The Religious Composition of the World’s Migrants
The globe’s 280 million immigrants shape countries’ religious composition. Christians make up the largest share, but Jews are most likely to have migrated.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
The globe’s 280 million immigrants shape countries’ religious composition. Christians make up the largest share, but Jews are most likely to have migrated.
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.
The unauthorized immigrant population in the U.S. grew to 11 million in 2022, but remained below the peak of 12.2 million in 2007.
In 2022, roughly 10.6 million immigrants living in the U.S. were born in Mexico, making up 23% of all U.S. immigrants.
An estimated 940,000 immigrants became U.S. citizens during the 2022 fiscal year. That annual total would be the third-highest on record.
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.
Immigrants – particularly those from African nations – are a growing share of the U.S. Black population.
The unauthorized immigrant population’s size and composition has ebbed and flowed significantly over the past 30 years.
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