The United States is the world’s top destination for immigrants, with over 70 million people arriving since 1965, according to Pew Research Center’s analysis of Census Bureau data. Of these, about 18 million have come from Mexico, representing the largest wave of immigration from a single country to the U.S.
In 2022, the U.S. immigrant population reached a record high of 46.1 million, making up 13.8% of the country’s total population. This includes both legal and unauthorized immigrants.
Diverse Origins
Immigrants in the U.S. today come from almost every country in the world. The largest numbers are from Mexico (10.6 million) and India (2.8 million). This marks a shift from a century ago when the largest immigrant groups were from Germany and Italy.
State-by-State Variation
The proportion of immigrants varies widely by state, from 2% in West Virginia to 27% in California. In 2022, Mexican immigrants were the largest group in 29 states, while Indian immigrants were the largest in six states. In contrast, in 1920, the largest immigrant groups in many states were from Germany, Italy, or Canada. Only six states have maintained the same largest origin group from 1920 to 2022: Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas (all from Mexico) and Maine, Montana, and Vermont (all from Canada).
Reasons for Change
Several factors have influenced the changes in the U.S. immigrant population since 1965:
- Changes in Immigration Law: The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act allowed for more legal immigration from Asia and Latin America, replacing a system that had favored immigrants from Northern and Western Europe.
- Unauthorized Immigration: Unauthorized immigration began to rise in the 1970s. Many of those who arrived before 1982 gained legal status through the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, though unauthorized immigration continued.
- Further Legal Changes: Revisions to the 1965 act in 1990 increased the number of legal immigrants and diversified the origins of immigrants.
Historical Waves of Immigration
- 1840-1889: The first large wave saw over 14 million immigrants, mostly from Northern and Western Europe. Germany, Ireland, and the UK accounted for 70% of arrivals. By 1880, German immigrants were predominant in many states, with Chinese immigrants being the largest group in California and other western territories.
- 1890-1919: The second wave brought over 18 million immigrants, with 60% coming from Eastern and Southern Europe, including Italy, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Poland.
- 1920-1964: Immigration numbers dropped between the World Wars. By 1960, the largest immigrant groups were from Germany, Italy, and Canada.
- 1965-2007: A new wave began in 1965, with most immigrants coming from Latin America and Asia. Mexico was the largest source. Unauthorized immigration increased significantly after 1990, with the population growing from 3.5 million to 12.2 million by 2007.
Recent Trends
The Great Recession of 2008 altered immigration patterns. Mexican immigration slowed, and the number of Mexican immigrants stopped growing. Although Mexico remained the largest source of U.S. immigrants, its share of the immigrant population decreased from 29% in 2010 to 23% in 2022. In contrast, immigration from Asia increased significantly, with more new arrivals from Asia than Latin America during the 2010s.
The unauthorized immigrant population declined from 12.2 million in 2007 to 10.2 million in 2019 but rose again to 11.0 million in 2022. Mexican immigrants remained the largest group in 29 states, while Indian immigrants were the largest in six states. For the first time, Ethiopians, Guatemalans, and Hondurans became the largest immigrant groups in the District of Columbia, South Dakota, and Louisiana, respectively.
