Record 50.2 Million Foreign-Born Residents in U.S., Majority Are Latino

The United States is home to a record 50.2 million foreign-born residents as of 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This figure represents 14.8% of the total U.S. population, marking the highest absolute number recorded in national statistics.

Analysis of the data reveals a significant demographic shift: 51.4% of the foreign-born population originates from Latin America, totaling an estimated 25.8 million people. Asia follows as the second-largest origin region, accounting for 30.8% of the foreign-born population. European-born residents make up 9.7%, and those from Africa constitute 5.9%.

Historically, the immigration landscape in the U.S. has transformed dramatically. In 1850, a staggering 92.2% of the foreign-born population was of European origin. This dominance persisted for decades, largely due to an immigration system based on country-specific quotas. However, a pivotal immigration reform in 1965 eliminated these national-origin quotas, prioritizing family reunification, specific job skills, and refugee protection instead.

This policy change spurred a steady increase in immigrants from Latin America starting in the 1960s, leading to them becoming the largest foreign-born group after 1980. Similarly, Asian immigration saw substantial growth, with the Asian-born population surpassing the European-born population around 1990. The data underscores the evolving composition of the U.S. immigrant population over more than 150 years.

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Beginning with the census of 1850 and every decade since, we have documented our nation's foreign-born population.