US Foreign-Born Population Reaches Record High of Nearly 50 Million: Study

It’s the highest figure ever recorded in American history and also marks a 4.5 million increase since President Joe Biden took office.

New citizens smile at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization ceremony at the New York Public Library in Manhattan, N.Y., on July 3, 2018. Shannon Stapleton /Reuters

The number of foreign-born individuals living in the United States topped nearly 50 million in October 2023, marking a new record high, according to a new report published Nov. 30.

Approximately 49.5 million individuals who were originally born in another country—including both legal and illegal immigrants—were living in the United States as of last month, making up roughly 15 percent of the population, according to the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS).