Illinois Loses Population

More than 87,000 people moved out of Illinois, taking with them nearly $10 billion in income, according to the latest Internal Revenue Service data. For the last six years, the total lost adjusted gross income is more than $47.5 billion.

For nearly a decade, annual population estimates from the US Census show Illinois losing population. For well over a year, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has denied the state’s population decline, saying the Census is getting it wrong. In May, he doubled down.

“You should take what I’m saying as truth that actually when we count people, it turns out we’re gaining,” Pritzker said.

The US Census did recently revise Illinois’ population upward from previous estimates, but the state still continues to lose population.

It’s not just Census data showing Illinois’ loss. Moving companies routinely show Illinois among the states with the most people moving out year after year. IRS data also shows the continued population decline, and with that the federal agency provides receipts.

IRS data released this week shows between calendar years 2021 and 2022, the number of people flowing into Illinois was nearly 177,000 and the number flowing out was over 264,000, a net loss of 87,286.