To add context to this impressive fact, we’ve illustrated the regions from which U.S. immigrants originated. “Immigrants” in this context refers to individuals who are residing in the United States but were not U.S. citizens at birth.
These statistics were sourced from the Migration Policy Institute, which analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey (ACS).
U.S. Immigrants by Region
From this graphic, we can see that Asia and Latin America emerge as the primary sources of immigration, collectively accounting for 81% of America’s 46.2 million immigrants.
| Region | # of Immigrants | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | 4,728,948 | 10 |
| Asia | 14,349,080 | 31 |
| Africa | 2,752,965 | 6 |
| Oceania | 288,560 | 1 |
| Northern America | 828,702 | 2 |
| Latin America | 23,233,834 | 50 |
| Total | 46,182,089 | 100 |
Latin America alone contributes half of the immigrant population. Mexico stands out as the largest contributor to U.S. immigration, with 10.7 million immigrants, attributable to its geographical proximity and historical ties.
Economic factors, including wage disparity and employment opportunities, drive many Mexicans to seek better prospects north of the border.
From Asia, the two largest country sources are China (2.2 million) and India (2.8 million).
