Immigration has featured prominently in the 2024 U.S. election season. According to the latest New York Times-Siena College poll, 15 percent of likely voters said that immigration is the most important factor when it comes to deciding who they vote for. But what does the data tell us about the U.S. immigrant population itself?
Foreign-born population in the United States
The U.S. foreign-born population has steadily increased since the 1970s. In the last two decades, the U.S. immigrant population has grown by almost 50 percent; in 2022, immigrants made up approximately 14 percent of the total population. Though these figures include unauthorized migrants, as well as temporary migrants (such as asylum-seekers, refugees, and lawful permanent residents), who can’t vote yet, naturalized citizens now make up a record number of eligible voters in the United States.
As of 2022, 23.8 million naturalized citizens made up 10 percent of the U.S. electorate—with 30 percent of the cohort hailing from Mexico, India, and China alone, followed by the Philippines (6 percent) and Vietnam (4 percent). Other immigrant groups with relatively high naturalization rates include those from El Salvador, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Guatemala.
Foreign-born Eligible Voters in the United States
Sources: United States Census Bureau and Pew Research Center
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