1. The Foreign-Born Population in the United States: Size, Distribution, and Characteristics
Elizabeth M. Grieco
Chief, Foreign-Born Population Branch
Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau
Presentation to the Consular Corps of Washington, D.C.
October 26, 2011

2. Purpose of Presentation
Review some basic migration terms
Foreign born and native born
Review historical growth of the foreign born
Size and percent of total population
Region of birth
Geographic distribution
Review current characteristics of the foreign born
Social
Economic 2

3. Defining Terms: Foreign Born and Native Born
Foreign born – Anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth
The foreign-born population includes naturalized U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, temporary migrants, humanitarian migrants, and unauthorized migrants
Note: Census Bureau does not collect data by legal status, other than naturalized citizen/noncitizen
Native born – Anyone who is a U.S. citizen at birth
The native population includes anyone born in the United States, born in Puerto Rico or a U.S. Island Area (e.g., Guam), and born abroad of U.S. citizen parent or parents
Includes children born in the United States to foreign-born parents 3

4. During the last four decades, the foreign-born population has continued to increase in size and as a percent of the total population.
Foreign-Born Population and Percent of Total Population, for the United States: 1850 to 2010
Numbers in millions. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Population, 1850 to 2000, and the American Community Survey, 2010. 4

5. The number of foreign born from Latin America and Asia grew rapidly after 1960, while the number from Europe declined, then remained relatively stable.
Foreign-Born Population by Region of Birth: 1960 to 2010
Number in millions. Note: Excludes region of birth not reported. Other areas includes Africa and Oceania.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Population, 1960 to 2000 and the American Community Survey, 2010. 5

6. Another significant trend since 1960 has been the increase of foreign born from Central America, especially Mexico.
36.9
36.0
27.5
18.1
9.1
6.4
Percent of the Total Foreign-Born Population from Central America and Mexico: 1960 to 2010
Note: Excludes region of birth not reported.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Population, 1960 to 2000 and the American Community Survey, 2010. 6

7. U.S. percent: 4.7 7

8. U.S. percent: 6.2 8

9. U.S. percent: 7.9 9

10. U.S. percent: 11.1 10

11. U.S. percent: 12.9 11

12. With 11.7 million, the foreign born from Mexico represents the largest country-of-birth group, accounting for 29 percent of the total foreign-born population.
Foreign-Born Population by Country of Birth: 2010
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 12

13. California, New York, Texas, and Florida have the largest foreign-born populations. California alone accounts for one-fourth of all foreign born in the United States.
Foreign-Born Population by State: 2010
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 13

14. About one-third of the foreign-born population came to live in the United States in 2000 or later. However, this proportion varies among country-of-birth groups.
Foreign-Born Population by Period of Entry: 2010
Percent distribution. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 14

15. 15 15 15

16. 16 16 16

17. The proportion of the foreign-born population that has obtained citizenship was 44 percent in 2010.
Foreign-Born Population by Percent Naturalized U.S. Citizen: 2010
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 17

18. About one-quarter of children under age 18 have at least one foreign-born parent, but the majority are themselves native.
Own Children Under 18 Years in Families and Subfamilies by Number and Nativity of Parents
Note: “Own children” refers to a child under 18 years old who is a son or daughter by birth, marriage (a stepchild), or adoption. Total population size less than 18 years of age is 74.2 million.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 18

19. The majority of foreign born speak a language other than English at home. Of those, about half speak English less than “very well,” although English language ability varies considerably among country-of-birth groups.
Foreign-Born Population by Language Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English: 2010
Population 5 years and over. Ability to speak English less than “very well” is among those who spoke a language other than English at home.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 19

20. About one-third of the foreign-born population did not graduate from high school, compared with 11 percent of all natives.
Educational Attainment by Nativity and Country of Birth: 2010
Population 25 years and over. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 20

21. The labor-force participation rate of the total foreign-born population is higher than that of natives.
Labor Force Participation Rate by Nativity: 2010
Population 16 years and over. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 21

22. The foreign-born country-of-birth groups work in occupations that in part reflect their different levels of educational attainment.
Occupation by Nativity and Country of Birth: 2010
Civilian employed population 16 years and over. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 22

23. Low levels of English language ability and educational attainment can impact household income.
Median Household Income in the Past 12 Months by Nativity and Country of Birth: 2010
In 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 23

24. A higher percent of the foreign-born population lived in poverty when compared to the native born. Over one-fourth of all foreign-born from Mexico lived in poverty.
Percent of Population in Poverty by Nativity and Country of Birth: 2010.
Includes people for whom poverty status is determined. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 American Community Survey. 24

25. Summary and Conclusions:
Since 1970, the foreign-born population has continued to increase in size and as a percent of the total population
The majority of foreign born are from Latin America and Asia
About 1 in 4 children under 18 have at least one foreign-born parent
Considerable differences exist among the different country-of-birth groups in various characteristics
Some indication of settlement to new areas of destination 25

26. Contact Information
Elizabeth M. Grieco
Chief, Foreign-Born Population Staff
Population Division, U.S. Census Bureau 26