American Immigration Council Maps the Impact of Immigrants With New Data on the United States and All 50 States

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2023—Today, the American Immigration Council released the 2023 Map the Impact Report, an interactive data-map showcasing the contributions of immigrants in the country, all 50 states, and industry sectors across the economy. With information on immigrant tax contributions, spending power, entrepreneurship, workforce, home ownership, demographics, voting power, and more, Map the Impact shows that immigrants are helping to grow the economy everywhere. Map the Impact also features hundreds of stories and videos featuring local leaders in all corners of the country talking about why immigration matters to them.

Population Size and Growth - 1 in 8 U.S. Residents Is an Immigrant

In 2021, 45.3 million immigrants lived in the United States, representing more than one-eighth of the total population.

The immigrant population grew by 3.7%, or 1.6 million people, between 2016 and 2021. This increase accounted for 18.3% of the country’s overall population growth during this period. 

Economic Contributions – Immigrants Paid Over $500 Billion in Taxes in 2021

Immigrants have made significant contributions to the U.S. economy as workers, taxpayers, and consumers.

In 2021, immigrant households earned a total income of $1.9 trillion, paid $524.7 billion in total taxes, including $346.3 billion in federal taxes and $178.4 billion in state and local taxes, and held $1.4 trillion in spending power.

Entrepreneurship – 20% of All U.S. Entrepreneurs Are Immigrants

Immigrants made up one in five entrepreneurs in the country in 2021 and generated $95.6 trillion in business income. The number of immigrant entrepreneurs rose 11.5% between 2016 and 2021, from 3.1 million to 3.5 million. In Florida, where at least one-third of the entrepreneurs were foreign-born in 2021, the number of immigrant entrepreneurs grew by 87,500 from 2016, the largest rise in the country.

The following is a statement from Nan Wu, Director of Research, at the American Immigration Council:

“This data puts the economic power of America’s immigrants in stark view, clearly showing how immigrants are contributing to every state in the nation every day. Across the map, immigrants play a significant role in growing industries and strengthening the economy.”

The map serves as a go-to resource on the power that immigrants wield in the United States, and an advocacy tool for users to take action on the issue. With many features, Map the Impact provides users a way to see how immigrants are contributing to their state, check sector-specific information on how immigration impacts industries like tech and agriculture, and share statistics and graphics directly with elected officials via social media.

Access the interactive tool here to see information that illustrates the influence of immigrants in America on states and key issues.

The American Immigration Council has a range of research and other resources, including experts available to speak on the subject.

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For more information, contact Brianna Dimas at the American Immigration Council, [email protected] or 202-507-7557.