The Foreign-Born Population in the : 2003 Issued August 2004 Population Characteristics P20-551

This report describes the Current foreign-born population in Figure 1. Population the United States in 2003. Foreign Born by It provides a profile of of Birth: 2003 Reports demographic and socioe- (In percent) By conomic characteristics, Luke J. Larsen such as region of birth, 53.3 geographic distribution in 10.1 OTHER 8.0 the United States, age, educational attainment, 25.0 earnings, and poverty sta- tus. These characteristics are compared with those of the native population and, because the foreign Central born are a heterogeneous America 36.9 group, variability within the foreign-born popula- South 13.7 America 6.3 tion is also discussed. The findings are based on data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 collected by the Census Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Bureau in the Current Population Survey (CPS).1

The foreign born are those who were not included 33.5 million foreign born, repre- U.S. citizens at birth. Natives are those senting 11.7 percent of the U.S. popula- who were born in one of the following tion.2 Among the foreign born, areas — the United States, , 53.3 percent were born in Latin America, , American , the U.S. Virgin 25.0 percent in Asia, 13.7 percent in Islands, or the Northern Mariana Europe, and the remaining 8.0 percent in Islands — or were born abroad of at least one parent who was a U.S. citizen. 2 The estimates in this report are based on responses from a sample of the population. As with Population Size and Composition all surveys, estimates may vary from the actual values because of sampling variation or other factors. All In March 2003, the civilian noninstitution- comparisons made in this report have undergone sta- tistical testing and are significant at the 90-percent alized population in the United States confidence level unless otherwise noted. For informa- tion about CPS estimates of the foreign-born popula- 1 The data in this report are from the Annual tion and how they differ from census numbers, see A. Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) to the 2003 Dianne Schmidley, U.S. Census Bureau, Current Current Population Survey. The population repre- Population Reports, Series P23-206, Profile of the sented (the population universe) is the civilian nonin- Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000, stitutionalized population living in the United States. Appendix B, Source and Accuracy of the Estimates, See Source of the Data at the end of this report for and Appendix C, Comparison of Population Universes. further details. See also, Source of the Data at the end of this report.

U.S. Department of Commerce U S C E N S U S B U R E A U Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. CENSUS BUREAU Helping You Make Informed Decisions other regions of the world.3 The foreign-born population from Figure 2. (including ) Population by Region of Residence and Nativity: 2003 accounted for more than two-thirds (As a percent of each population) of the foreign born from Latin Foreign born Native America and more than one-third of the total foreign born (Figure 1). 22.2 Northeast 18.5 Geographic Distribution In 2003, 11.3 percent of the for- 11.3 Midwest eign-born population lived in the 24.1 Midwest, 22.2 percent in the Northeast, 29.2 percent in the 29.2 South, and 37.3 percent in the South 36.5 West. In contrast, among the native population, 24.1 percent lived in 37.3 the Midwest, 18.5 percent in the West Northeast, 36.5 percent in the 21.0 South, and 21.0 percent in the West (Figure 2).4 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 Annual Social and Economic Supplement. The foreign born from both Latin America and Asia were more likely to live in the West (38.6 percent and Figure 3. 44.5 percent, respectively) than in Population by Age Group and Nativity: 2003 any other region of the United (As a percent of each population) States. The foreign born from Foreign born Central America were concentrated Native in the West (52.7 percent) and the 8.9 Under 18 years 27.8 3 The world regions used in this report — Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Other Regions — are based upon those defined by 80.1 the United Nations. For this report, entries in 18 to 64 years the Other Regions category have been collat- 60.0 ed from the world regions Northern America, , and , while the Latin America category has been divided into the sub- 11.1 regions Central America (including Mexico), 65 years and over , and the Caribbean. For more 12.1 information, see United Nations, 1996. 1995 Demographic Yearbook. Department for Economic and Social Information and Policy Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 Annual Social and Analysis, Statistics Division. New York, NY, Economic Supplement. pp. 30-31. 4 The Census Bureau categorizes the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia into four geographic regions. The Northeast Region comprises nine states (Connecticut, South (30.8 percent). In compari- metropolitan area (44.4 percent), Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New son, the Latin American foreign compared with slightly more than Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont); the Midwest Region comprises born from the Caribbean and from one-quarter of the native population twelve states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, South America were concentrated in (26.9 percent). The proportions of Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, the Northeast (50.9 percent and Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and the foreign-born and native popula- Wisconsin); the West Region comprises thirteen 44.4 percent, respectively) and the tions living outside central cities states (, Arizona, California, Colorado, South (44.3 percent and 38.6 per- but within a metropolitan area , Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming); and cent, respectively). differed slightly (50.3 percent and the South Region comprises sixteen states 52.9 percent, respectively). The (Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Areas of Residence percentage of the foreign born liv- Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South ing in nonmetropolitan areas Carolina, , Texas, Virginia, and West More than two-fifths of the foreign Virginia) and the District of Columbia. born lived in a central city in a (5.3 percent) was much smaller

2 U.S. Census Bureau Figure 4. Native and Foreign-Born Populations by Age and Sex: 2003 (In percent)1

Foreign Born Native Male Age Female Male Age Female 0.4 85+ 0.8 0.4 85+ 0.8 0.5 80-84 0.7 0.7 80-84 1.1 0.9 75-79 1.2 1.1 75-79 1.6 1.4 70-74 1.5 1.4 70-74 1.7 1.6 65-69 2.1 1.5 65-69 1.7 1.9 60-64 2.2 2.0 60-64 2.2 2.6 55-59 2.8 2.6 55-59 2.8 3.2 50-54 3.6 3.2 50-54 3.3 4.1 45-49 4.3 3.6 45-49 3.8 5.4 40-44 5.1 3.7 40-44 3.9 5.9 35-39 5.7 3.4 35-39 3.5 6.1 30-34 5.8 3.2 30-34 3.3 5.9 25-29 5.2 2.9 25-29 3.0 4.5 20-24 3.5 3.4 20-24 3.5 2.6 15-19 2.4 3.7 15-19 3.6 1.7 10-14 1.5 4.1 10-14 3.9

1.0 5-9 1.0 3.9 5-9 3.7 0.5 0-4 0.4 3.9 0-4 3.8

1Each bar represents the percent of the foreign-born (native) population who were within the specified age group and of the specified sex. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

than the percentage of natives with 12.1 percent). In contrast, 1970.5 Among those who arrived (20.2 percent). 8.9 percent of the foreign born, before 1970, 80.9 percent had but 27.8 percent of the native obtained citizenship by 2003. Of Age population were less than 18 years those who entered from 1970 to In 2003, 80.1 percent of the foreign of age. The small proportion of 1979, 69.6 percent had obtained born were 18 to 64 years of age, foreign born in the youngest age citizenship by 2003, compared with whereas 60.0 percent of natives group occurred because most of 48.3 percent of those who entered were in this age group (Figure 3). the children of foreign-born par- from 1980 to 1989 and 14.7 per- More specifically, 45.1 percent of ents were born in the United States cent of those who entered in 1990 the foreign born, but 27.0 percent and thus are natives. or later (Figure 5).6 of the native population were aged 25 to 44. Among the foreign born, Year of Entry 24.7 percent were 45 to 64 years 5 The proportion of foreign-born people Among the foreign born in 2003, who entered the U.S. since 2000 is not sta- old, compared with 23.5 percent of tistically different from the proportion of natives (Figure 4). 13.6 percent entered the United those who entered between 1970 and 1979. States since 2000, 36.6 percent 6 Generally, at least 5 years of residence is required for U.S. citizenship, so rates for The proportion of the foreign born came in the 1990s, 24.0 percent the more recently arrived foreign born will that was aged 65 and over differed came in the 1980s, 13.7 percent almost always be lower. For more informa- tion, see Profile of the Foreign-Born slightly from that of the native came in the 1970s, and the remain- Population in the United States: 2000, population (11.1 percent compared ing 12.2 percent arrived before Section 7, “Citizenship Status.”

U.S. Census Bureau 3 Family Household Size Figure 5. In 2003, 25.0 percent of family U.S. Citizenship of the Foreign-Born Population households with a foreign-born by Year of Entry: 2003 householder included five or more (In percent) people.7 In contrast, only 12.5 per- cent of family households with a Before 1970 80.9 native householder were this large. Among foreign-born family house- 1970-1979 69.6 holds, the proportion with five or more people varied from 39.3 per- 1980-1989 48.3 cent when the householder was 14.7 from Central America to 9.8 percent 1990 or later when the householder was from Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 Annual Social and Europe (Figure 6). Economic Supplement. Among the population 15 years and older, the foreign born were more Figure 6. likely than natives to be currently Family Households with Five or More People by married (57.2 percent compared Nativity and by World Region of Birth: 2003 8 with 52.2 percent). Among the for- (In percent)1 eign born, a larger proportion of naturalized citizens than nonciti- Native 12.5 zens were married (66.3 percent Foreign born 25.0 compared with 57.5 percent).9

Educational Attainment Europe 9.8 The foreign born aged 25 and over were less likely to have graduated Asia 19.2 from high school than natives the Latin America 32.9 same age (67.2 percent and 87.5 percent, respectively). Foreign- Caribbean 18.0 born naturalized citizens were more Central America 39.3 likely to have graduated from high school than noncitizens (77.3 per- South America 22.3 cent and 59.5 percent, respectively). Other Regions 16.7 More than one-fifth of the foreign born had less than a ninth-grade 1Each bar represents the percent of family households, whose householder was born in education (21.5 percent), a higher the specified area, that consisted of five or more people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 Annual Social and proportion than that of the native Economic Supplement. population (4.1 percent). The per- centage of the foreign born with a bachelor’s degree or more education (27.3 percent) was not statistically In sharp contrast, the percentage different from that of the native pop- of high school graduates from ulation (27.2 percent, Figure 7). Latin America was much lower 7 Family households consist of two or more people, at least one of whom is related (49.1 percent). Among the foreign The highest percentages of high to the householder (the person who owns or born from Latin America, those rents the housing unit) by birth, marriage, or school graduates among the foreign from South America were the most adoption. Foreign-born households have a born were from Asia, Europe, and foreign-born householder. likely to have graduated from high 8 Includes cases in which the spouse is Other Regions (87.4 percent, 84.9 per- school (79.3 percent), and those absent, but excludes those who are separat- cent, and 83.5 percent, respectively).10 ed. Also, marital status data are for those from Central America were the aged 15 and over. least likely (37.7 percent), as 9 The percentage of currently married 10 The proportion of high school gradu- noncitizens is not statistically different from ates among the foreign born from Europe shown in Figure 8. The proportion the percentage of currently married total (84.9 percent) was not statistically different that had attained a bachelor’s foreign-born people (57.5 percent and from that of the foreign born from Other 57.2 percent, respectively). Regions (83.5 percent). degree or more ranged from

4 U.S. Census Bureau whereas native workers were more Figure 7. likely than foreign-born workers to Population by Educational Attainment be in management or professional and Nativity: 2003 specialty occupations (36.2 percent (As a percent of each population aged 25 and over) Foreign born and 26.9 percent, respectively). Native Furthermore, occupations related to farming, fishing, and forestry 21.5 were less common among foreign- Less than 9th grade 4.1 born workers (1.6 percent) than any other type of occupation; this 11.3 9th to 12th grade distribution also occurred for (no diploma) 8.4 native workers (0.5 percent).12

40.0 High school graduate Among the foreign born, the per- or some college 60.3 centages of male workers were highest in management and profes- Bachelor's degree 27.3 sional occupations (25.1 percent) or more 27.2 and in production, transportation, and material moving occupations Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 Annual Social and (22.0 percent). Conversely, among Economic Supplement. foreign-born women, the percent- ages of workers were highest in service (30.1 percent), manage- Figure 8. ment and professional (29.5 per- Population with High School Education or More by cent), and sales and office Nativity and by World Region of Birth: 2003 (25.6 percent) occupations.13 (In percent)1 The proportion of foreign-born Native 87.5 workers in management and pro- Foreign born 67.2 fessional occupations was highest among those from Asia (47.0 per- cent) and lowest among those Europe 84.9 from Latin America (12.7 percent), particularly those from 87.4 America (7.9 percent). Among the Latin America 49.1 Central American foreign born, the

Caribbean 68.6 proportions of workers were high- est in service occupations and Central America 37.7 occupations in production, trans- South America 79.3 portation, and material moving (29.7 percent and 26.7 percent, Other Regions 83.5 respectively).

1Each bar represents the percent of individuals aged 25 and over, who were born in the 12 specified area, who have at least a high school education. Foreign-born workers were also more Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 Annual Social and likely than native workers to hold occupa- Economic Supplement. tions related to production, transportation, or material moving (18.4 percent and 12.1 percent, respectively) as well as construc- tion, extraction, or maintenance (11.8 per- 50.0 percent for those from Asia to ECONOMIC cent and 9.0 percent, respectively), whereas 11.6 percent for those from CHARACTERISTICS native workers were more likely than for- 11 eign-born workers to hold sales- or office- Latin America. related occupations (27.4 percent and 18.0 Occupation percent, respectively). 13 The proportion of foreign-born women 11 The proportion of the foreign born Foreign-born workers were more working in service occupations (30.1 per- from Europe who had acquired a bachelor’s likely than native workers to be in cent) was not statistically different from the degree or more education (35.4 percent) was proportion of foreign-born women working not statistically different from that of the for- service occupations (23.3 percent in management and professional occupa- eign born from Other Regions (37.2 percent). and 14.9 percent, respectively), tions (29.5 percent).

U.S. Census Bureau 5 Figure 9. Total Household Income by Nativity and by World Region of Birth: 2002 (Percent distribution)1

Less than $20,000$20,000 to $49,999 $50,000 or more

Native 22.3 33.7 44.0

Foreign Born 24.6 36.8 38.6

Europe 24.6 32.7 42.7

Asia 18.5 27.7 53.8

Latin America 28.0 43.1 29.0

Caribbean 33.1 37.5 29.4

Central America 27.2 46.0 26.8

South America 22.8 37.5 39.7

Other Regions 23.6 34.3 42.2

1 Each section of the bar represents the percent of households whose householder was born in the specified area, whose total household income was within the specified range. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

Figure 10. Individual Earnings of Year-Round Full-Time Workers by Nativity and by World Region of Birth: 2002 (Percent distribution)

Less than $20,000$20,000 to $49,999 $50,000 or more

Native 16.5 53.2 30.2

Foreign Born 30.5 47.7 21.8

Europe 16.5 48.3 35.1

Asia 17.2 45.6 37.3

Latin America 41.0 48.3 10.8

Caribbean 32.0 49.7 18.3

Central America 45.3 47.0 7.7

South America 30.5 53.3 16.2

Other Regions 20.5 50.0 29.4

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

6 U.S. Census Bureau foreign-born workers (21.8 per- Figure 11. cent) earned $50,000 or more People Living Below the Poverty Level by Nativity (Figure 10). Among foreign-born and by World Region of Birth: 2002 workers, the proportions earning (In percent)1 $50,000 or more ranged from an estimated 37.3 percent for those Native 11.5 from Asia to an estimated 10.8 percent for those from Latin Foreign born 16.6 America.18

Poverty Europe 8.7 In 2002, 16.6 percent of the foreign Asia 11.1 born were living below the poverty Latin America 21.6 level, compared with 11.5 percent of natives.19 Foreign-born nonciti- Caribbean 18.9 zens were twice as likely to be poor Central America 23.6 as foreign-born naturalized citizens South America 14.5 (20.7 percent and 10.0 percent, respectively), whose poverty rate Other Regions 14.1 was closer to that of the native pop- ulation (11.5 percent). Among the 1Each bar represents the percent of individuals, who were born in the specified area, who were living in poverty. foreign born, those from Latin Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2003 Annual Social and America had the highest estimated Economic Supplement. poverty rate (21.6 percent) and those from Europe had the lowest Income (53.8 percent and 44.0 percent, (8.7 percent). Among the foreign respectively; Figure 9).16 born from Latin America, the pover- In 2002, 24.6 percent of foreign- ty rate was lower for those from born households had an income Earnings South America (14.5 percent) and less than $20,000, compared with the Caribbean (18.9 percent) than 22.3 percent of native house- In 2002, 30.5 percent of foreign- for those from Central America holds.14 Among foreign-born born full-time, year-round workers (23.6 percent, Figure 11).20 households, 33.1 percent with a and 16.5 percent of such native workers earned less than $20,000. Caribbean-born householder had Unemployment an income less than $20,000 in Among foreign-born workers, the 2002; this proportion was much proportions earning less than In 2003, 7.5 percent of the foreign larger than that of households with $20,000 ranged from an estimated born in the civilian labor force a householder born in any other 41.0 percent of those from Latin were unemployed, compared with region.15 Overall, a higher propor- America to an estimated 16.5 per- 17 tion of native households cent of those from Europe. A 18 The percentages from Asia (37.3 per- (44.0 percent) than of foreign-born higher proportion of native cent) and Europe (35.1 percent) were not statistically different, nor were the percent- households (38.6 percent) had an workers (30.2 percent) than ages from Europe (35.1 percent) and Other income of $50,000 or more; how- Regions (29.4 percent). 16 The proportions of foreign-born house- 19 Poverty status is based on a set of ever, households with an Asian- holds with householders from Central money income thresholds that vary by family born householder were more likely America or the Caribbean with an income size and composition (Bernadette D. Proctor $50,000 or more (26.8 percent and 29.4 per- and Joseph Dalaker, 2003. Poverty in the than native households to have an cent, respectively) were not statistically dif- United States 2002, U.S. Census Bureau, income of $50,000 or more ferent from each other, nor were the propor- Current Population Reports, P60-222). tions of native households (44.0 percent) 20 The poverty rate of the foreign born and foreign-born households with house- from the Caribbean (18.9 percent) was not holders from Europe, South America, or statistically different from the poverty rates 14 Data on income, earnings, and poverty Other Regions (42.7 percent, 39.7 percent, of either the total foreign born or those from refer to the calendar year before the survey. and 42.2 percent, respectively). Latin America (16.6 percent and 21.6 per- 15 These other proportions, which were 17 The proportions of foreign-born workers cent, respectively). Also, the poverty rate of not statistically different from one another, from Europe, Asia, and Other Regions earning the foreign born from South America (14.5 ranged from an estimated 27.2 percent of less than $20,000 were not statistically differ- percent) was not statistically different from those from Central America to an estimated ent from each other (16.5 percent, 17.2 per- the poverty rate of the total foreign born 18.5 percent of those from Asia. cent, and 20.5 percent, respectively). (16.6 percent).

U.S. Census Bureau 7 6.2 percent of natives.21 population estimates for March be present when people who are Unemployment rates were not dif- 2003. Additional information missed by the survey differ from ferent between foreign-born men about the CPS, including the popu- those interviewed in ways other (7.2 percent) and native men lation covered in the survey can be than age, race, sex, and Hispanic (6.9 percent), but they differed found in (1) Money Income in the origin. How this weighting proce- between foreign-born women United States: 2001, U.S. Census dure affects other variables in the (7.9 percent) and native women Bureau, Current Population survey is not known precisely. All (5.5 percent).22 Reports, P60-218, Appendix B. of these considerations affect com- Sample Expansion and Introduction parisons across different surveys Source of the Data of Census 2000-Based Population or data sources. Controls at ; The population represented (the For further information on statisti- and, (2) Current Population Survey: population universe) in the Annual cal standards and the computation Design and Methodology, U.S. Social and Economic Supplement to and use of standard errors, go to Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. the 2003 Current Population or contact . tionalized population living in the Jeffrey Stratton of the Census United States. Members of the Accuracy of the Estimates Bureau Demographic Statistical Armed Forces living off post or Methods Division on the Internet at with their families on post are Statistics from surveys are subject . civilian adult living in the house- error. All comparisons presented hold. The institutionalized popula- in this report have taken sampling More Information tion, which is excluded from the error into account and are signifi- Annual packages of 60 detailed population universe, is composed cant at the 90-percent confidence data tables showing selected char- primarily of the population in cor- level. This means the 90-percent acteristics of the foreign-born popu- rectional institutions and nursing confidence interval for the differ- lation by nativity, citizenship status, homes (91 percent of the 4.1 mil- ence between the estimates being year of entry into the United Status, lion institutionalized population in compared does not include zero. and region of birth are available on Census 2000). In Census 2000, Nonsampling errors in surveys may the Census Bureau’s Web site 373,863 foreign born were living be attributed to a variety of or at the tele- in group-quarters housing, which sources, such as how the survey phone number provided below. If includes the institutionalized popu- was designed, how respondents using the Web site, click on the “F” lation. Most of the data from the interpret questions, how able and under “Subjects A-Z,” then select ASEC were collected in March (with willing respondents are to provide “Foreign-Born Population Data.” some data collected in February correct answers, and how accurate- Locate tables by year. For example, and April), and the data were ly the answers are coded and clas- under “Data Tables,” choose 2003 controlled to independent sified. To minimize these errors, Annual Data Tables. Supplemental the Census Bureau employs quality 21 packages containing over 400 Labor force data shown in this report control procedures in sample selec- reflect characteristics of the civilian noninsti- tables based on ASEC data are avail- tutionalized population aged 16 and over for tion, the wording of questions, able for 1997 and 2000. ASEC March 2003. Although the official unem- interviewing, coding, data process- ployment rates are released by the tables can also be downloaded in Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor ing, and data analysis. Statistics (BLS), the data in this report are either PDF or spreadsheet format at useful for comparative purposes between The Current Population Survey . more information about the methodological practices of the BLS, see Profile of the estimation whereby sample esti- Foreign-Born Population in the United States: mates are adjusted to independent Contact 2000, Section 15, Labor Force Participation, footnote 1. estimates of the national popula- Information and Research 22 The unemployment rates of foreign- tion by age, race, sex, and born men and foreign-born women (7.2 per- Services Branch: cent and 7.9 percent, respectively) were not Hispanic origin. This weighting [email protected] statistically different from each other or from partially corrects for bias due to the unemployment rate of the total foreign 301-763-2422 born (7.5 percent). undercoverage, but biases may still

8 U.S. Census Bureau User Comments Chief, Population Division Suggested Citation U.S. Census Bureau The Census Bureau welcomes the Larsen, Luke J. 2004. The Foreign- Washington, DC 20233 comments and advice of data and Born Population in the United report users. If you have any sug- Or send e-mail to: States: 2003. Current Population gestions or comments, please [email protected] Reports, P20-551, U.S. Census write to: Bureau, Washington, D.C. This report was partially funded by the Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security.

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