The migrant population in the US reached a record 47.8 million in 2023, an increase of 1.6 million from the previous year, according to new research.

The number represents the largest annual increase since 2000, according to data gathered by the Washington-based Pew Research Center.

The US has long had more migrants than any other country and is home to a fifth of the world’s international migrants, who come from almost every country on Earth.

The Pew Center report says that in in 1970, the number of immigrants living in the US was about a fifth of what it is today. Growth of the population accelerated after Congress made changes to US immigration laws in 1965.

Immigrants today account for 14.3 per cent of the US population, more than tripling from a figure of 4.7 per cent in 1970.

The immigrant share of the population today is the highest since 1910 but remains below the record of 14.8 per cent in 1890.

Mexico is the top country of birth for US immigrants. In 2022, roughly 10.6 million immigrants living in the US were born there, making up 23 per cent of all immigrants.

The next largest origin groups were those from India (6 per cent), China (5 per cent), the Philippines (4 per cent) and El Salvador (3 per cent).

“By region of birth, immigrants from Asia accounted for 28 per cent of all immigrants. Other regions make up smaller shares: Latin America (27 per cent), excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean (10 per cent); Central America (9 per cent) and South America (9 per cent); Europe, Canada and other North America (12 per cent); Sub-Saharan Africa (5 per cent) Middle East and North Africa (4 per cent),” the report said.

Before 1965, US immigration law favoured immigrants from Northern and Western Europe and mostly barred immigration from Asia.

“The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act opened up immigration from Asia and Latin America. The Immigration Act of 1990 further increased legal immigration and allowed immigrants from more countries to enter the US legally,” the report said.

Since 1965, about 72 million immigrants have come to the United States from different and more countries than earlier, the report said.

“From 1840 to 1889, about 90 per cent of US immigrants came from Europe, including about 70 per cent from Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom,” it said.

“Almost 90 per cent of the immigrants who arrived from 1890 to 1919 came from Europe. Nearly 60 per cent came from Italy, Austria-Hungary and Russia-Poland.

“Since 1965, about half of US immigrants have come from Latin America, with about a quarter from Mexico alone. About another quarter have come from Asia. Large numbers have come from China, India, the Philippines, Central America and the Caribbean,” the Pew report said.

The report said most immigrants (77 per cent) were in the country legally.

As of 2022: 49 per cent were naturalised US citizens; 24 per cent were lawful permanent residents; 4 per cent were legal temporary residents; and 23 per cent were unauthorised immigrants.

“From 1990 to 2007, the unauthorised immigrant population in the US more than tripled in size, from 3.5 million to a record high of 12.2 million. From there, the number slowly declined to about 10.2 million in 2019.

Read the full report here: Key findings about U.S. immigrants | Pew Research Center