The Census Bureau report does not provide estimates of the number of people in the United States illegally. The figures show that more than half of the foreign-born people have become naturalized U.S. citizens.

ORLANDO, USA - More than half of the foreign-born population in the United States lives in just four states - California, Texas, Florida and New York - and their numbers have increased in age and educational attainment over the past 12 years, according to a new report released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

In 2022, the foreign-born population was estimated to be 46.2 million, or nearly 14% of the U.S. population, and most states have seen double-digit percentage increases over the past 12 years, according to figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

In California, New Jersey, New York and Florida, foreign-born individuals accounted for more than 20% of each state's population. By contrast, they made up 1.8% of West Virginia's population, the smallest proportion in the United States.

Half of all foreign-born U.S. residents were from Latin America, although their composition has changed over the past dozen years: Those from Mexico have declined by about 1 million people and those from Central and South America have increased by 2.1 million.

The number of people from Asia fell from more than a quarter to less than a third during that period, while the proportion born in Africa rose from 4% to 6%.

The report was released as migration has become a major issue in the 2024 presidential race, and as the federal government struggles to cope with an unprecedented influx of migrants at the country's southwest border. Migration is influencing the election in a way that could determine control of Congress, as Democrats try to outflank Republicans and convince voters that they can address problems on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Figures show that more than half of foreign-born people have become naturalized Americans, with Europeans and Asians leading the way in naturalization rates, with about two-thirds of their numbers. About two-thirds of the foreign-born population arrived in the United States before 2010.

The foreign-born population has aged over the past dozen years, a reflection of the longevity of some members in the United States, and the median age has increased five years to 46.7 years. They have also increased their educational attainment from 2010 to 2022, and the rate of foreign-born people with at least a high school degree has risen from more than two-thirds to three-quarters of the population.

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