Growing Pains

Immigrants in the United States -- 2000-2002
A Snapshot of America's Foreign-Born Population

By Steven A. Camarota,
Center for Immigration Studies' Backgrounder

November, 2002

An analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies of the Current Population Survey (CPS) collected in March of this year by the Census Bureau indicates that 33.1 million immigrants (legal and illegal) live in the United States, an increase of two million just since the last Census. The March CPS includes an extra-large sample of minorities and is considered one of the best sources for information on persons born outside of the United States - referred to as foreign-born by the Census Bureau.(1) For the purposes of this report, foreign-born and immigrant are used synonymously.(2) The questions asked in the CPS are much more extensive than those in the decennial census, and therefore it can be used to provide a detailed picture of the nation's population, including information about welfare use, health insurance coverage, poverty rates, entrepreneurship, and many other characteristics. The purpose of this Backgrounder is to examine immigration's impact on the United States so as to better inform the debate over what kind of immigration policy should be adopted in the future.

Among the reports findings:

There is no evidence that the economic slowdown that began in 2000 or the terrorist attacks in 2001 have significantly slowed the rate of immigration. More than 3.3 million legal and illegal immigrants have entered the country since January of 2000.
By historical standards, the 33.1 million immigrants living in the United States is unprecedented. Even at the peak of the great wave of immigration in the early 20th century the number of immigrants living in the United States was only 40 percent of what it is today (13.5 million in 1910).
Immigrants account for 11.5 percent of the total population, the highest percentage in 70 years. If current trends continue, by the end of this decade the immigrant share of the total population will surpass the all time high of 14.8 percent reached in 1890.
Immigration has become the determinate factor in population growth. The arrival of 1.5 million immigrants each year, coupled with 750,000 births to immigrant women annually, means that immigration policy is adding over two million people to the U.S. population each year, accounting for at least two-thirds of U.S. population growth.

Immigration's Estimated Impact on Population Growth in the Fastest-Growing States, 2000-02, Using the CPS (Thousands)

Two Methods for Estimating Immigration's Impact on Population Growth

State
Pop. Growth
2000-2002 (1)

Arrivals
2000-2002 (2)

Births to Immigrants
2000-2002 (3)

2000-2002 Arrivals as a Share of Population Growth

2000-2002 Arrivals Plus Births to Immigrants

California
872

599

470

68.7 Percent

>100.0 Percent

Texas
659

293

172

44.4 Percent

70.5 Percent

Florida
596

318

111

53.3 Percent

71.9 Percent

Georgia
268

16

38

6.0 Percent

20.2 Percent

Arizona
247

116

61

46.8 Percent

71.5 Percent

North Carolina
190

53

31

28.1 Percent

44.4 Percent

Colorado
164

87

19

53.2 Percent

64.8 Percent

Nevada
151

32

11

21.2 Percent

28.5 Percent

Virginia
146

77

27

53.0 Percent

71.5 Percent

Washington
139

88

25

63.4 Percent

81.4 Percent

Maryland
112

96

19

85.8 Percent

100.0 Percent

New Jersey
97

135

44

>100.0 Percent

>100.0 Percent

Illinois
81

105

60

>100.0 Percent

>100.0 Percent

Oregon
77

42

8

54.3 Percent

80.3 Percent

Minnesota
72

27

8

37.1 Percent

48.2 Percent

Nation as a Whole
5,116

2,960

1,475

57.9 Percent

86.7 Percent

(1) Based on a comparison of 2000 Census with state population estimates carried forward to March 2002.
(2) The figures are for those who indicated that they arrived in the country between 2000 and 2002, excluding those who arrived in the first quarter of 2000 because these immigrants should already be in the 2000 Census figures.
(3) Figures are for births to all immigrants between April 2000 and March 2002, including immigrants who arrived prior to April 2000.

Dr. Camarota is the Center for Immigration Studies' Director of Research.

Carried by permission from Dr. Camarota

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Immigration's Estimated Impact on Population Growth in the Fastest-Growing States, 2000-02, Using the CPS (Thousands)
				Two Methods for Estimating Immigration's Impact on Population Growth
State	Pop. Growth 2000-2002 (1)	Arrivals 2000-2002 (2)	Births to Immigrants 2000-2002 (3)	2000-2002 Arrivals as a Share of Population Growth	2000-2002 Arrivals Plus Births to Immigrants
California	872	599	470	68.7 Percent	>100.0 Percent
Texas	659	293	172	44.4 Percent	70.5 Percent
Florida	596	318	111	53.3 Percent	71.9 Percent
Georgia	268	16	38	6.0 Percent	20.2 Percent
Arizona	247	116	61	46.8 Percent	71.5 Percent
North Carolina	190	53	31	28.1 Percent	44.4 Percent
Colorado	164	87	19	53.2 Percent	64.8 Percent
Nevada	151	32	11	21.2 Percent	28.5 Percent
Virginia	146	77	27	53.0 Percent	71.5 Percent
Washington	139	88	25	63.4 Percent	81.4 Percent
Maryland	112	96	19	85.8 Percent	100.0 Percent
New Jersey	97	135	44	>100.0 Percent	>100.0 Percent
Illinois	81	105	60	>100.0 Percent	>100.0 Percent
Oregon	77	42	8	54.3 Percent	80.3 Percent
Minnesota	72	27	8	37.1 Percent	48.2 Percent

Nation as a Whole	5,116	2,960	1,475	57.9 Percent	86.7 Percent

(1) Based on a comparison of 2000 Census with state population estimates carried forward to March 2002. (2) The figures are for those who indicated that they arrived in the country between 2000 and 2002, excluding those who arrived in the first quarter of 2000 because these immigrants should already be in the 2000 Census figures. (3) Figures are for births to all immigrants between April 2000 and March 2002, including immigrants who arrived prior to April 2000.