E.g., 04/28/2024
E.g., 04/28/2024
U.S. Data

U.S. Data

U.S. Immigrant Population Spotlights
Immigration_History

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

Articles
February 1, 2003
Foreign-Born Hispanics in the United States
By Elizabeth Grieco
Articles
January 1, 2003
English Abilities of the U.S. Foreign-Born Population in 2000
By Elizabeth Grieco
Articles
January 1, 2003
The New Immigrant Survey in the U.S.: The Experience over Time
By Guillermina Jasso, Douglas S. Massey, Mark R. Rosenzweig, and James P. Smith
Articles
December 1, 2002
Characteristics of the Foreign Born in the United States: Results from Census 2000
By Elizabeth Grieco
Articles
November 1, 2002
Temporary High-Skilled Migration
By Maia Jachimowicz, Deborah Waller Meyers
Articles
October 1, 2002
Settlement Patterns of the Foreign Born in the United States: Results from Census 2000
By Elizabeth Grieco
Articles
August 1, 2002
Immigrants and Welfare Use
By Amanda Levinson
Image of data graph chart.
Articles
July 1, 2002
Defining 'Foreign Born' and 'Foreigner' in International Migration Statistics
By Elizabeth Grieco

Pages

Recent Activity

Policy Briefs
February 2003

Census 2010 and the Foreign Born: Averting the Data Crisis

This policy brief examines the implications of the Census Bureau’s proposed discontinuation of the “long-form” questionnaire in 2010 for data and research on the foreign born population in the United States. 

Articles
January 1, 2003

The New Immigrant Survey in the U.S.: The Experience over Time

Large gaps exist in the social science and public policy research on immigration. Guillermina Jasso of New York University, Douglas S. Massey of the University of Pennsylvania, Mark R. Rosenzweig of Harvard University, and James P. Smith of RAND take an in-depth look at the New Immigrant Survey, which aims to bridge the chasm between information needs and existing data.
Articles
January 1, 2003

English Abilities of the U.S. Foreign-Born Population in 2000

Using Census 2000 data, MPI Data Manager Elizabeth Grieco examines the ability to speak English among the foreign born at the national, regional, and state levels.

Articles
December 1, 2002

Characteristics of the Foreign Born in the United States: Results from Census 2000

This Spotlight by Elizabeth Grieco, MPI Data Manager, examines some of the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the foreign-born population in the United States.
Articles
November 1, 2002

Temporary High-Skilled Migration

Globalization has made the international mobility of high-skilled workers a vital issue for the United States. MPI's Maia Jachimowicz and Policy Analyst Deborah W. Meyers explain the complicated visa system for high-skilled temporary workers.
Articles
October 1, 2002

Settlement Patterns of the Foreign Born in the United States: Results from Census 2000

Although the foreign born remain concentrated in certain states, many immigrants are moving into "non-traditional" areas. Elizabeth Grieco, MPI Data Manager, has prepared a spotlight on their settlement patterns.
Articles
August 1, 2002

Immigrants and Welfare Use

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 dramatically reformed the nation's welfare system. MPI's Amanda Levinson takes a closer look at how these changes affected immigrants.

Articles
July 1, 2002

Defining 'Foreign Born' and 'Foreigner' in International Migration Statistics

The concepts of 'foreign born' and 'foreigner' initially appear identical. However, in an international context, they are used to categorize people in fundamentally different ways. Elizabeth Grieco, MPI Data Manager, explains how these concepts can reflect alternative views of citizenship and discusses what this means for data comparability.

Pages