California Has The Highest Number Of Immigrants In The U.S. 

California is one of the most populated states in the United States. As of July 2019, the state’s population was estimated to be 39,512 million.  

For decades, California has been home to the largest number of the foreign-born population in the United States. Over one-quarter of the state’s population are immigrants, and about 50% of the children are Native Americans with at least one immigrant parent. Figures drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau show that in 2017, about 11 million people in California, that is, 27 percent of the entire population, were immigrants (foreign-born individuals).  

Immigrants are a vital part of California’s labor force as the 2018 American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that 6.6 million workers, that is, 33 percent of the nation’s workforce, were immigrants. 

Most Immigrants in California Are Naturalized Citizens 

Immigrants have become an integral part of California’s thriving communities. About 77% of migrants in California are documented residents.   

As of 2018, about 5.6 million foreign-born (52%) of immigrants in California were naturalized U.S. Citizens, while 2.2 million (25%) had visas, green cards, or some recognized legal status. In the last decade, there has been a significant decrease in the number of undocumented migrants living in California. 

Most of the immigrants who arrived in California in the last decade are from Asia

Most migrants in California draw their origin to Asia or Latin America, as 40% of migrants in California were born in Asia and 50% in Latin America. The top country of origin of California’s immigrants is Mexico with a total number of 4.1 million, followed by China with 969,000 and the Philippines with a total of 857,000.  

However, a majority (56%) of the immigrants who arrived between 2010 and 2017 were from Asia, while Latin America accounts for 29% of the recent arrivals. 

The majority of the immigrants in California speak English very well or well

One interesting fact about most of California’s immigrants is that they speak English fluently. Most of them are bilingual, and they speak English in addition to their native language.   

69% of migrants in California report that they speak English fluently, 47% of immigrants who arrived in the last decade say that they speak English quite well or well, while 6% of the new arrivals speak only English. Only 10% of immigrants reports speaking no English. Most immigrants report speaking their native language at home, which in most cases is either Spanish or Chinese. 

Neda Zaman Esq.
Immigration Attorney in Encino, Los Angeles
Services in English Farsi, Arabic, Armenian, Turkish


Address; 16633 Ventura Blvd suite 510, Encino, CA 91436
Phone: +1(310)855-0992 | +1(818)290-3625
Email: NEDA@NEDALAW.COM