Immigration

Key Facts & Trends

The present level of immigration into the U.S is significantly higher than the historical average, and because of high immigration rates, the U.S. is now the fastest growing industrialized nation in the world. Population growth in the U.S. is increasingly being driven by immigration rather than fertility. 

  • In 2005, there were 37 million foreign-born U.S. residents:  31 percent were legal permanent residents who had become naturalized U.S. citizens, 39 percent were legal immigrants and 30 percent were unauthorized immigrants. Foreign-born residents account for about 12 percent of the U.S. population, and that percentage is expected to increase in coming decades.
  • In 2006, U.S. population crossed the 300 million mark.  It is currently projected that the U.S. population will reach 420 million by 2050.  Much of that growth will be derived from immigration and children born to recent immigrants.
  • The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) estimates that the unauthorized immigrant population in the United States increased 37 percent from nearly 8.5 million on January 1, 2000 to 11.6 million on January 1, 2006. The annual average net increase in the unauthorized population during this period was 515,000. The Pew Hispanic Center estimated the unauthorized population at 11.1 million in March 2005 and projected it would be 11.5 to 12 million by March 2006. 
  • If immigration remains at current levels, the U.S. will experience a significant racial and ethnic shift over the next few decades. The number of foreign-born persons will rise from 25 million in 1996 to 42 million in 2025, and the foreign-born share of the U.S. population will jump from 10 percent to almost 15 percent. At the same time, the number of second-generation Americans—the children of immigrants—will continue to increase. In 1995, first- and second-generation Americans were approximately 20 percent of the U.S. total. It’s anticipated that first- and second-generation Americans will account for one-third or more of the U.S. population in 2025.
  • Immigration is changing America’s racial and ethnic composition. In 1970, 83 percent of Americans were white non-Hispanics, while African Americans made up 11 percent. Hispanics and Asians made up less than 6 percent. By 2005, the share of white non-Hispanics shrank to 67 percent, while the share of blacks rose to 13 percent. The share of white non-Hispanics is projected to drop to 52 percent in 2050, while the share of Hispanics is projected to rise from 14 percent in 2005 to 25 percent. The share of African-Americans is expected to remains the same, while the share of Asians is projected to double from 5 percent to 10 percent.  Of the estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States, about six million are from Mexico.
  • The Population Reference Bureau reports that with net immigration of about 1 million per year, new immigrants and their children will likely account for all of the growth in the U.S. labor force between 2010 and 2030.

Policy Implications

Immigration policies and trends affect a wide range of political and social issues and raise some significant questions.

  • If the U.S. agrees to reduce carbon emissions by 50 to 80 percent by the year 2050, as some are proposing, U.S. population growth will necessitate even steeper reductions in per capita carbon emissions.
  • Immigration, both internal and external, will contribute to rapid growth in the populations of many water-scarce states--including California, Arizona, and New Mexico--making it more difficult to meet their water resource needs.
  • As the nation considers comprehensive health care reform, a growing number_ of policymakers are proposing to extend insurance coverage (through Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP) to all children living in low-income households regardless of immigrant status.  Such a step could increase the cost of expanding SCHIP coverage, though some of those costs would be offset by decreased demand for other services, e.g. emergency room care.
  • Internal and external migration patterns are contributing to urban sprawl and traffic congestion in many areas of the country, compicating the task of 'smart growth' planners.
  • As the percentage of students with English language difficulties rises, many schools will have to increase the number of classes for limited-English proficient students.
  • With new immigrants expected to account for almost all of future labor force growth in the next few decades, many U.S.-born workers will face increased competition from immigrant job-seekers, especially unskilled workers.