MPI’s Guide to Key U.S. Immigration Statistics Offers One-Stop-Shop to Understand Changing Trends

WASHINGTON, DC — The immigrant population in the United States has reached a record high both in terms of its size and its share of the overall U.S. population. According to the most recent data available, 14.8 percent of the country’s population as of 2024 was foreign born, matching the record set in 1890. This represents a dramatic turnaround from 1970, when immigrants comprised just 4.7 percent of the U.S. population.