Key facts about recent trends in global migration
The number of international migrants grew to 281 million in 2020; 3.6% of the world’s people lived outside their country of birth that year.
The number of international migrants grew to 281 million in 2020; 3.6% of the world’s people lived outside their country of birth that year.
Across more than 20 countries surveyed, a median of 91% say being able to speak their country’s most common language is important for being considered a true national. And 81% say sharing their country’s customs and traditions is important for true belonging.
An estimated 940,000 immigrants became U.S. citizens during the 2022 fiscal year. That annual total would be the third-highest on record.
The unauthorized immigrant population in the United States reached 10.5 million in 2021. That was a modest increase over 2019 but nearly identical to 2017.
Immigrants – particularly those from African nations – are a growing share of the U.S. Black population.
China has had the world’s largest population since at least 1950 but is now projected to experience an absolute decline as early as 2023.
Nearly a quarter of countries used force to prevent religious gatherings during the pandemic; other government restrictions and social hostilities related to religion remained fairly stable.
The unauthorized immigrant population’s size and composition has ebbed and flowed significantly over the past 30 years.
Remittances – money sent by migrants to their home countries – are projected to fall by a record 20% this year.
Across the surveyed countries, opinion varies widely about the value of diversity. But interacting with people of different backgrounds is related to more positive attitudes about the role of diversity in society.
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