United States immigration statistics

Immigration to the United States over time by region

The 1850 United States census was the first federal U.S. census to query respondents about their "nativity"—i.e, where they were born, whether in the United States or outside of it—and is thus the first point at which solid statistics become available. The following chart, based on statistics from the U.S. Census from 1850 on,^[1] shows the numbers of non-native residents according to place of birth. Because an immigrant is counted in each census during his or her lifetime, the numbers reflect the cumulative population of living non-native residents.

Foreign born by decade

(NA) Not available.
n.e.c. Not elsewhere classified.
1/ Prior to 1980, Taiwan included with China.

Persons getting permanent resident status

By year

This table gives the number of people who got permanent resident status in the United States by year from 2000 to 2022.^[2]

Illegal /unauthorized immigrants

In 2022, the United States Department of Homeland Security estimated the number of illegal immigrants or unauthorized immigrants to be 11,990,000 people.^[3]

By country by year

The table below lists the estimated number of illegal immigrants for the top 10 countries with the largest estimated number by country of birth and year in the thousands. There is no national census done on the legality of being in the United States of those born abroad. No data is available for 2001-2004 and 2020 while for 2010, 2015 and 2018 this table has the revised number. Source: ^[3]

References

1. The statistics through 1990 are taken from Table 4, "Region and Country or Area of Birth of the Foreign-Born Population, With Geographic Detail Shown in Decennial Census Publications of 1930 or Earlier: 1850 to 1930 and 1960 to 1990", in: Gibson, Campbell J.; Lennon, Emily (February 1999). "Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-born Population of the United States: 1850-1990". Population Division, US Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC. Retrieved 2017-06-11.
2. 2022 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics (PDF). United States Department of Homeland Security: Office of Homeland Security Statistics. 2023. p. 5. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
3. Baker, Bryan; Warren, Robert (April 2024). Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2018–January 2022 (PDF). United States Department of Homeland Security: Office of Homeland Security Statistics.