Essential Statistics on Immigration and Immigrants in the United States

Immigration has always been a cornerstone of America’s identity, shaping its economy, culture, and workforce. But what do the numbers say?

Number of Immigrants in the United States

As of 2023, there were approximately 47.8 million immigrants living in the United States. This marked a significant increase from 46.2 million in 2022 and represents the largest single-year growth since 2000. Immigrants accounted for 14.3% of the total U.S. population, which is below the all-time peak of 14.8% recorded in 1890.

Growth Trends Over Time

The immigrant population has grown substantially since the mid-20th century:

• In 1970, immigrants made up only 4.7% of the U.S. population.
• By 1990, this figure had risen to 7.9%.
• Today’s share (14.3%) reflects a roughly threefold increase since 1970.

Top Countries of Origin

Immigrants come from diverse regions worldwide:

• The largest group originates from Mexico, with approximately 10.9 million people (23%).
• Other top countries include:
  • India: 2.9 million (6%)
  • China: 2.4 million (5%)
  • Philippines: 2.1 million (4%)

Legal Status of Immigrants

Immigrants in the U.S. can be categorized by their legal status:

• About 77% are legally present, including:
  • Naturalized citizens: 49%
  • Lawful permanent residents: 24%
  • Temporary lawful residents: 4%
• Approximately 23% are unauthorized immigrants, totaling around 11 to 11.7 million people as of recent estimates for July 2023.

Workforce Participation

Immigrants play a vital role in the U.S. labor force:

• They constitute about 17% (28.6 million) of the civilian labor force as of 2022.
• Immigrant workers are employed across various sectors:
  • Management and professional occupations: 37%
  • Service jobs: 22%
  • Production and transportation roles: 15%

Educational Attainment

Immigrant educational levels vary widely:

• About 35% have at least a bachelor’s degree, comparable to U.S.-born adults.
• However, immigrants are also more likely than native-born individuals to lack a high school diploma (25% vs. 7%, respectively).
• Recent arrivals tend to be better educated; nearly half (48%) who entered between 2020 and 2022 held at least a bachelor’s degree.

Geographic Distribution

Most immigrants reside in specific states and metropolitan areas:

• Top states by immigrant population:
  • California: 10.4 million (27%)
  • Texas: 5.2 million (11%)
  • Florida: 4.8 million (10%)
  • New York: 4.5 million (10%)
• Major metropolitan areas with large immigrant populations include New York City (5.9 million), Los Angeles (4.2 million), and Miami (2.5 million).

Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Refugee admissions have rebounded after pandemic-related declines:

• In FY2023, over 60,000 refugees were resettled, primarily from countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Guatemala.
• The Biden administration set an annual refugee ceiling at 125,000 for FY2023 and FY2024, though actual admissions remain below this cap.[^13]

Asylum seekers also represent a significant portion of humanitarian immigration; many apply defensively or affirmatively while already present in or at ports of entry to the U.S.

Unauthorized Immigration Trends

The unauthorized immigrant population has seen fluctuations over time:

• It peaked at around 12 million in 2008 but declined steadily until 2020 when it reached 10 million.
• Recent years have shown renewed growth due to increased arrivals at borders; provisional estimates place this population at 11 to 11 .7millionin July

What are the statistics for immigrants in the United States?

Immigrant Population in the United States

1. Total Number of Immigrants
   As of 2023, there were 47.8 million immigrants living in the U.S., accounting for 14.3% of the total population.
2. Legal Status
   • 77% of immigrants are in the U.S. legally:
     • 49% are naturalized citizens.
     • 24% are lawful permanent residents (green card holders).
     • 4% are legal temporary residents.
   • 23% are unauthorized immigrants, totaling approximately 11 million as of 2022.
3. Top Countries of Origin
   • Mexico is the largest origin country, with about 10.9 million immigrants (23%).
   • Other major countries include:
     • India (6%), China (5%), and the Philippines (4%).
4. Workforce Participation
   • Immigrants make up 18% of the U.S. workforce, with over 30 million immigrant workers in 2022.
   • Of these, 22.2 million are lawful workers and 8.3 million are unauthorized workers.14
5. Educational Attainment
   • In 2022:
     • 35% of immigrants aged 25+ had a bachelor’s degree or higher, similar to U.S.-born individuals (36%).
     • However, immigrants were more likely to lack a high school diploma (25%) compared to U.S.-born individuals (7%).
6. Geographic Distribution
   • Most immigrants live in four states:
     • California (10.4 million), Texas (5.2 million), Florida (4.8 million), and New York (4.5 million).
   • These states account for nearly half of all immigrants in the U.S.
7. Unauthorized Immigrant Trends
   • The number of unauthorized immigrants peaked at 12.2 million in 2007 but declined to around 11 million by 2022.
   • Mexicans represent about one-third of this group, though their share has decreased from a peak of nearly two-thirds in earlier years.
8. Recent Immigration Growth
   • Between 2022 and 2023, immigration accounted for all U.S population growth due to declining birth rates.
   • The immigrant population grew by approximately 1.6 million people during this period—the largest annual increase since 2000

What immigrants come to the US the most?

Step 1: Identify the Largest Immigrant Group by Country of Origin

The largest group of immigrants in the U.S. comes from Mexico. As of 2023, 10.9 million Mexican-born individuals lived in the U.S., making up 23% of all immigrants.

Step 2: Analyze Other Major Countries of Origin

After Mexico, the next largest immigrant groups are:

• India: 2.9 million (6%)
• China: 2.4 million (5%)
• Philippines: 2.1 million (4%)

Step 3: Regional Analysis

By region, immigrants from:

• Latin America (including Mexico) account for the largest share at 50%, with Mexico alone contributing nearly half of this.
• Asia is the second-largest region, accounting for about 28% of all immigrants.

Final Answer

Mexican immigrants come to the U.S. the most, with 10.9 million individuals as of 2023, making up 23% of all U.S. immigrants.

What percentage of the US is made up by immigrants?

14.3% of the U.S. population is made up of immigrants.

Summary

• The United States hosts more immigrants than any other country, with 47.8 million immigrants as of 2023.
• Immigrants accounted for the entire U.S. population growth between 2022 and 2023 due to declining birth rates.
• In 2023, 73% of immigrants in the U.S. had legal status as naturalized citizens, green-card holders, or temporary visa holders.
• The largest immigrant group in the U.S. is from Mexico, though their numbers have declined since 2010.
• India and China are significant sources of new immigrants, with increasing numbers since 2010.
• The immigrant population in the U.S. grew by over 1.6 million people between 2022 and 2023.
• Immigrants made up 14.3% of the U.S. population in 2023, nearing the record high of 14.8% in 1890.
• California, Texas, Florida, New York, and New Jersey have the highest immigrant populations.
• The median age of immigrants is higher than that of U.S.-born individuals, at 47 years compared to 37 years.
• Immigrants are more likely to be of working age (18 to 64 years) compared to U.S.-born individuals.
• In terms of education, 35% of immigrant adults had a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2023.
• Immigrants constituted nearly 18% of the U.S. civilian labor force in 2023.
• The top countries for new lawful permanent residents (green cards) in FY 2023 were Mexico, Cuba, and India.
• Approximately 818,500 immigrants became naturalized U.S. citizens in FY 2024.
• Refugee admissions reached over 100,000 in FY 2024, with major origins being Congo and Afghanistan.
• Asylum applications reached record highs with significant backlogs; Afghanistan was a leading origin for asylum grants in FY 2023.
• The State Department issued nearly 11 million temporary visas in FY 2024, primarily for business and tourism.
• There were about 13.7 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. as of mid-2023.
• Unauthorized immigrants from Mexico and Central America make up the majority of this population.
• Programs like DACA and TPS provide temporary relief but do not lead to permanent residency; around 1.1 million hold TPS as of September 2024.
• Encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border totaled approximately 2.9 million in FY 2024.
• ICE made about 113,000 administrative arrests in FY 2024; deportations increased significantly from previous years.
• Nonimmigrant admissions were at a high post-pandemic level with significant entries for tourism and business purposes.
• The Diversity Visa lottery remains a popular pathway with high demand but limited availability each year.
• Children with immigrant parents accounted for about one-quarter of all children under age 18 in the U.S. as of 2023.

Immigration remains a defining force in America’s demographic and economic landscape. With over 44 million foreign-born residents, the U.S. continues to benefit from their contributions to the economy, workforce, and culture. While immigration policies evolve, data-driven insights help shape future policies and public discourse.

Sources:

• www.migrationpolicy.org