Washington, D.C. (March 28, 2024) — The total immigrant population has grown by an unprecedented 6.4 million since President Biden took office, according to a Center for Immigration Studies analysis of new Census Bureau data.
The total immigrant (or foreign-born) population, legal and illegal combined, hit a new record high of 51.4 million in February of 2024. Not only is the total number the highest ever, but the share of immigrants in the population has reached 15.5 percent, surpassing the previous record set in the 19 th century.
The current migration surge means not only record size and share of the foreign-born population, and an unprecedented rate of increase, but it has been coupled with a decline in the education level of new arrivals.
“All prior records have been surpassed, and we continue to head further and further into uncharted territory, without much discussion of what these numbers mean for everything from public coffers to the balance of political power — to say nothing about whether we can assimilate this many people,” said Steven Camarota, the Center’s Director of Research and the report’s lead author.
Among the findings of the Center’s analysis of the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS):
- In February 2024, the foreign born in the United States hit a new high of 51.4 million and15.5 percent of the U.S. population — surpassing all prior records.
- The foreign-born share of the U.S. population has more than tripled since 1970, nearly doubled since 1990, and is up 40 percent since 2000.
- Since President Biden took office in January 2021, the foreign-born population has grown by 6.4 million — larger than the individual populations of 33 states.
- The increase since 2021 is driven primarily by a 4.2 million increase in immigrants from Latin America. Also, immigrants from the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East are up 819,000 and 654,000 respectively.
- At 172,000 a month, the average increase in the foreign-born under President Biden is four times the 42,000 average under Trump before Covid-19 hit, and double the 68,000 average under Obama.
- We preliminarily estimate that more than half (3.7 million) of the 6.4 million increase in the foreign-born population since January 2021 is likely due to illegal immigration. If adjusted for those missed by the survey, the increase is larger.
- The 6.4 million increase overall and the 3.7 million estimated increase in illegal immigrants are both net figures. The number of new arrivals was higher but was offset by outmigration and natural mortality among the foreign-born already here.
- Due in part to the illegal influx, the education level of new arrivals has declined. Of working-age (18-64) adults who arrived in the last two years, only 41 percent had a college degree, down from 55 before Covid.
- In February of 2024 the 31 million immigrant workers accounted for 19.3 percent of all workers — both new record highs. Compared to February 2020, right before Covid, the number of immigrant workers is up 3.3 million, while the number of U.S.-born workers is down by 1 million.
- The recent growth in immigrant workers has added several hundred billion dollars to aggregate GDP. However, per-person GDP, not aggregate GDP, determines the standard of living. Immigration tends to lower per-person GDP because it causes the population to grow faster than the economy.
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