HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania is getting older, and its population growth rate is slowing dramatically, according to a new demographic outlook released this month by the state's Independent Fiscal Office .

The report projects the commonwealth's total population will actually decline by 0.5% from 2025 to 2030, then drop another 1% through 2035.

The state added just 82,600 residents between 2020 and 2024 — a meager 0.6% increase.

Behind these numbers lies a stark reality: deaths are beginning to outnumber births in Pennsylvania.

From 2020 to 2025, Pennsylvania recorded 81,000 more deaths than births. That gap is expected to widen to 132,000 in the next five years and balloon to 236,000 from 2030 to 2035 as Baby Boomers age into their 80s.

The working-age population (20-64) is shrin

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