Immigrants heed to a speech communication equally they expect to become U.Southward. citizens at a naturalization ceremony in Los Angeles. (Marking Ralson/AFP/Getty Images)

The United States has more than immigrants than any other state in the world. Today, more than 40 million people living in the U.S. were built-in in another country, accounting for about one-fifth of the world's migrants. The population of immigrants is too very diverse, with just about every country in the world represented among U.Due south. immigrants.

Pew Research Center regularly publishes statistical portraits of the nation'southward foreign-born population, which include historical trends since 1960. Based on these portraits, here are answers to some key questions about the U.S. immigrant population.

How many people in the U.Due south. are immigrants?

The U.S. foreign-born population reached a tape 44.8 million in 2018. Since 1965, when U.S. immigration laws replaced a national quota system, the number of immigrants living in the U.S. has more than quadrupled. Immigrants today account for 13.vii% of the U.S. population, nearly triple the share (iv.8%) in 1970. All the same, today'southward immigrant share remains below the tape fourteen.8% share in 1890, when nine.2 million immigrants lived in the U.South.

Immigrant share of U.S. population nears historic high

What is the legal status of immigrants in the U.Due south.?

Unauthorized immigrants are almost a quarter of U.S. foreign-born population

Most immigrants (77%) are in the country legally, while almost a quarter are unauthorized, co-ordinate to new Pew Research Eye estimates based on census data adjusted for undercount. In 2017, 45% were naturalized U.Southward. citizens.

Some 27% of immigrants were permanent residents and 5% were temporary residents in 2017. Another 23% of all immigrants were unauthorized immigrants. From 1990 to 2007, the unauthorized immigrant population more than tripled in size – from 3.five million to a tape high of 12.2 million in 2007. Past 2017, that number had declined past one.seven million, or fourteen%. There were 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2017, accounting for 3.2% of the nation'south population.

The decline in the unauthorized immigrant population is due largely to a fall in the number from Mexico – the single largest grouping of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. Betwixt 2007 and 2017, this group decreased by two million. Meanwhile, there was a rise in the number from Central America and Asia.

Do all lawful immigrants choose to become U.Due south. citizens?

Not all lawful permanent residents choose to pursue U.Due south. citizenship. Those who wish to do and so may apply later on meeting sure requirements, including having lived in the U.South. for five years. In fiscal year 2019, about 800,000 immigrants applied for naturalization. The number of naturalization applications has climbed in recent years, though the almanac totals remain below the 1.4 million applications filed in 2007.

Generally, most immigrants eligible for naturalization apply to go citizens. However, Mexican lawful immigrants have the everyman naturalization rate overall. Linguistic communication and personal barriers, lack of interest and financial barriers are amidst the top reasons for choosing not to naturalize cited by Mexican-built-in green carte du jour holders, according to a 2015 Pew Inquiry Eye survey.

Where do immigrants come from?

Mexico, China and India are among top birthplaces for immigrants in the U.S.

Mexico is the height origin country of the U.S. immigrant population. In 2018, roughly 11.2 million immigrants living in the U.South. were from in that location, accounting for 25% of all U.S. immigrants. The adjacent largest origin groups were those from China (6%), India (6%), the Philippines (4%) and El salvador (3%).

By region of birth, immigrants from Asia combined accounted for 28% of all immigrants, close to the share of immigrants from Mexico (25%). Other regions brand upward smaller shares: Europe, Canada and other North America (13%), the Caribbean area (10%), Central America (8%), South America (vii%), the Middle East and North Africa (4%) and sub-Saharan Africa (5%).

Who is arriving today?

Among new immigrant arrivals, Asians outnumber Hispanics

More than 1 million immigrants make it in the U.Southward. each year. In 2018, the top land of origin for new immigrants coming into the U.S. was China, with 149,000 people, followed by India (129,000), United mexican states (120,000) and the Philippines (46,000).

Past race and ethnicity, more than Asian immigrants than Hispanic immigrants have arrived in the U.Southward. in nearly years since 2009. Immigration from Latin America slowed following the Keen Recession, particularly for United mexican states, which has seen both decreasing flows into the United States and large flows back to Mexico in recent years.

Asians are projected to get the largest immigrant group in the U.S. by 2055, surpassing Hispanics. Pew Research Middle estimates indicate that in 2065, those who identify as Asian volition make upward some 38% of all immigrants; as Hispanic, 31%; White, 20%; and Black, 9%.

Is the immigrant population growing?

U.S. foreign-born population reached 45 million in 2015, projected to reach 78 million by 2065

New immigrant arrivals have fallen, mainly due to a decrease in the number of unauthorized immigrants coming to the U.S. The drop in the unauthorized immigrant population tin can primarily be attributed to more Mexican immigrants leaving the U.S. than coming in.

Looking forward, immigrants and their descendants are projected to account for 88% of U.Southward. population growth through 2065, assuming current immigration trends continue. In addition to new arrivals, U.S. births to immigrant parents will be important to future growth in the land's population. In 2018, the percent of women giving nativity in the by yr was college among immigrants (7.5%) than among the U.S. born (5.7%). While U.Southward.-born women gave birth to more than 3 million children that twelvemonth, immigrant women gave birth to nigh 760,000.

How many immigrants have come to the U.S. as refugees?

More than half of U.S. refugees in 2019 were from D.R. Congo and Burma

Since the creation of the federal Refugee Resettlement Program in 1980, about 3 million refugees accept been resettled in the U.S. – more than any other state.

In fiscal 2019, a total of 30,000 refugees were resettled in the U.S. The largest origin group of refugees was the Democratic republic of the congo, followed by Burma (Myanmar), Ukraine, Eritrea and Afghanistan. Among all refugees admitted in fiscal year 2019, 4,900 are Muslims (16%) and 23,800 are Christians (79%). Texas, Washington, New York and California resettled more than a quarter of all refugees admitted in financial 2018.

Where practice most U.S. immigrants live?

Nearly half (45%) of the nation's immigrants live in just iii states: California (24%), Texas (11%) and Florida (10%). California had the largest immigrant population of any country in 2018, at 10.6 million. Texas, Florida and New York had more than four 1000000 immigrants each.

In terms of regions, about two-thirds of immigrants lived in the West (34%) and Southward (34%). Roughly one-fifth lived in the Northeast (21%) and xi% were in the Midwest.

In 2018, most immigrants lived in just 20 major metropolitan areas, with the largest populations in the New York, Los Angeles and Miami metro areas. These superlative 20 metro areas were home to 28.7 million immigrants, or 64% of the nation'south total foreign-built-in population. Most of the nation's unauthorized immigrant population lived in these meridian metro areas also.

20 metropolitan areas with the largest number of immigrants in 2018

How do immigrants compare with the U.S. population overall in education?

Educational attainment among U.S. immigrants, 2018

Immigrants in the U.S. as a whole have lower levels of didactics than the U.S.-born population. In 2018, immigrants were over three times as likely as the U.South. born to have non completed high school (27% vs. 8%). However, immigrants were just as likely as the U.S. born to have a available's degree or more than (32% and 33%, respectively).

Educational attainment varies among the nation's immigrant groups, specially beyond immigrants from unlike regions of the world. Immigrants from United mexican states and Central America are less likely to exist high school graduates than the U.Southward. born (54% and 47%, respectively, practice not accept a high schoolhouse diploma, vs. 8% of U.S. born). On the other mitt, immigrants from every region except Mexico, the Caribbean area and Central America were as likely every bit or more likely than U.S.-born residents to take a bachelor'southward or advanced degree.

Amidst all immigrants, those from South Asia (71%) were the most likely to accept a available'due south degree or more. Immigrants from Mexico (7%) and Central America (11%) were the least likely to have a bachelor's or higher.

How many immigrants are working in the U.S.?

Total U.S. labor force grows since 2007, but number of unauthorized immigrant workers declines

In 2017, virtually 29 meg immigrants were working or looking for work in the U.Due south., making up some 17% of the full civilian labor force. Lawful immigrants made upward the majority of the immigrant workforce, at 21.ii 1000000. An additional vii.6 one thousand thousand immigrant workers are unauthorized immigrants, less than the full of the previous year and notably less than in 2007, when they were viii.2 1000000. They alone account for iv.6% of the civilian labor force, a dip from their peak of v.iv% in 2007. During the aforementioned menstruum, the overall U.S. workforce grew, as did the number of U.S.-born workers and lawful immigrant workers.

Immigrants are projected to drive future growth in the U.S. working-age population through at least 2035. As the Baby Blast generation heads into retirement, immigrants and their children are expected to offset a reject in the working-age population by adding about 18 million people of working historic period betwixt 2015 and 2035.

How well do immigrants speak English?

Half of immigrants in U.S. are English proficient as of 2018

Among immigrants ages 5 and older in 2018, half (53%) are proficient English language speakers – either speaking English very well (37%) or just speaking English at home (17%).

Immigrants from Mexico have the lowest rates of English proficiency (34%), followed by those from Central America (35%), East and Southeast Asia (fifty%) and Southward America (56%). Immigrants from Canada (96%), Oceania (82%), Europe (75%) and sub-Saharan Africa (74%) have the highest rates of English proficiency.

The longer immigrants accept lived in the U.South., the greater the likelihood they are English proficient. Some 47% of immigrants living in the U.S. five years or less are expert. By contrast, more than than half (57%) of immigrants who take lived in the U.S. for 20 years or more are practiced English language speakers.

Among immigrants ages 5 and older, Castilian is the most normally spoken language. Some 42% of immigrants in the U.Due south. speak Spanish at habitation. The top 5 languages spoken at home among immigrants exterior of Spanish are English only (17%), followed by Chinese (half-dozen%), Hindi (5%), Filipino/Tagalog (four%) and French (3%).

How many immigrants take been deported recently?

Around 337,000 immigrants were deported from the U.Southward. in fiscal 2018, upwards since 2017. Overall, the Obama administration deported most 3 million immigrants between 2009 and 2016, a significantly higher number than the 2 million immigrants deported by the Bush-league assistants between 2001 and 2008. In 2017, the Trump administration deported 295,000 immigrants, the lowest total since 2006.

Immigrants convicted of a law-breaking made up the less than half of deportations in 2018, the most recent twelvemonth for which statistics by criminal status are bachelor. Of the 337,000 immigrants deported in 2018, some 44% had criminal convictions and 56% were non convicted of a crime. From 2001 to 2018, a majority (60%) of immigrants deported accept not been bedevilled of a crime.

U.S. deportations of immigrants slightly up in 2018

How many immigrant apprehensions have place at the U.S.-Mexico border?

The number of apprehensions at the U.Due south.-United mexican states border has doubled from fiscal 2018 to fiscal 2019, from 396,579 in fiscal 2018 to 851,508 in fiscal 2019. Today, there are more apprehensions of non-Mexicans than Mexicans at the border. In fiscal 2019, apprehensions of Key Americans at the border exceeded those of Mexicans for the fourth sequent year. The first fourth dimension Mexicans did not make upwardly the majority of Border Patrol apprehensions was in 2014.

How do Americans view immigrants and immigration?

U.S. immigrants are seen more as a strength than a burden to the country

While clearing has been at the forefront of a national political debate, the U.S. public holds a range of views about immigrants living in the land. Overall, a majority of Americans have positive views about immigrants. About two-thirds of  Americans (66%) say immigrants strengthen the country "because of their hard work and talents," while about a quarter (24%) say immigrants burden the land by taking jobs, housing and wellness care.

Nonetheless these views vary starkly by political amalgamation. Among Democrats and Autonomous-leaning independents, 88% think immigrants strengthen the country with their hard work and talents, and just eight% say they are a brunt. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 41% say immigrants strengthen the country, while 44% say they brunt it.

Americans were divided on future levels of immigration. A quarter said legal immigration to the U.Southward. should be decreased (24%), while one-third (38%) said immigration should exist kept at its present level and about another third (32%) said immigration should be increased.

Notation: This is an update of a post originally published May 3, 2017, and written past Gustavo López, a former research analyst focusing on Hispanics, immigration and demographics; and Kristen Bialik, a former research assistant.

CORRECTION (Sept. 21, 2020): An update to the methodology used to tabulate figures in the nautical chart "Amid new immigrant arrivals, Asians outnumber Hispanics" has changed all figures from 2001 and 2012. This new methodology has besides immune the inclusion of the figure from 2000. Furthermore, the earlier version of the chart incorrectly showed thepartial yr shares of Hispanic and Asian recent arrivals in 2015; the correctedcomplete year shares are 31% and 36%, respectively.

Abby Budiman is a former inquiry analyst focusing on race and ethnicity research at Pew Research Center.