Wisconsin's Population on the Rise, But Rate of Growth has Slowed

Thursday, February 19th, 2026 -- 11:00 AM

(Mala Pandey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Wisconsin's population is on the rise, but the rate of growth has slowed over the past year amid a plunge in international migration to the state, according to recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

According to Mala Pandey with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, as of July 2025, Wisconsin had 5,972,787 residents, the Census Bureau reported Jan. 27. That's about 15,000 residents, or about 0.26%, more than in 2024.

That growth rate is nearly half what it was the year before and the lowest of the post-pandemic years so far. Wisconsin is not alone in the trend. Nationwide population growth also slowed significantly in 2025 due to a dip in international migration.

The year saw the President begin a sweeping crackdown on immigration, which has involved everything from halting refugee programs to revoking protected status for hundreds of thousands of migrants.

In Wisconsin, the latest estimates show the number of international migrants coming to the state fell by more than 62% in 2025. After several years of post-pandemic recovery, Wisconsin's population growth in 2025 was its lowest since 2021, according to Census Bureau estimates.

The state's 0.26% population growth rate was down from about 0.45% in 2023 and 2024, and 0.36% from 2022. Nationally, population growth halved last year, with the country's population growing by 0.5%, or 1.8 million residents, compared to 1%, or 3.2 million residents, in 2024.

Various projections have predicted a long-term decline of Wisconsin's population. In early 2025, the Department of Administration projected most Wisconsin counties would face a shrinking population by 2050, with an estimated statewide loss of nearly 200,000 residents.

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