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E.g., 04/23/2024
Immigrant Profiles & Demographics

Immigrant Profiles & Demographics

International Data
U.S. Data
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In an era when publics are seeking to understand how immigration is reshaping populations and local communities, and the effect that newcomers are having on economic, educational, and labor systems, it is imperative to have access to credible and authoritative data. The U.S. and international data-rich research offered here, and data resources offered through our Data Hub, empower users to learn more about the role of immigration in today's world. Browse by region, by type of research, and more. And visit MPI's Data Hub for data tools, maps, and more.

Recent Activity

A man and child at a naturalization ceremony outside Washington, DC.
Articles
February 10, 2022
Black Immigrants in the United States Face Hurdles, but Outcomes Vary by City
By Valerie Lacarte
Image of man on steps in front of China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, China
Articles
January 28, 2022
China’s Rapid Development Has Transformed Its Migration Trends
By Heidi Østbø Haugen and Tabitha Speelman
Mother and daughter from Middle Eastern background
Articles
January 13, 2022
Middle Eastern and North African Immigrants in the United States
By Laura Harjanto and Jeanne Batalova
A Dutch family at Ellis Island between 1915 and 1920.
Articles
January 6, 2022
Immigration Has Been a Defining, Often Contentious, Element Throughout U.S. History
By Jessica Bolter
Cover image for The Complex Motivations and Costs of Central American Migration
Reports
November 2021
Charting a New Regional Course of Action: The Complex Motivations and Costs of Central American Migration
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Rossella Bottone, Jaret Waters, Sarah Williams, Ashley Louie and Yuehan Wang
Two boys pose in an informal settlement east of Johannesburg largely populated by immigrants.
Articles
November 18, 2021
South Africa Reckons with Its Status as a Top Immigration Destination, Apartheid History, and Economic Challenges
By Khangelani Moyo
New U.S. citizens take an oath during a naturalization ceremony.
Articles
November 10, 2021
Naturalized Citizens in the United States
By Maria Gabriela Sanchez and Jeanne Batalova
Cover image for Medicaid Access and Participation
Policy Briefs
October 2021
Medicaid Access and Participation: A Data Profile of Eligible and Ineligible Immigrant Adults
By  Valerie Lacarte, Mark Greenberg and Randy Capps

Pages

How Are Refugees Faring? Integration at U.S. and State Levels
Reports
June 2017
How Are Refugees Faring? Integration at U.S. and State Levels
By  Michael Fix, Kate Hooper and Jie Zong
New Brain Gain: Rising Human Capital among Recent Immigrants to the United States
Fact Sheets
June 2017
New Brain Gain: Rising Human Capital among Recent Immigrants to the United States
By  Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
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Reports
May 2017
A Revolving Door No More? A Statistical Profile of Mexican Adults Repatriated from the United States
By  Ryan Schultheis and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto
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Fact Sheets
March 2017
Facts about English Learners and the NCLB/ESSA Transition in Select States
By  Julie Sugarman and Kevin Lee
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Fact Sheets
December 2016
State Sociodemographic Portraits of Immigrant and U.S.-Born Parents of Young Children
By  Maki Park, Margie McHugh and Caitlin Katsiaficas
Fact Sheets
December 2016
The Costs of Brain Waste among Highly Skilled Immigrants in Select States
By  Ariel G. Ruiz Soto, Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
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Reports
November 2016
Serving Immigrant Families Through Two-Generation Programs: Identifying Family Needs and Responsive Program Approaches
By  Maki Park, Margie McHugh and Caitlin Katsiaficas
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Fact Sheets
October 2016
Immigration to the Heartland: A Profile of Immigrants in the Kansas City Region
By  Randy Capps and Ariel G. Ruiz Soto

Pages

A teacher leads a lesson on the Korean alphabet in a U.S. dual-language immersion class
Spotlight
April 14, 2022
Korean Immigrants in the United States

Immigrants from the Korean peninsula are one of the ten largest foreign-born groups in the United States, but their numbers have actually shrunk in recent years. Immigrants from Korea tend to be older, better educated, and earn higher incomes than the overall immigrant and native-born populations.

An image of an immigration boarding line.
Spotlight
March 17, 2022
Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

Need information about U.S. immigration trends or the makeup of the country's immigrant population? This useful, stats-rich article answers the most common questions about the size, shape, and changing nature of the U.S. foreign-born population. It also offers data on immigration enforcement actions, backlogs, and other elements of the U.S. immigration system.

A tuk tuk driver in India.
Profile
March 9, 2022
Origin of World’s Largest Migrant Population, India Seeks to Leverage Immigration

With nearly 18 million nationals abroad, India is the origin of more international migrants than any other country and claims the world's largest diaspora. Indian emigration can be traced back to the colonial era, with the British empire dispatching Indian workers across the globe, and has evolved for more than a century in response to global labor demands and geopolitical events. This article offers a comprehensive profile of migration from and to India.

A couple celebrating carnival at home.
Spotlight
February 16, 2022
South American Immigrants in the United States

South Americans make up a relatively small share of all U.S. immigrants. But their numbers have been growing in recent years and flows are diversifying, particularly with new arrivals from Venezuela. This article offers key statistics on the South American immigrant population in the United States.

A man and child at a naturalization ceremony outside Washington, DC.
Feature
February 10, 2022
Black Immigrants in the United States Face Hurdles, but Outcomes Vary by City

The 4.3 million Black immigrants in the United States come largely from the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa. This article offers insights about rates of poverty, health insurance, and other metrics for Black immigrants both nationally and in the top five major cities of residence, finding that policies at federal and local levels, as well as the legacy of historical Black disenfranchisement, can exaggerate or reduce some of the gaps with U.S.-born White residents.

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Recent Activity

Explainers
February 2019

Explainer: Who Is An Immigrant?

Who is an immigrant? Does that status change if, for example, a foreigner marries a native-born resident or serves in his or her adopted country's military? This explainer answers basic questions about international migrants—who they are, their top destinations, where they come from, how they are counted, and more.

Articles
January 17, 2019

Immigrants from New Origin Countries in the United States

The national origins of new arrivals to the United States are shifting, in ways not always fully appreciated. Recent newcomers are more likely to come from Asia, Central America, and Africa, and less likely to be from Mexico. This article offers key demographic information about the 15 immigrant groups that have experienced the largest growth since 2010, including Indians, Chinese, Colombians, Nigerians, and Bangladeshis.

Reports
November 2018

Minnesota’s Superdiverse and Growing Dual Language Learner Child Population

Dual Language Learners (DLLs) are a growing segment of the Minnesota young child population, and a particularly "superdiverse" one with myriad origins, cultures, and languages—a new reality other states and communities will face. Drawing on interviews with policymakers and service providers, as well as analysis of census data, this report examines what this incredible diversity means for the state’s early childhood policies and programs.

Policy Briefs
November 2018

Gauging the Impact of DHS’ Proposed Public-Charge Rule on U.S. Immigration

Most recent U.S. legal permanent residents could have found themselves at risk of green-card denial had they been assessed under a proposed Trump administration public-charge rule that would apply a significantly expanded test to determine likelihood of future public-benefits use. This analysis finds the effects would fall most heavily on women, children, and the elderly, while potentially shifting legal immigration away from Latin America.

Fact Sheets
November 2018

Settling In: A Profile of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population in the United States

This fact sheet and accompanying interactive data tools provide characteristics of the estimated 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States, using a unique MPI methodology that assigns legal status to U.S. Census Bureau data. The fact sheet and tools offer statistics on these immigrants’ origins, U.S. destinations, educational attainment, English proficiency, employment, income, home ownership, and more.

Articles
November 7, 2018

South American Immigrants in the United States

South Americans represent a small, but growing share of immigrants in the United States, composing 7 percent of country’s total foreign-born population. Recent growth has been marked by an uptick in arrivals from increasingly failing Venezuela, with an increase of 61,000 Venezuelan immigrants from 2016 to 2017. This article offers an interesting data snapshot of South American immigrants in the United States.

Articles
October 24, 2018

Census Citizenship Question Triggers Legal and Political Fallout

Legal and political controversy surrounds the Trump administration's decision to include a question on citizenship status in the 2020 decennial census, the first such inclusion since the 1950 census. This article examines the administration's conflicting statements about the genesis of the plan, concerns that the decision could affect the accuracy of the census, and legal challenges pending in a number of states.

Articles
October 11, 2018

Mexican Immigrants in the United States

For decades, Mexicans have been the largest immigrant group in the United States. While this is still the case, the Mexican immigrant population is no longer growing at the rate it once was. In fact, between 2010 and 2017, the number of Mexicans in the country first leveled off and then began to decline. This article explores the latest data on Mexican immigrants in the United States.

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