A Demographic Profile of Mexican Immigrants in the United States Ariel G Ruiz Soto Associate Policy Analyst, U.S. Programs Migration Policy Institute Mexico Institute, Wilson Center November 5, 2018
Number of Mexican Immigrants (Millions) Size of Mexican Immigrant Population Reaches Peak in 2010, Flattens and Decreases Mexican Immigrant Population in the United States, 1980-2017 11.7 11.3 9.2 4.3 2.2 1980 1990 2000 2010 2017 Year Sources: Data from U.S. Census Bureau 2010 and 2017 American Community Surveys (ACS); Campbell J. Gibson and Kay Jung, "Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-Born Population of the United States: 1850 2000" (Working Paper no. 81, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, February 2006)
Share of Mexican Immigrants Decreases, But Continues to Be Largest in 2017 Immigrant Population in the U.S. by Selected Country of Birth, 2010 and 2017 2010 2017 Mexico 29% Mexico 25% Others 64% El Salvador 3% Guatemala 2% Honduras 1% Others 68% El Salvador 3% Guatemala 2% Honduras 1% Sources: MPI tabulation of data from U.S. Census Bureau 2010 and 2017 ACS.
Mexican Immigrants Concentrated in Traditional Receiving States Sources: MPI tabulation of data from U.S. Census Bureau pooled 2012 16 ACS.
Demographic Profile of Mexican Immigrants Selected Characteristics of Immigrant Population in U.S. by Origin, 2017 Characteristic Mexican Immigrants All Immigrants Percent female 48% 52% Median age 43 45 Percent Limited English Proficiency Percent working age (18-64) 67% 48% 86% 79% Labor force participation 69% 66% Avg household size 4 3 Median income $44,700 $56,700 Percent of families living in poverty 21% 14% Uninsured rate 37% 20% Sources: MPI tabulation of data from the U.S. Census Bureau 2017 ACS.
Percent Employed in Select Occupation Mexican Immigrants More Likely to Work in Service, Construction, and Transportation Employed Workers in the Civilian Labor Force (ages 16 and older) by Occupation and Origin, 2017 32% 23% 29% 26% 21% 12% 16% 12% 13% 15% Management, Business, Science, and Arts Occupations Service Occupations All Immigrants Sales and Office Occupations Natural Resources, Construction, and Maintenance Occupations Mexican Immigrants Production, Transportation, and Material Moving Occupations Sources: MPI tabulation of data from the U.S. Census Bureau 2017 ACS.
Recent Mexican Immigrants More Likely to Have College Degree, Increasing Faster than All Immigrants Share of Immigrant Adults (ages 25 and older) with a Bachelor s Degree of Higher, by Country of Birth and Years of U.S. Residence, 2005-2016 2016 31% 47% 2016 6% 14% 2010 27% 38% 2010 5% 10% 2005 27% 34% 2005 7% 5% Immigrants arriving in past 5 years All immigrants Mexican immigrants arriving in past 5 years All Mexican immigrants Sources: MPI tabulation of data from the U.S. Census Bureau 2005, 2010, 2016 ACS.
Percent of Population Mexican Immigrants Have Long-Established Roots in the United States Immigrant Populations by Period of Arrival, 2017 53% 60% 26% 29% 21% 11% Entered Before 2000 Entered 2000 to 2009 Entered 2010 or Later All Immigrants Mexican Immigrants Sources: MPI tabulation of data from the U.S. Census Bureau 2017 ACS.
More than Half of Mexican Immigrants Are Legally Present in the United States Mexican Immigrant Population by Immigration Status, 2012-2016 Naturalized 23% Unauthorized 45% LPR + Other Legal 32% Sources: MPI analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from the 2012-16 ACS pooled, and the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), drawing on a methodology developed in consultation with James Bachmeier of Temple University and Jennifer Van Hook of The Pennsylvania State University, Population Research Institute.
Percent of LPR Population Family Ties Is Primary Pathway for Mexican Lawful Permanent Residents Immigration Pathways of Mexican Immigrants and All Immigrants in the United States, 2017 67% 46% 21% 20% 12% 3% 5% 13% 0% 1% 4% 9% Family-Sponsored Preferences Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens Employment-Based Preferences All LPRs Diversity Refugees and Asylees Other Mexican LPRs Sources: MPI tabulation of data from Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 2017 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics (Washington, DC: DHS Office of Immigration Statistics, 2018)
Country of Origin Over Two-Thirds of Immediately Eligible Mexican Immigrants Have DACA DACA Participation Rate by Country of Origin, 2017 Mexico El Salvador Honduras Brazil Peru Ecuador Jamaica Guatemala Venezuela Costa Rica Colombia Dominican Philippines Nicaragua India Guyana South Korea Thailand China Vietnam 3% 3% 0% 33% 33% 29% 27% 26% 25% 21% 19% 16% 15% 15% Sources: MPI analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data from the 2014 ACS, 2010-14 ACS pooled, and the 2008 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), with legal status assignments by James Bachmeier and Colin Hammar of Temple University and Jennifer Van Hook of The Pennsylvania State University, Population Research Institute; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Approximate Active DACA Recipients as of May 31, 2018," www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/uscis/resources/reports and Studies/Immigration Forms Data/All Form Types/DACA/DACA_Population_Data_May_31_2018.pdf. 44% 53% 50% 59% 67% 64%
For more Information Ariel G. Ruiz Soto Associate Policy Analyst aruiz@migrationpolicy.org For additional information and to receive updates: www.migrationpolicy.org For interactive data tools on U.S. and International migration data, visit: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/datahub For research and data on the DACA/DREAM population: https://www.migrationpolicy.org/dream