Immigrants to U.S. by Country of Origin

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff

Figures are totals, not annual averages, and were tabulated as follows: 1820–1867, alien passengers arrived; 1868–1891 and 1895–1897, immigrant aliens arrived; 1892–1894 and 1898 to present, immigrant aliens admitted. From 1989 totals include legalized immigrants. (Data before 1906 relate to country whence alien came; 1906–1980, to country of last permanent residence; 1981 to present data based on country of birth.)

Countries 19961820–1996 1981–90 1971–80 1961–70 1951–60 1941–50 1820–1940
Europe:
Albania1
4,00712,230 479 329 98 59 85 2,040
Austria25542,664,7284,636 9,478 20,621 67,106 24,860 2,534,617
Belgium 651212,8945,706 5,329 9,192 18,575 12,189 158,205
Bulgaria32,06678,0292,342 1,188 619 104 375 65,856
Former Czechoslovakia11,389156,84811,500 6,023 3,273 918 8,347 120,013
Denmark 608374,287 5,380 4,439 9,201 10,984 5,393 335,025
Estonia1280 2,254137 91 163 185 212 506
Finland160240,3153,265 2,868 4,192 4,925 2,503 19,593
France 3,079795,25923,124 25,069 45,237 51,121 38,809 594,998
Germany26,7487,105,30170,111 74,414 190,796 477,765 226,578 6,021,951
Greece 1,452704,67929,130 92,369 85,969 47,608 8,973 430,608
Hungary21,183167,8719,764 6,550 5,401 36,637 3,469 1,609,158
Ireland 1,7314,780,89132,823 11,490 32,966 48,362 14,789 4,580,557
Italy 2,5015,353,21332,894 129,368 214,111 185,491 57,661 4,719,223
Latvia1736 6,603359 207 510 352 361 1,192
Lithuania11,0807,967482 248 562 242 683 2,201
Luxembourg1323,284234 307 556 684 820 565
Netherlands 1,423382,10911,958 10,492 30,606 52,277 14,860 253,759
Norway4354756,4483,901 3,941 15,484 22,935 10,100 697,095
Poland58,481743,37697,390 37,234 53,539 9,985 7,571 414,755
Portugal 3,766518,753 40,020 101,710 76,065 19,588 7,423 256,044
Romania65,198246,65739,963 12,393 2,531 1,039 1,076 156,945
Spain 1,591 289,61115,698 39,141 44,659 7,894 2,898 170,123
Sweden41,0981,398,57810,211 6,531 17,116 21,697 10,665 1,325,208
Switzerland 677 362,7927,076 8,235 18,453 17,675 10,547 295,680
United Kingdom 13,6575,197,150142,123 137,374 213,822 202,824 139,306 4,266,561
Former U.S.S.R.72,5883,749,77784,081 38,961 2,465 671 571 3,343,361
Former Yugoslavia32,011 158,54019,182 30,540 20,381 8,225 1,576 56,787
Other Europe 3,60565,8752,661 4,049 4,904 9,799 3,447 36,060
Total Europe
147,58136,410,452705,630 800,368 1,123,492 1,325,727 621,147 32,468,776
Asia:
China8
25,106 1,232,740388,686 124,326 34,764 9,657 16,709 382,173
India 44,859703,339261,841 164,134 27,189 1,973 1,761 9,873
Israel 3,126152,47336,353 37,713 29,602 25,476 476
Japan96,011498,33343,248 49,775 39,988 46,250 1,555 277,591
Turkey 3,657425,60120,843 13,399 10,142 3,519 798 361,236
Other Asia 207,4135,010,2822,042,025 1,198,831 285,957 66,374 15,729 44,053
Total Asia10
268,248 8,000,8442,066,455 1,588,178 427,642 153,249 37,028 1,074,926
America:
Canada and
Newfoundland11
15,8254,348,541119,204 169,939 413,310 377,952 171,718 3,005,728
Central America 44,2891,153,217458,753 134,640 101,330 44,751 21,665 49,154
Mexico12163,5725,246,3921,653,250 640,294 453,937 299,811 60,589 778,255
South America 61,7691,588,408455,977 295,741 257,954 91,628 21,831 121,302
West Indies 116,8013,372,716892,392 741,126 470,213 123,091 49,725 446,971
Other America1251117,5741,352 995 19,630 59,711 29,276 56
Total America
340,54015,945,0813,580,928 1,982,735 1,716,374 996,944 354,804 4,401,466
Africa 52,889561,569192,212 80,779 28,954 14,092 7,367 26,060
Australia and
New Zealand
2,750160,87020,169 23,788 19,562 11,506 13,805 54,437
Pacific Islands13 63,03421,041 17,454 5,560 1,470 746 11,089
Countries not
specified14
5272,254196 12 93 12,491 142 253,689
Total all countries605,793 61,207,884 7,338,062 4,493,314 3,321,677 2,515,479 1,035,039 38,290,443
1. Countries established since beginning of World War I are included with countries to which they belonged.
2. Data for Austria-Hungary not reported until 1861. Austria and Hungary recorded separately after 1905, Austria included with Germany 1938–45.
3. Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro first reported in 1899. Bulgaria reported separately since 1920. In 1920, separate enumeration for Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, Slovenes; since 1922, recorded as Yugoslavia.
4. Norway included with Sweden 1820–68.
5. Included with Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Russia 1899–1919.
6. No record of immigration until 1880.
7. From 1931–63, the U.S.S.R. was broken down into European U.S.S.R. and Asian U.S.S.R. Since 1964, total U.S.S.R. has been reported in Europe.
8. Beginning in 1957, China includes Taiwan.
9. No record of immigration until 1861.
10. From 1934, Asia included Philippines; before 1934, recorded in separate tables as insular travel.
11. Includes all British North American possessions, 1820–98.
12. No record of immigration, 1886–93.
13. Included with “Countries not specified” prior to 1925.
14. Includes 32,897 persons returning in 1906 to their homes in U.S.
NOTE: Data are latest available.
Source: Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Foreign-Born Population in the U.S.: 1850–1930, 1960–1990, 2004ImmigrationCountries of Birth of the Foreign-Born Population, 1850–2000
Immigration
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