E.g., 10/30/2020
E.g., 10/30/2020

U.S. Data

U.S. Data

U.S. Immigrant Population Spotlights

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

Fact Sheets
July 2014
Select Diaspora Populations in the United States
Articles
July 18, 2014
Immigrants from the Dominican Republic in the United States in 2012
By Chiamaka Nwosu, Jeanne Batalova
Reports
June 2014
Critical Choices in Post-Recession California: Investing in the Educational and Career Success of Immigrant Youth
By Sarah Hooker, Margie McHugh, and Michael Fix
Reports
June 2014
Immigrant Parents and Early Childhood Programs: Addressing Barriers of Literacy, Culture, and Systems Knowledge
By Maki Park and Margie McHugh
Haitian immigrants
Articles
May 29, 2014
Haitian Immigrants in the United States in 2012
By Chiamaka Nwosu, Jeanne Batalova
Fact Sheets
May 2014
Brain Waste in the Workforce: Select U.S. and State Characteristics of College-Educated Native-Born and Immigrant Adults
By Margie McHugh, Jeanne Batalova, and Madeleine Morawski
Reports
April 2014
The Deportation Dilemma: Reconciling Tough and Humane Enforcement
By Marc R. Rosenblum and Doris Meissner
Reports
March 2014
Education Reform in a Changing Georgia: Promoting High School and College Success for Immigrant Youth
By Sarah Hooker, Michael Fix, and Margie McHugh

Pages

Spotlight
December 27, 2012
College-Educated Immigrants in the United States in 2011

Immigrants accounted for 16 percent of the 58.8 million college-educated persons in the United States in 2011, with one in three immigrants holding a college degree. In this spotlight, MPI's Qingqing Ji and Jeanne Batalova provide a demographic and socioeconomic profile of college-educated natives and immigrants in the country.

Spotlight
November 28, 2012
Temporary Admissions of Nonimmigrants to the United States in 2011

There were more than 53 million nonimmigrant (temporary) admissions to the United States in 2011. MPI's Qingqing Ji and Jeanne Batalova outline the definition of nonimmigrants and take a detailed look at admissions data and data limitations in this spotlight.

Spotlight
October 24, 2012
Green Card Holders and Legal Immigration to the United States in 2011

In 2011, more than 1 million people were granted lawful permanent resident status in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of new LPRs were immigrants with family ties in the United States, report MPI's Joseph Russell and Jeanne Batalova in this updated look at the latest statistics on legal immigration.

Spotlight
September 27, 2012
Refugees and Asylees in the United States in 2011

In 2011, the United States granted humanitarian protection to nearly 81,000 immigrants, including some 56,000 refugees and 25,000 asylum seekers. This article takes a detailed look at the most recent refugee and asylum data in the United States – finding that asylum grants in 2011 reversed a downward trend observed since 2007.

Spotlight
July 26, 2012
European Immigrants in the United States in 2010

In the past 50 years, the number and share of European immigrants in the United States have declined significantly. A look at the population's size, geographic distribution, admission categories, and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

Pages

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Recent Activity

Fact Sheets
July 2014

Select Diaspora Populations in the United States

MPI has produced profiles of 15 diaspora communities in the United States, gathering in one place key demographic data and analysis on diasporas from Bangladesh, Colombia, El Salvador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The profiles examine population size, educational attainment, household income, employment patterns, geographic distribution, and remittance volume.

Articles
July 18, 2014

Immigrants from the Dominican Republic in the United States in 2012

The Dominican-born population in the United States has grown rapidly since 1960, and today, the United States is home to 960,000 immigrants from the Dominican Republic. This article provides up-to-date demographic information for Dominican immigrants in the United States, including statistics on distribution by state and metro area, educational and professional attainment, income levels, health care coverage, and more.

Reports
June 2014

Critical Choices in Post-Recession California: Investing in the Educational and Career Success of Immigrant Youth

This report examines the experiences and outcomes of immigrant youth across California’s educational institutions. Tracing the effects of education budget cuts that hit this population particularly hard, the report offers recommendations as new funding priorities and education reforms are being implemented. With one-fourth of all immigrants and one-third of English Language Learner students in the U.S., California's performance holds national implications.

Reports
June 2014

Immigrant Parents and Early Childhood Programs: Addressing Barriers of Literacy, Culture, and Systems Knowledge

This report identifies the unique needs of immigrant parents as they try to engage with early childhood education and care programs. Parent engagement is a critical component of kindergarten readiness, but many immigrant parents face formidable barriers to participation. The report explores federal and local efforts for immigrant parents of young children and offers recommendations for better meeting their needs.
Articles
May 29, 2014

Haitian Immigrants in the United States in 2012

Between 1990 and 2012, the U.S. population of immigrants born in Haiti tripled in size, from 200,000 to 606,000. This article provides the most up-to-date demographic information available for Haitian immigrants in the United States, including statistics on distribution by state and metro area, educational and professional attainment, income levels, health care coverage, and more.

Fact Sheets
May 2014

Brain Waste in the Workforce: Select U.S. and State Characteristics of College-Educated Native-Born and Immigrant Adults

In a series of fact sheets focusing on the United States and a dozen key states, MPI assesses the extent of “brain waste”—that is, the number of college-educated immigrant and native-born adults ages 25 and older who are either unemployed or have jobs that are significantly below their education and skill levels.

Reports
April 2014

The Deportation Dilemma: Reconciling Tough and Humane Enforcement

This report profiles the current-era deportation system, exploring the new legal authorities, spending increases, and policy changes over the last two decades that have resulted in the removal of more than 4.5 million unauthorized immigrants since 1996. The report analyzes key trends in border and interior apprehensions, deportations, and criminal prosecutions, and examines the policy levers available to influence deportation policies, practices, and outcomes.
Reports
March 2014

Education Reform in a Changing Georgia: Promoting High School and College Success for Immigrant Youth

This report analyzes the educational experiences and outcomes of immigrant youth ages 16 to 26 across Georgia's education systems, encompassing K-12, adult, and postsecondary. By examining these interconnected systems together, the analysis offers linked strategies for advancing the educational attainment of Georgia’s immigrant youth.

Pages