United States immigration statistics

The 1850 United States census was the first federal U.S. census to query respondents about their "nativity"—i.e, where they were born, whether in the United States or outside of it—and is thus the first point at which solid statistics become available. The following chart, based on statistics from the U.S. Census from 1850 on, shows the numbers of non-native residents according to place of birth. Because an immigrant is counted in each census during his or her lifetime, the numbers reflect the cumulative population of living non-native residents.

Region and Country or Area of Birth of the Foreign-Born Population, With Geographic Detail Shown in Decennial Census

Region and country or area	2000	1990	1980	1970	1960	1950	1920	1910	1900	1890	1880	1870	1860	1850
Total	31,107,889	19,767,316	14,079,906	9,619,302	9,738,091	14,204,149	13,920,692	13,515,886	10,341,276	9,249,547	6,679,943	5,567,229	4,295,510	2,244,602
Reported by region and/or country	31,107,573	18,959,158	13,192,563	9,303,570	9,678,201	14,197,553	13,911,767	13,506,272	10,330,534	9,243,535	6,675,875	5,563,637	4,134,809	2,202,625
Europe	4,915,557	4,350,403	5,149,572	5,740,891	7,256,311	11,784,010	11,916,048	11,810,115	8,881,548	8,030,347	5,751,823	4,941,049	3,807,062	2,031,867
Northern and Western Europe	2,070,446	2,058,853	2,384,257	2,629,200	3,334,971	5,850,256	6,241,916	7,306,325	7,204,649	7,288,917	5,499,889	4,845,679	3,773,347	2,022,195
Northern Europe	974,619	968,271	1,083,499	1,271,591	1,694,430	3,415,551	3,501,149	3,953,947	3,917,815	4,056,160	3,212,431	2,867,926	2,271,661	1,358,887
British Isles	834,225	809,972	866,966	937,474	1,171,777	2,147,733	2,172,723	2,573,534	2,783,082	3,122,911	2,772,169	2,626,241	2,199,079	1,340,812
United Kingdom (total)	677,715	640,145	669,149	686,099	833,055	1,402,923	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)
Great Britain (total)	677,751	623,614	649,318	645,262	764,893	1,224,091	1,135,489	1,221,283	1,167,623	1,251,402	917,598	770,414	587,775	379,093
England	423,609	405,588	442,499	458,114	528,205	809,563	813,853	877,719	840,513	908,141	662,676	550,924	431,692	278,675
Scotland	88,445	104,168	142,001	170,134	213,219	354,323	254,570	261,076	233,524	242,231	170,136	140,835	108,518	70,550
Wales	10,948	10,638	13,528	17,014	23,469	60,205	67,066	82,488	93,586	100,079	83,302	74,533	45,763	29,868
Great Britain n.e.c.	141,572	100,000	51,290	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	951	1,484	4,122	1,802	(NA)
Northern Ireland	13,177	16,531	19,831	40,837	68,162	178,832	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)
Ireland	156,474	169,827	197,817	251,375	338,722	744,810	1,037,234	1,352,251	1,615,459	1,871,509	1,854,571	1,855,827	1,611,304	961,719
Scandinavia	140,394	158,299	216,533	334,117	522,653	1,267,818	1,328,426	1,380,413	1,134,733	933,249	440,262	241,685	72,582	18,075
Denmark	31,422	34,999	42,732	61,410	85,060	179,474	189,154	181,649	153,690	132,543	64,196	30,107	9,962	1,838
Finland	21,408	22,313	29,172	45,499	67,624	142,478	149,824	129,680	62,641	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Iceland	5,553	5,071	4,156	2,895	2,780	2,764	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Norway	32,207	42,240	63,316	97,243	152,698	347,852	363,863	403,877	336,388	322,665	181,729	114,246	43,995	12,678
Sweden	49,724	53,676	77,157	127,070	214,491	595,250	625,585	665,207	582,014	478,041	194,337	97,332	18,625	3,559
Western Europe	1,095,847	1,090,582	1,300,758	1,357,609	1,640,541	2,434,705	69,696,969	3,352,378	3,286,834	3,232,757	2,287,458	1,977,753	1,501,686	663,308
Low countries	130,615	132,617	142,748	155,513	173,069	206,375	207,038	172,534	127,719	107,349	86,461	65,157	37,353	11,161
Belgium	33,895	34,366	36,487	41,412	50,294	64,194	62,687	49,400	29,757	22,639	15,535	12,553	9,072	1,313
Luxembourg	2,150	2,053	3,125	3,531	4,360	9,048	12,585	3,071	3,031	2,882	12,836	5,802	(NA)	(NA)
Netherlands	94,570	96,198	103,136	110,570	118,415	133,133	131,766	120,063	94,931	81,828	58,090	46,802	28,281	9,848
Austria	63,648	87,673	145,607	214,014	304,507	370,914	575,627	626,341	275,907	123,271	38,663	30,508	25,061	946
France	151,154	119,233	120,215	105,385	111,582	135,592	153,072	117,418	104,197	113,174	106,971	116,402	109,870	54,069
Germany	706,704	711,929	849,384	832,965	989,815	1,608,814	1,686,108	2,311,237	2,663,418	2,784,894	1,966,742	1,690,533	1,276,075	583,774
Switzerland	43,106	39,130	42,804	49,732	61,568	113,010	118,659	124,848	115,593	104,069	88,621	75,153	53,327	13,358
Other Western Europe	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	263	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Southern and Eastern Europe	2,840,721	2,285,513	2,748,547	3,090,991	3,907,020	5,918,982	5,670,927	4,500,932	1,674,648	728,851	248,620	93,824	32,312	9,672
Southern Europe	934,665	1,054,141	1,336,805	1,363,195	1,541,441	2,133,092	1,939,600	1,544,149	539,968	216,387	66,249	30,416	21,726	8,152
Greece	165,750	177,398	210,998	177,275	159,167	174,526	175,976	101,282	8,515	1,887	776	390	328	86
Italy	473,338	580,592	831,922	1,008,533	1,256,999	1,790,429	1,610,113	1,343,125	484,027	182,580	44,230	17,157	11,677	3,679
Portugal (total)	203,119	210,122	209,968	119,899	80,276	108,775	103,976	77,634	40,376	25,735	15,650	8,973	5,477	1,274
Azores	26,559	29,656	32,531	28,865	22,586	35,611	33,995	18,274	9,768	9,739	7,512	4,431	1,361	(NA)
Portugal (main)	175,571	180,466	177,437	91,034	57,690	73,164	69,981	59,360	30,608	15,996	8,138	4,542	4,116	1,274
Spain	82,858	76,415	73,735	57,488	44,999	59,362	49,535	22,108	7,050	6,185	5,121	3,764	4,244	3,113
Other Southern Europe	(NA)	9,614	10,182	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	472	132	(NA)	(NA)
Eastern Europe	1,906,056	1,231,372	1,411,742	1,727,796	2,365,579	3,785,890	3,731,327	2,956,783	1,134,680	512,464	182,371	63,408	10,586	1,520
Albania	38,663	5,627	7,381	9,180	9,618	8,814	5,608	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Bulgaria	35,090	8,579	8,463	8,609	8,223	9,399	10,477	11,498	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Czechoslovakia (former)	83,081	87,020	112,707	160,899	227,618	491,638	362,438	219,214	156,891	118,106	85,361	40,289	(NA)	(NA)
Estonia	9,785	9,210	12,169	12,163	13,991	3,550	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Hungary	92,071	110,337	144,368	183,236	245,252	274,450	397,283	495,609	145,714	62,435	11,526	3,737	(NA)	(NA)
Latvia	27,232	26,179	34,349	41,707	50,681	20,673	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Lithuania	28,490	29,745	48,194	76,001	121,475	193,606	135,068	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Poland	466,742	388,328	418,128	548,107	747,750	1,268,583	1,139,979	937,884	383,407	147,440	48,557	14,436	7,298	(NA)
Romania	135,966	91,106	66,994	70,687	84,575	146,393	102,823	65,923	15,032	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Soviet Union (former, total)	838,809	333,725	406,022	463,462	690,598	1,153,628	1,400,495	1,184,412	423,726	182,644	35,722	4,644	3,160	1,414
Turkey in Europe	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	2,257	5,284	32,230	9,910	1,839	1,205	302	128	106
Yugoslavia (former, total)	278,314	141,516	152,967	153,745	165,798	211,416	169,439	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Other Eastern Europe	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	1,483	2,433	10,013	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Europe n.e.c.	4,370	6,037	16,768	20,700	14,320	14,772	3,205	2,858	2,251	12,579	3,314	1,546	1,403	(NA)
Asia	8,226,254	4,979,037	2,539,777	824,887	490,996	275,665	237,950	191,484	120,248	113,383	107,630	64,565	36,796	1,135
Armenia	65,280	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	32,166	36,628	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
China	988,857	529,837	286,120	172,132	99,735	46,129	43,560	56,756	81,534	106,688	104,468	63,042	35,565	758
India	1,022,552	450,406	206,087	51,000	12,296	5,850	4,901	4,664	2,031	2,143	1,707	586	(NA)	(NA)
Japan	347,539	290,128	221,794	120,235	109,175	70,993	81,502	67,744	24,788	2,292	401	73	(NA)	(NA)
Israel	(NA)	21,070	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	6,137	3,203	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Syria	54,561	36,782	22,081	14,962	16,717	57,227	51,901	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Turkey in Asia	78,378	55,087	51,915	48,085	52,228	46,654	11,019	59,729	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Other Asia	(NA)	3,595,727	1,751,780	418,473	200,845	10,509	5,236	2,591	11,895	2,260	1,054	864	1,231	377
Africa	881,300	363,819	199,723	80,143	35,355	18,326	16,126	3,992	2,538	2,207	2,204	2,657	526	551
Africa excl. Atlantic Islands	(NA)	349,451	189,266	61,463	27,053	8,859	5,781	3,992	2,538	2,207	2,204	2,657	526	551
Atlantic Islands	(NA)	14,368	10,457	18,680	8,302	9,467	10,345	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Oceania	168,046	104,145	77,577	41,258	34,730	17,343	14,626	11,450	8,820	9,353	6,859	4,028	2,140	588
Australia	60,965	42,267	36,120	24,271	22,209	12,816	10,914	9,035	6,807	5,984	4,906	3,118	1,419	(NA)
Sandwich Islands (Hawaii)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	(X)	1,304	1,147	584	435	588
Other Oceania	61,878	41,457	16,987	12,521	4,527	3,712	2,415	2,013	2,065	806	326	286	(NA)
Latin America	16,086,974	8,407,837	4,372,487	1,803,970	908,309	791,840	588,843	279,514	137,458	107,307	90,073	57,871	38,315	20,773
Caribbean	2,953,066	1,938,348	1,258,363	675,108	193,922	106,241	78,962	47,635	25,435	23,256	16,401	11,570	7,353	5,772
Cuba	872,716	736,971	607,814	439,048	79,150	18,493	14,872	15,133	11,081	(NA)	6,917	5,319	(NA)	(NA)
Other Caribbean	(NA)	1,201,377	650,549	236,060	114,772	87,748	64,090	32,502	14,354	(NA)	9,484	6,251	(NA)	(NA)
Central America	11,203,673	5,431,992	2,553,113	873,624	624,851	651,976	491,330	223,651	107,290	79,045	69,106	42,736	27,699	13,458
Mexico	9,177,487	4,298,014	2,199,221	759,711	575,902	641,462	486,418	221,915	103,393	77,853	68,399	42,435	27,466	13,317
Other Central America	2,026,150	1,133,978	353,892	113,913	48,949	10,514	4,912	1,736	3,897	1,192	707	301	233	141
South America	1,930,271	1,037,497	561,011	255,238	89,536	33,623	18,551	8,228	4,733	5,006	4,566	3,565	3,263	1,543
Northern America	829,442	753,917	853,427	812,421	952,500	1,310,369	1,138,174	1,209,717	1,179,922	980,938	717,286	493,467	249,970	147,711
Canada	820,771	744,830	842,859	812,421	952,500	1,310,369	1,138,174	1,209,717	1,179,922	980,938	717,157	493,464	249,970	147,711
Canada-French	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	370,852	307,786	385,083	395,126	302,496	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Canada-Other	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	915,537	817,139	819,554	784,796	678,442	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Newfoundland	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	23,980	13,249	5,080	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)
Other Northern America	8,671	9,087	10,568	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	129	3	(NA)	(NA)
Region or country not reported	316	808,158	887,343	315,732	59,890	6,596	8,925	9,614	10,742	6,012	4,068	3,592	3,888	41,977
Born at sea	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	5,008	5,336	6,927	8,196	5,533	4,068	2,638	2,522	(NA)
Not reported	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	(NA)	1,588	3,589	2,687	2,546	479	(NA)	954	1,366	41,977

(NA) Not available.
n.e.c. Not elsewhere classified.
1/ Prior to 1980, Taiwan included with China.