U.S. Data

More than 43 million people living in the United States—whether as naturalized citizen, legal permanent resident, temporary resident, or unauthorized immigrant—were born in another country, representing 13 percent of the U.S. population. Immigration has ebbed and flowed throughout U.S. history, peaking at nearly 15 percent of the population in 1890 and plummeting to 5 percent in 1970. The data-rich research offered here traces the U.S. immigrant population by size, educational and workforce characteristics, English language proficiency, and more.

For information on U.S. immigrants by state, check out the State Immigration Data Profiles tool. And for detailed profiles on unauthorized immigrants nationally and by state, visit this tool.

Recent Activity

Reports June 2017 How Are Refugees Faring? Integration at U.S. and State Levels By Michael Fix, Kate Hooper and Jie Zong	Fact Sheets June 2017 New Brain Gain: Rising Human Capital among Recent Immigrants to the United States By Jeanne Batalova and Michael Fix
Articles May 3, 2017 Sub-Saharan African Immigrants in the United States By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova	Articles April 21, 2017 Inmigrantes Centroamericanos en los Estados Unidos By Gabriel Lesser and Jeanne Batalova
Articles April 5, 2017 Central American Immigrants in the United States By Gabriel Lesser and Jeanne Batalova	Fact Sheets March 2017 Facts about English Learners and the NCLB/ESSA Transition in Select States By Julie Sugarman and Kevin Lee
Articles March 8, 2017 Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova	Articles February 8, 2017 Korean Immigrants in the United States By Jie Zong and Jeanne Batalova

Pages

Reports September 2004 The Dominican Population in the United States: Growth and Distribution By Elizabeth Grieco	Fact Sheets May 2004 Immigrant Union Members: Numbers and Trends By Elizabeth Grieco
Reports April 2004 Immigrants and Homeownership in Urban America: An Examination of Nativity, Socio-Economic Status and Place By Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Brian Ray and Maia Jachimowicz	Reports March 2004 Hispanic Challenge? What We Know About Latino Immigration By Philippa Strum and Andrew Selee
Fact Sheets January 2004 The Foreign Born in the U.S. Labor Force: Numbers and Trends By Elizabeth Grieco	Fact Sheets January 2004 What Kind of Work Do Immigrants Do? Occupation and Industry of Foreign-Born Workers in the United States By Elizabeth Grieco
Fact Sheets November 2003 U.S.-Canada-Mexico Fact Sheet on Trade and Migration By Deborah W. Meyers and Maia Jachimowicz	Fact Sheets October 2003 Unauthorized Immigration to the United States By Elizabeth Grieco

Pages

Spotlight

September 14, 2016

Caribbean Immigrants in the United States

Approximately 4 million immigrants from the Caribbean resided in the United States in 2014, representing 9 percent of the country's total immigrant population. While 90 percent of Caribbean immigrants come from five countries, this population overall is very diverse in its skill levels, racial composition, language background, and immigration pathways. This Spotlight article provides information on the Caribbean immigrant population in the United States, focusing on its size, geographic distribution, and socioeconomic characteristics.

Spotlight

August 10, 2016

Naturalization Trends in the United States

More than 653,000 immigrants became U.S. citizens in fiscal year 2014, bringing the total number of naturalized U.S. citizens to 20 million—nearly half the overall immigrant population of 42.4 million. Over the past decade, naturalizations have ranged from about 537,000 yearly to just more than 1 million. Learn more about naturalization trends in the United States with this Spotlight article.

LittleBrazil DiegoTorresSilvestre Flickr

Spotlight

July 13, 2016

Brazilian Immigrants in the United States

The Brazilian immigrant population in the United States doubled during the 1980s and almost tripled in the 1990s, but stabilized following the Great Recession. While this population has long included a significant share of unauthorized immigrants, Brazilians are increasingly coming to the United States through family, employment, and study channels. Learn more about Brazilian immigrants with this Spotlight.

Spotlight

June 8, 2016

Vietnamese Immigrants in the United States

Now comprising the sixth largest foreign-born group in the country, the Vietnamese immigrant population in the United States has grown significantly since the end of the Vietnam War. Learn more about this population with the latest data in this Spotlight article.

Spotlight

May 12, 2016

International Students in the United States

The number of international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities has risen steadily since the mid-20th century. Today, the United States represents the top destination for international students worldwide. Learn more about where these students come from, which universities they attend, and the subjects they study in this Spotlight article.

Recent Activity

Reports

June 2017

How Are Refugees Faring? Integration at U.S. and State Levels

Approximately 3 million refugees have been admitted to the United States since 1980, with most entering employment quickly and making substantial gains toward integration over time. Yet national averages often mask considerable variation. This report uses a unique methodology to explore how different refugee groups fare across U.S. states and what role state policies may or may not play in shaping these outcomes.

Fact Sheets

June 2017

New Brain Gain: Rising Human Capital among Recent Immigrants to the United States

Nearly half of immigrant adults arriving in the U.S. since 2011 have a college degree—a far higher share than a quarter-century ago, when just 27 percent did. This striking but little noted shift in the composition of recent immigrant flows, driven in part by rising migration from Asia, comes as some policymakers press for a "merit-based" immigration system. This fact sheet examines rising human capital at U.S. and state levels.

Articles

May 3, 2017

Sub-Saharan African Immigrants in the United States

The population of sub-Saharan African immigrants in the United States has grown rapidly in recent decades, from 130,000 in 1980 to 1.7 million in 2015. The current flow of immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa consists of skilled professionals, individuals seeking reunification with relatives, and refugees from war-torn countries. This article provides the latest data on immigrants from the region in the United States.

Articles

April 21, 2017

Inmigrantes Centroamericanos en los Estados Unidos

La migración centroamericana a los Estados Unidos comenzó en gran números en los años ochenta, impulsada por la inestabilidad política, los desastres naturales y las dificultades económicas. Aproximadamente 3,4 millones de centroamericanos vivieron en los Estados Unidos en 2015, principalmente de El Salvador, Guatemala y Honduras. Dónde viven en los Estados Unidos, su competencia en inglés, su estado legal, las vías de inmigración, y más, están cubiertos en este artículo.

Articles

April 5, 2017

Central American Immigrants in the United States

Central American migration to the United States began in large numbers in the 1980s, fueled by political instability, natural disaster, and economic hardship. Approximately 3.4 million Central Americans lived in the United States in 2015, primarily from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Where they live in the United States, their English proficiency, legal status, immigration pathways, and more are covered in this article.

Fact Sheets

March 2017

Facts about English Learners and the NCLB/ESSA Transition in Select States

These fact sheets provide a sketch of key characteristics of the foreign-born and English Learner (EL) populations in select states. The fact sheets look at the demographics of these states, discuss EL student outcomes as measured by standardized tests, and conclude with an overview of state accountability mechanisms that affect ELs under relevant provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act and predecessor No Child Left Behind Act.

Articles

March 8, 2017

Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States

In 2015, 43.3 million immigrants lived in the United States, comprising 13.5 percent of the population. The foreign-born population grew more slowly than in prior years, up 2 percent from 2014. Get sought-after data on U.S. immigration trends, including top countries of origin, Mexican migration, refugee admissions, illegal immigration, health-care coverage, and much more in this Spotlight article.

Articles

February 8, 2017

Korean Immigrants in the United States

Approximately 1 million Korean immigrants (overwhelmingly from South Korea) lived in the United States in 2015, representing 2.4 percent of the U.S. immigrant population. While earlier waves consisted largely of unskilled laborers and their families, contemporary Korean immigration boasts high socioeconomic standing and Koreans are generally considered among the most successful immigrant groups.

Programs

Topics see all >

Regions see all >

Data

Featured Publication

Programs

You are here

U.S. Data

Recent Activity

Pages

Pages

Pages

Recent Activity

Pages