How the origins of America’s immigrants have changed since 1850

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The United States is the top destination in the world for people moving from one country to another. Over 70 million immigrants have arrived in the U.S. since 1965, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. About 18 million have come from Mexico, making up the largest wave of immigration from a single country to the U.S.

In 2022, the number of immigrants living in the U.S. reached a high of 46.1 million, accounting for 13.8% of the population. (This includes both legal and unauthorized immigrants.)

These immigrants trace their roots to virtually all countries around the world. The largest numbers hail from Mexico (10.6 million) and India (2.8 million). That’s different from a century ago: In 1920, the largest immigrant populations were from Germany and Italy.

Immigrant populations by state

The share of immigrants varies widely among states, from 2% in West Virginia to 27% in California. In 2022, Mexican immigrants were the largest group in 29 states, while Indian immigrants were the largest group in six states.

Mirroring the national trend, the origins of immigrants living in each state have changed dramatically in the past century. In 1920, the largest immigrant groups in 29 states were born in Germany, Italy or Canada. And only six states had the same largest origin group in 2022 that they did in 1920: Arizona, New Mexico and Texas (all from Mexico) and Maine, Montana and Vermont (from Canada).

Why has the origins of the immigrant population changed over the years?

Reasons behind the changes in the U.S. immigrant population since 1965 include:

A more equitable U.S. immigration law. The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act opened up legal immigration from Asia and Latin America. The law it replaced had favored immigrants from Northern and Western Europe and mostly barred those from Asia.

Unauthorized immigration. Unauthorized immigration to the U.S. began to grow in the 1970s, which made the total number of immigrants go up. Most of those who came before 1982 acquired legal status after the passage of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act. However, unauthorized immigrants continued to come in large numbers.

Further changes in U.S. immigration law. A revision to the 1965 act in 1990 allowed more legal immigrants to enter the U.S. and provided alternative ways for people to immigrate, increasing the diversity of origins.

Immigrants are joining the U.S. workforce at much higher levels than normal