Washington, D.C. (September 14, 2021) – The crisis in Afghanistan and the decision to admit tens of thousands of people from that country, with plans to admit more, has raised interest in Afghan immigrants already in the United States. A new report by the Center for Immigration Studies examines their social-demographic characteristics. The findings show dramatic growth in the last decade, with the population concentrated in relatively few states and cities. The data also shows that Afghan men, but not women, have relatively high rates of work. However, reflecting their much lower levels of education, a large share of Afghans live in or near poverty. Although the share with low incomes has not worsened in recent years, their use of non-cash welfare has risen sharply.
“Many Afghan immigrants clearly struggle in the United States, creating significant challenges for them and the country,” said Dr. Steven Camarota, the Center’s director of research and lead author of the report. “Policymaker have to think about how we might better help those who come in the future adapt to life in this county or, alternatively, whether it makes more sense to help them resettle in countries in their own region.”
Among the findings:
- The number of Afghan immigrants (also referred to as the foreign-born) in 2019 was 133,000, more than triple the 44,000 Afghans in 2000, and nearly 2.5 times the 55,000 Afghans in 2010.
- The share of Afghan immigrants (ages 25-64) with at least a bachelor’s degree fell from 30 percent in 2000 to 26 percent in 2019, while increasing from 27 percent to 35 percent for native-born Americans.
- The share of Afghan immigrants without a high school diploma has remained roughly constant and was 22 percent in 2019 – three times the 7 percent for the native-born.
- In 2019, the share of all Afghan immigrants (18 to 64) employed was only 64 percent, compared to 75 percent for the native-born. This reflects low rates of work among Afghan women. Among Afghan men, 84 percent were employed, higher than the 78 percent for native-born men.
- Many Afghans have low incomes. Of persons in households headed by Afghan immigrants, 25 percent live in poverty — twice the 12 percent for people in native-headed households.
- Although the share of Afghan immigrants with low incomes has not worsened in recent years, their use of welfare has increased significantly. In 2019, 65 percent of Afghan households used at least one major program compared to 50 percent in 2010.
- Food stamp use by Afghan households increased the most, from 19 percent to 35 percent between 2010 and 2019, while falling from 11 percent to 10 percent for native-born households.
- The high rates of welfare use reflect the large share of Afghan immigrants who live in or near poverty and the success of refugee resettlement organizations in signing them up for programs, helping many assimilate into the welfare system.
- While many Afghans are poor, a significant share also have high incomes. Of full-time Afghan-immigrant workers, one out of nine earned at least $100,000 a year in 2019.
- At 35 percent, the share of children in households headed by Afghan immigrants who live in poverty is more than twice the 16 percent for children in native-born households.
- The birth rate of Afghan women (ages 15-44) was 155 per thousand in 2019 — nearly three times the 56 per thousand for native-born women.
- Afghan immigrants have high rates of citizenship, with 81 percent who have lived in the country for more than five years having naturalized, compared to 61 percent of all immigrants.
- The states with the largest Afghan-immigrant populations are California (54,000), Virginia (24,000), and Texas (10,000). The metropolitan areas with the largest Afghan populations are Washington, D.C. (26,000), and San Francisco and Sacramento, both with 16,000.
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Afghans in the US: Looking back, looking forward (Panel on September 14, 2021)
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