How high is current immigration to the United States in historical perspective?
4 hours ago
- Immigration is a major US concern, dominating elections and dividing public opinion.
- The article uses Census Bureau data from 1850 to 2024 to analyze historical immigration levels.
- The foreign-born population includes naturalized citizens and unauthorized migrants, regardless of legal status.
- In 2024, there were 50 million foreign-born residents in the US, an all-time high in absolute numbers.
- The number of immigrants grew from 2 million in 1850 to 10 million in 1900, declined after 1930, hit a low in 1970, then rose steadily.
- Relative to total population, immigrants made up about 15% in 2024, close to the 19th-century peak of 13-15% in the late 1800s.
- The immigrant share dropped to just under 5% in 1970 before rising again.
- Current immigration is unprecedented in absolute numbers but not in relative terms when compared to the 19th century.
- Migration patterns have changed: in the early 1900s, most immigrants came from Europe; today, Latin America and Asia contribute more.
- The data relies on censuses and surveys, which may miss some people and do not separate legal from illegal immigration.
- The article is based on work by Hannah Ritchie, Esteban Ortiz-Ospina, and Edouard Mathieu, published by Our World in Data.