There are more than 46 million immigrants in the United States, representing 13.9 percent of the U.S. population. While the foreign-born population in the United States is at a record high numerically, it remains shy of the 14.8 percent record-high share hit in 1890. And while the United States has the world’s largest immigrant population, it ranks far below other countries in foreign-born share, not even appearing among the top 25.

If you are looking for numbers that help explain migration in the United States and around the world, you have come to the right place. Thank you for reading our Migration Data Hub newsletter.

Want more stats and facts? Stop by our Migration Data Hub to find a host of accessible and interactive data tools, charts, and maps about international migration.

A State-by-State Profile of U.S. Immigrant Populations

Our U.S. State Immigration Data Profiles offer a wealth of statistics about immigrants and the U.S. born in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, as well as nationwide. Find useful information on immigrants' countries of birth, ages, educational enrollment and attainment, home ownership, insurance coverage and poverty levels, languages spoken, industries of work, and much more!

Top Migrant Destinations Over Time, by Country, since 1960

The United Arab Emirates has the world’s highest foreign-born population share, with more than 88 percent of its residents born abroad.  

See the largest migrant countries in absolute and relative terms with our Top 25 Destinations of International Migrants tool. Slide through different decades, starting with 1960, to see how the top destinations have changed over time.

Growing Number of Flexible Statuses for Displaced Individuals

Amid recent massive displacement crises, countries are increasingly turning to novel tools to provide displaced individuals with legal status and access to certain rights and forms of assistance. Often, the status is temporary and outside the boundaries of traditional humanitarian protection programs.

Our recent report, Expanding Protection Options? Flexible Approaches to Status for Displaced Syrians, Venezuelans, and Ukrainians, by MPI President Andrew Selee, Senior Policy Analyst Susan Fratzke, Associate Policy Analyst Samuel Davidoff-Gore, and Nonresident Fellow Luisa Feline Freier, examines the offering of these statuses by Turkey, South American countries, and EU Member States.

Unauthorized Crossings at the U.S.-Mexico Border Have Changed

Unauthorized migration at the U.S.-Mexico border looks profoundly different today than even just a few years ago. Before, the lion's share of arrivals were Mexican single adults, but now more people are arriving as families or unaccompanied children and are coming from a growing array of origin countries. Three years ago, just 12 percent of migrants encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border were from countries beyond Mexico or northern Central America. In fiscal 2023, 51 percent of encounters were of nationals from beyond Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. In part because of these changing characteristics as well as the record number of encounters, the U.S. border management system has been stretched beyond its capabilities.

The report Shifting Realities at the U.S.-Mexico Border: Immigration Enforcement and Control in a Fast-Evolving Landscape tracks the dramatic changes at the border and the policy struggle to keep up.

The U.S. Asylum System Is Under Historic Pressure

The U.S. humanitarian protection system is under major strain, amid a record number of unauthorized border crossings and heightened displacement globally. The asylum system is facing immense pressure to adapt to this new era, but the recent failure of a bipartisan border bill to gain traction in Congress underscored the challenges in modifying law to meet the moment.

Policy Analyst Kathleen Bush-Joseph examines the state of the U.S. asylum system in the report Outmatched: The U.S. Asylum System Faces Record Demands.

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