The Foreign-Born Population in the U.S.

According to the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the 2003 Current Population Survey, the civilian noninstitutionalized population in the United States included 33.5 million foreign-born, representing 11.7 percent of the U.S. population. Historically, the foreign-born population increased during each decade until 1930 and then declined until 1970. Over half-one of the foreign-born population is from Latin America. Central Americans form a growing share of the foreign born from Latin America. And one-quarter of the foreign-born population is from Asia, nearly one-seventh of the forign born are from Europe. More than one-quarter of the foreign born is from Mexico. Most of the 10 leading countries of birth of the foreign-born population are in Latin America and Asia. Historically, European countries and Canada were the leading countries of birth of the foreign-born population.