religion Research Institute in 2020, 19% were religiously unaffiliated.<ref name=":7" /> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page