The United States counted more than 50.2 million immigrants in 2024 — 14.8 percent of its 340.1 million residents and the largest foreign-born population in the country's history, according to the Migration Policy Institute's latest statistics spotlight. The share matches the record set in 1890, the only prior period when immigrants reached 14.8 percent of the U.S. population.

The immigrant population grew by more than 2.4 million people, or about 5 percent, between 2023 and 2024 — the largest annual growth since at least 2010. The 2024 figure draws on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the Current Population Survey, and data from the Departments of Homeland Security and State.

How does 2024 compare historically?

In 1970, the immigrant share hit an all-time low of 4.7 percent, or 9.6 million people. Restrictive laws in 1921 and 1924, the Great Depression, and World War II had driven a decades-long decline from the late-19th-century peak.

Since 1970, numbers have climbed rapidly, driven largely by arrivals from Latin America and Asia following the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which abolished national-origin quotas, and the Refugee Act of 1980. The population has also diversified: in 1960, Italians were the top origin group at 13 percent of the foreign born, while Mexicans have formed the largest group since 1980.

Where do U.S. immigrants come from?

Mexico remained the largest origin country in 2024:

• Mexico: 11.1 million people, or 22 percent of the immigrant population
• India: approximately 3.2 million, about 6 percent
• China (including Hong Kong and Macao): 2.6 million, about 5 percent
• Philippines: 4 percent; Cuba, El Salvador, Vietnam, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic: about 3 percent each

The top ten countries accounted for 27.5 million people, or 55 percent of all U.S. immigrants. The Mexican-born population declined by about 567,000 between 2010 and 2024 — the largest absolute drop of any group — while India grew by nearly 1.4 million and China by 815,000 over the same period. Venezuelans were the fastest-growing group, up 437 percent since 2010, ahead of Afghanistan (330 percent) and Nepal (200 percent).

Are most immigrants in the country legally?

Yes. About 74 percent of immigrants held permanent legal status — as naturalized citizens, green-card holders, refugees or asylees — or a long-term nonimmigrant visa such as international student or temporary worker as of 2023.

Close to 25.8 million immigrants were naturalized citizens as of 2024, or 8 percent of the total U.S. population. About 818,500 green-card holders naturalized in FY 2024, down 7 percent from 878,500 in FY 2023. Of the 12.8 million green-card holders as of January 2024, roughly 8.7 million were eligible to naturalize.

What do the numbers show about work and families?

Immigrants made up more than 18 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force in 2024 — 32.2 million of 175.3 million workers — a share that has more than tripled since 1970, when it stood at about 5 percent.

Their median household income was approximately $82,400 in 2024, slightly above the $81,400 for U.S.-born households. Immigrants were somewhat more likely to live in poverty: 14 percent versus 12 percent.

Immigrants and their U.S.-born children numbered more than 97.2 million people, or 29 percent of the U.S. population. About 18.3 million U.S. children — 26 percent of all children under 18 — lived with at least one immigrant parent, up from 13 percent in 1990.

Which states host the most immigrants?

California led with 10.9 million immigrants in 2024, followed by Texas (5.8 million), Florida (5.4 million), New York (4.6 million) and New Jersey (2.4 million). By share, California again led at 28 percent, with New Jersey at 25 percent and New York and Florida at 23 percent each.

Florida gained the largest absolute number of new immigrants between 2010 and 2024 (1.7 million), but North Dakota recorded the fastest relative growth, at 152 percent.

What happens next?

The outlook is uncertain. U.S. immigration policies have been in flux since the return of the Trump administration in January 2025, with consequences MPI says have yet to be fully realized. The administration has moved to arrest unauthorized immigrants, strip more than 1.5 million humanitarian migrants of temporary protections, scrutinize temporary visa holders — including international students and H-1B skilled workers — as well as green-card holders and naturalized citizens, and restrict future arrivals.

Immigration has been a significant driver of U.S. population growth as birth rates fall. Immigrants and their U.S.-born children have accounted for the entire growth of the prime working-age population since 2000. If current policy trends reduce immigration, MPI cautions, overall population growth may slow considerably or even reverse.