Key Statistics
Explore Immigration Data
Review these key facts about modern-day immigration to the United States.
Introduction
The United States has more immigrants than any other country in the world. Today, more than 40 million people living in the U.S. were born in another country, accounting for about one-fifth of the world’s immigrants in 2016.
This population is also very diverse, with just about every country in the world represented among U.S. immigrants.
View the slideshow below to learn some key facts about modern immigration to the United States. Do any of these statistics surprise you?
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Approximately 43.3 million foreign-born people live in the United States (2015).
Of these, 20.7 million are naturalized U.S. citizens. The others are lawful permanent residents, unauthorized migrants, or temporary visa holders.¹
References
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Michael Nicholson, “The Facts on Immigration Today: 2017 Edition,” Center for American Progress, 20 April 2017, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/reports/2017/04/20/430736/facts-immigration-today-2017-edition/ [17 July 2020].
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Elizabeth M. Grieco et al., “The Size, Place of Birth, and Geographic Distribution of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 1960 to 2010,” U.S. Census Bureau, October 2012, https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/working-papers/2012/demo/POP-twps0096.pdf [17 July 2020].
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Silva Mathema, “Keeping Families Together: Why All Americans Should Care About What Happens to Unauthorized Immigrants,” Center for American Progress, 16 March 2017.
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National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration (Washington: National Academies Press, 2017).
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Partnership for a New American Economy, “The ‘New American’ Fortune 500,” June 2011, https://www.newamericaneconomy.org/sites/all/themes/pnae/img/new-american-fortune-500-june-2011.pdf [8 July 2020].
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Partnership for a New American Economy.
