People migrate throughout the world for a wide variety of reasons. Some are migrants seeking better economic opportunities or a safer environment; others leave because of war, poverty, hunger, lack of affordable health care or other social problems; and still others flee persecution because of their religion, race, gender identity or sexual orientation. Among those who migrate, immigrants are individuals who choose to move to another country permanently, or at least for extended periods of time.
About one in seven U.S. residents is an immigrant, and many of them have at least one immigrant parent. As workers, family members and business owners, immigrants are part of the fabric of America’s communities and economy. They provide the energy and ingenuity behind the country’s most innovative companies, while enriching its cultural diversity through their cuisines, traditions and languages.
As a result, there is wide agreement in the United States that immigrant integration is important for the economy and society. While most immigrants have permanent resident status, or at least a regular temporary visa, the population of unauthorized immigrants is growing. The question of how to address the issue has become a major policy concern in recent years.
A long-standing body of evidence suggests that, in the aggregate, immigrants are net contributors to the U.S. economy, boosting GDP and creating jobs in the process. Whether this is true in individual cases, however, depends on a number of factors, including how long a person has lived here and the quality of the job they have held.
When asked to name their biggest concern, most immigrants say financial stability for themselves and their families. Other top concerns include education and the health of their children. In our focus groups, a few participants also pointed to sacrifices they have made in order to bring their families to the United States, and to hopes and dreams for their children’s futures that are often tied to improved educational and career opportunities.
In 2023, most immigrants live in four states: California (10.4 million or 23% of all Americans), Texas (5.2 million or 11%), Florida (4.5 million or 10%) and New York (4.5 million or 10%). Some national origin groups are concentrated in specific geographic areas: for example, 73 percent of Cubans live in Florida.
Three in four immigrants say they would choose to come to the United States again if given the chance, and six in ten say they plan to stay. For those who were forced to leave their homes, most of whom are in Central America, the figures are even higher. In addition, most immigrants who left their home countries say that their financial situation, their child’s education and their employment situation are better in the United States than it was in their homelands. This is a significant change from 1970, when only half of those surveyed said their lives in the United States were better than they were at home. This figure is even higher for college-educated Black and Hispanic immigrants.