Population

How many immigrants are in New York?

About 4.52M in 2021. This represents approximately 22.5% of the population, or about 2 in 9 residents in New York. Immigrants include foreign-born residents, encompassing naturalized US citizens, authorized entrants, and undocumented residents.
Showing data for
In 2021

4.52M

New York residents were foreign-born
In 2021

2 in 9

New York residents were foreign-born
The number of foreign-born residents in New York increased from 4.22M in 2011 to 4.52M in 2021. This rise occurred alongside changes in the native-born population due to births, deaths, and migration. Analyzing the foreign-born share of the total population offers a clearer understanding of these demographics. In 2021, the foreign-born population in New York was 22.5%, higher than the overall US rate of 13.6%, and up from 21.8% in 2011.

Foreign-born share of the population in New York

Variations in immigrant populations reflect changes in both local and national demographics. The largest immigrant populations are found in major metro areas. Metro areas in California, Texas, Florida, and parts of the Northeast generally have a higher share of foreign-born residents.

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In 2021, the metro areas in the US with the highest and lowest foreign-born population shares were: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL at 41.2% (highest) and Beckley, WV at 0.8% (lowest). In New York, the highest and lowest were: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA at 29.4% (highest) and Elmira, NY at 3% (lowest).

On average, 8.2% of the population in metro areas was foreign-born in 2021

Foreign-born share of the population (2021)

Foreign-born share of the population (2021)

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