In 2022, an estimated 10.99 million unauthorized immigrants were living in the United States. This is an increase from about 3.5 million unauthorized immigrants who lived in the United States in 1990.

The estimated population of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. stands at around ** million people. Although the number has stabilized, the United States has seen a spike in migrant encounters in the last few years, with over * million cases registered by the U.S. Border Patrol in 2023. This is a slight decrease from the previous year, when there were over *** million cases registered. Due to its proximity and shared border, Mexico remains the leading country of origin for most undocumented immigrants in the U.S., with California and Texas being home to the majority.

Immigration and political division

Despite the majority of the population having immigrant roots, the topic of immigration in the U.S. remains one of the country’s longest-standing political debates. Support among Republicans for restrictive immigration has grown alongside Democratic support for open immigration. This growing divide has deepened the polarization between the two major political parties, stifling constructive dialogue and impeding meaningful reform efforts and as a result, has led to dissatisfaction from all sides. In addition to general immigration policy, feelings toward illegal immigration in the U.S. also vary widely. For some, it's seen as a significant threat to national security, cultural identity, and economic stability. This perspective often aligns with support for stringent measures like Trump's proposed border wall and increased enforcement efforts. On the other hand, there are those who are more sympathetic toward undocumented immigrants, as demonstrated by support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

In 2023, around 1.93 million people immigrated to Germany. Numbers fluctuated during the time period covered in the graph at hand, peaking in 2015 during the high point of Europe’s refugee crisis. Significantly lower figures in 2020 may be attributed to the first year of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and subsequent restrictions implemented by the German government on entering the country, in order to control the spread of the disease. Immigration to Germany “Immigrant” is a term used from the point of view of the receiving country, or the country being migrated to by a person. While reasons for and circumstances leading to an immigrant entering a foreign country may vary, they often include love, include seeking residence, employment, family reunions, or applying for asylum. Various countries are represented among foreigners living in Germany, though currently the leading three by numbers are Turkey, Ukraine, and Syria. Around 5.2 million immigrants living in Germany do not need a residence permit due to having EU citizenship, and therefore being allowed freedom of movement based on EU law. Another 2.64 million immigrants were granted an unlimited permit to stay in Germany. The near future Germany remains a popular choice for immigrants, even in currently challenging economic and political times. Welfare benefits, healthcare, and various support initiatives for those moving to or arriving in the country are on the list of selling points, though in practice, difficulties may be encountered depending on individual situations and laws in different German federal states. While the unemployment rate among foreigners living in Germany had gone up in 2020, it dropped again in the following years, but increased once more in 2023 and 2024 to over 16 percent. The country is Europe’s largest economy, housing many global players in various industries, which continues to attract jobseekers, despite these very industries facing struggles of their own brought on both by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and geopolitical events in Europe.

Footnotes: 1 Population estimates based on the Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2016 as delineated in the 2016 Census.2 A census metropolitan area (CMA) or a census agglomeration (CA) is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population centre (known as the core). A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more must live in the core based on adjusted data from the previous Census of Population Program. A CA must have a core population of at least 10,000 also based on data from the previous Census of Population Program. To be included in the CMA or CA, other adjacent municipalities must have a high degree of integration with the core, as measured by commuting flows derived from data on place of work from the previous Census Program. If the population of the core of a CA falls below 10,000, the CA is retired from the next census. However, once an area becomes a CMA, it is retained as a CMA even if its total population declines below 100,000 or the population of its core falls below 50,000. All areas inside the CMA or CA that are not population centres are rural areas. When a CA has a core of at least 50,000, based on data from the previous Census of Population, it is subdivided into census tracts. Census tracts are maintained for the CA even if the population of the core subsequently falls below 50,000. All CMAs are subdivided into census tracts (2016 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 98-301-X2016001).3 An area outside census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations is made up of all areas (within a province or territory) unallocated to a census metropolitan area (CMA) or census agglomeration (CA).4 The population growth, which is used to calculate population estimates of census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations (table 17100135), is comprised of the components of population growth (table 17100136).5 This table replaces table 17100079.6 The components of population growth for census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and census agglomerations (CAs) sometimes had to be calculated using information at the census division level, using the geographic conversion method. This method involves using the population component calculated at the level of the CD(s) in which the CMA or CA is located and applying a ratio corresponding to the proportion of the CMA or CA population included in the corresponding CD(s). For periods prior to 2005/2006, all demographic components for all CMAs and CAs were calculated using geographic conversions. For the periods from 2005/2006 to 2010/2011 inclusively, emigration and internal migration components for areas that were not CMAs according to the 2011 SGC were calculated using geographic conversions. For the periods 2011/2012 to 2015/2016 inclusively, the emigration and internal migration components of regions that were not CMAs or CAs according to the 2011 SGC were calculated using geographic conversions. For the relevant demographic components, trends should be interpreted with caution where the method of calculation has changed over time. This caveat applies particularly to the intraprovincial migration component, for which the assumptions of the geographic conversion method are more at risk of not being met.7 Period from July 1 to June 30.8 Age on July 1.9 The estimates for immigrants are preliminary for 2020/2021 and final up to 2019/2020.

Footnotes: 1 Population estimates based on the Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2016 as delineated in the 2016 Census. 2 A census metropolitan area (CMA) or a census agglomeration (CA) is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centred on a population centre (known as the core). A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000 of which 50,000 or more must live in the core based on adjusted data from the previous Census of Population Program. A CA must have a core population of at least 10,000 also based on data from the previous Census of Population Program. To be included in the CMA or CA, other adjacent municipalities must have a high degree of integration with the core, as measured by commuting flows derived from data on place of work from the previous Census Program. If the population of the core of a CA falls below 10,000, the CA is retired from the next census. However, once an area becomes a CMA, it is retained as a CMA even if its total population declines below 100,000 or the population of its core falls below 50,000. All areas inside the CMA or CA that are not population centres are rural areas. When a CA has a core of at least 50,000, based on data from the previous Census of Population, it is subdivided into census tracts. Census tracts are maintained for the CA even if the population of the core subsequently falls below 50,000. All CMAs are subdivided into census tracts (2016 Census Dictionary, catalogue number 98-301-X2016001). 3 An area outside census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations is made up of all areas (within a province or territory) unallocated to a census metropolitan area (CMA) or census agglomeration (CA). 4 The population growth, which is used to calculate population estimates of census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations (table 17100135), is comprised of the components of population growth (table 17100136). 5 This table replaces table 17100079. 6 The components of population growth for census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and census agglomerations (CAs) sometimes had to be calculated using information at the census division level, using the geographic conversion method. This method involves using the population component calculated at the level of the CD(s) in which the CMA or CA is located and applying a ratio corresponding to the proportion of the CMA or CA population included in the corresponding CD(s). For periods prior to 2005/2006, all demographic components for all CMAs and CAs were calculated using geographic conversions. For the periods from 2005/2006 to 2010/2011 inclusively, emigration and internal migration components for areas that were not CMAs according to the 2011 SGC were calculated using geographic conversions. For the periods 2011/2012 to 2015/2016 inclusively, the emigration and internal migration components of regions that were not CMAs or CAs according to the 2011 SGC were calculated using geographic conversions. For the relevant demographic components, trends should be interpreted with caution where the method of calculation has changed over time. This caveat applies particularly to the intraprovincial migration component, for which the assumptions of the geographic conversion method are more at risk of not being met. 7 Period from July 1 to June 30. 8 Age on July 1. 9 The estimates for immigrants are preliminary for 2020/2021 and final up to 2019/2020.

This graph represents the share of the immigrant population in France from 1921 to 2023. The statistic reveals that the share of immigrants in France had slightly increased since 1921. There were 6.6 percent of immigrants in 1931 compared to 10.7 percent in 2023.

Canada’s appeal as an immigration destination has been increasing over the past two decades, with a total of 464,265 people immigrating to the country in 2024. This figure is an increase from 2000-2001, when approximately 252,527 immigrants came to Canada. Immigration to the Great White North Between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, there were an estimated 199,297 immigrants to Ontario, making it the most popular immigration destination out of any province. While the number of immigrants has been increasing over the years, in 2024 over half of surveyed Canadians believed that there were too many immigrants in the country. However, in 2017, the Canadian government announced its aim to significantly increase the number of permanent residents to Canada in order to combat an aging workforce and the decline of working-age adults. Profiles of immigrants to Canada The gender of immigrants to Canada in 2023 was just about an even split, with 234,279 male immigrants and 234,538 female immigrants. In addition, most foreign-born individuals in Canada came from India, followed by China and the Philippines. The United States was the fifth most common origin country for foreign-born residents in Canada.

Until 2016, Sweden had among the most generous asylum laws within the European Union. As a result, the immigration increased for several years, reaching 163,000 immigrants in 2016. During 2016, Sweden sharpened their asylum laws, and the number of immigrants started to decline. In 2020, also as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of immigrants in Sweden fell to 82,500, before increasing slightly again in 2021 and 2022. Over the last years, there was also a decline in the number of asylum grants in Sweden.

Large inflow of refugees

The so-called refugee crisis in the European Union that started in 2015 was characterized by a large inflow of refugees from non-European countries, mainly traversing the Mediterranean Sea in order to reach the European Union. In regards to the immigration trends to Sweden, one of the biggest groups in the last years consisted of Swedes returning to Sweden. Further countries that were among the top countries of origin in the latest years, were India, Syria, Germany, and Poland.

Decline in asylum grants in the European Union

Sweden is not the only country that sharpened the rules for asylum grants in 2016, it has been observed within the whole European Union. Since the end of 2016, there has been a significant decline in the number of accepted first instance asylum applications within the European Union.

Components of population change by economic region, single year of age, five-year age group and sex for the period from July 1 to June 30, annual, based on the Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2016. The components include births, deaths, immigrants, emigrants, returning emigrants, net temporary emigration, net interprovincial migration, net intraprovincial migration, net non-permanent residents and residual deviation.

Components of international migratory increase, quarterly: immigrants, emigrants, returning emigrants, net temporary emigrants, net non-permanent residents.

This statistic shows the estimated percentage of employed undocumented immigrants in the United States in 2016, distinguished by industry. In 2017, around 14.2 percent of agriculture workers were estimated to be undocumented immigrants.

Number of persons in the labour force (employment and unemployment) and not in the labour force, unemployment rate, participation rate, and employment rate, by immigrant status and age group, last 5 years.

Data on religion by immigrant status and period of immigration, age and gender for the population in private households in Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and parts.

There were approximately ******* immigrants entering the Republic of Ireland in 2024, compared with ******* in the previous year. During the provided time period, the number of immigrants coming to Ireland peaked at ******* in 2007. Due to the departure of ****** people from Ireland in 2024, the net migration figure for this year was ******.

Components of population change by census metropolitan area and census agglomeration, single year of age, five-year age group and gender for the period from July 1 to June 30, annual, based on the Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2021. The components include births, deaths, immigrants, net emigration, emigrants, returning emigrants, net temporary emigration, net interprovincial migration, net intraprovincial migration, net non-permanent residents and residual deviation.

Components of population growth, annual: births, deaths, immigrants, emigrants, returning emigrants, net temporary emigrants, net interprovincial migration, net non-permanent residents, residual deviation.

Over the past 10 years, the number of people with an immigrant background living in Norway increased. Whereas nearly 1.1 million people with an immigrant background lived in Norway in 2014, this number had increased to nearly 1.5 million as of 2024. Of these, first generation immigrants was, by far, the largest group, counting 930,000 people. The second largest group was people born in Norway with one parent born abroad, followed by inhabitants born in Norway with two parents born abroad. Immigration to the Nordics Norway is not the only Nordic country with increasing immigration. Immigration has increased in each Nordic country from 2000 and onwards, with Sweden leading immigration until being taken over by Denmark in 2022. Sweden has taken in a comparatively high number of refugees, but most immigrants to the Nordics are from other European countries, such as in Finland. Population challenges in the Nordics Over time, the fertility rate has declined in each Nordic country, and as of 2022, Iceland had the highest fertility rate in the region with only 1.6 children born per woman. Moreover, those aged 70 and older are increasingly making up larger portions of Nordic societies. These factors combined can create challenges as there are less workers available, making immigration an important factor in the Nordic labor markets.

In 2024, approximately 948,000 million people migrated to the United Kingdom, while 517,000 people migrated from the UK, resulting in a net migration figure of 431,000. There have consistently been more people migrating to the United Kingdom than leaving it since 1993 when the net migration figure was negative 1,000. Although migration from the European Union has declined since the Brexit vote of 2016, migration from non-EU countries accelerated rapidly from 2021 onwards. In the year to June 2023, 968,000 people from non-EU countries migrated to the UK, compared with 129,000 from EU member states. Immigration and the 2024 election Since late 2022, immigration, along with the economy and healthcare, has consistently been seen by UK voters as one of the top issues facing the country. Despite a pledge to deter irregular migration via small boats, and controversial plans to send asylum applicants to Rwanda while their claims are being processed, Rishi Sunak's Conservative government lost the trust of the public on this issue. On the eve of the last election, 20 percent of Britons thought the Labour Party would be the best party to handle immigration, compared with 13 percent who thought the Conservatives would handle it better. Sunak and the Conservatives went on to lose this election, suffering their worst defeat in modern elections. Historical context of migration The first humans who arrived in the British Isles, were followed by acts of conquest and settlement from Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Danes, and Normans. In the early modern period, there were also significant waves of migration from people fleeing religious or political persecution, such as the French Huguenots. More recently, large numbers of people also left Britain. Between 1820 and 1957, for example, around 4.5 million people migrated from Britain to America. After World War Two, immigration from Britain's colonies and former colonies was encouraged to meet labour demands. A key group that migrated from the Caribbean between the late 1940s and early 1970s became known as the Windrush generation, named after one of the ships that brought the arrivals to Britain.

In 2024, the net migration rate in France reached 152,000. In recent years Europe and France have seen more people arrive than depart. The net migration rate is the difference between the number of immigrants (people coming into an area) and the number of emigrants (people leaving an area) throughout the year. France's highest net migration rate was reached in 2018 when it amounted to 201,000. Armed conflicts and economic migration are some of the reasons for immigration in Europe. The refugee crisis Studies have shown that there were 331,000 immigrant arrivals in France in 2022, which has risen since 2014. The migrant crisis, which began in 2015 in Europe, had an impact on the migration entry flows not only in France but in all European countries. The number of illegal border crossings to the EU over the Eastern Mediterranean route reached a record number of 885,386 crossings in 2015. Immigration in France Since the middle of the 19th century, France has attracted immigrants, first from European countries (like Poland, Spain, and Italy), and then from the former French colonies. In 2023, there were approximately 8.9 million people foreign-born in France. Most of them were living in the Ile-de-France region, which contains Paris, and in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur in the Southeastern part of the country. In 2022, the majority of immigrants arriving in France were from Africa and Europe.