Research Guides: Migration, Immigration, Diasporas, and Refugees: Home

US Immigration Statistics and Data

U.S. Census Bureau Migration and Geographic Mobility Statistics - Information about surveys/programs that collect information about internal/domestic migration and estimates of international migration, including:

The American Community Survey (includes place of birth, year of entry, residence one year ago, citizenship status, county-to-county migration flows)
Net Migration by Decade, 1950-2020 provides estimates of net migration broken down by age, race, Hispanic origin, and sex for all U.S. counties and states each decade from 1950 to 2020. See also Demographic Characteristics of the Population of the United States, 1930-1950: County-Level
Current Population Survey Monthly survey conducted by Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census bureau. Create data tables on various topics, including foreign born workers. Special topical modules of the survey have included immigration. A chart of those supplements indicates the topics, the months and years they were administered, and whether or not the data are available. Microdata can be obtained via several sources.
Population Estimates (see Geographic Mobility tables)
Decennial Census (see 2000 and earlier)
Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) - Domestic migration and length of time at current residence.

Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, 1996-present
Admissions on permanent basis, temporary basis, asylum or refugee status, and naturalizations. Data is by country and region, in Excel.
Older immigration statistics by country
- Historical Statistics of the United States Millennial Edition immigrants by country of birth, 1941-1997 and immigrants by country of last residence, 1820-1997. Under Population>international migration. Data in Excel.
- 1978-2001: Statistical Yearbook of the Immigration and Naturalization Service scanned pdf but has by country breakdowns not always available in Historical Statistics of the US. Also in print either at Firestone (F) or Stokes (SPR) JV6461 .S8 or in ReCAP.
- 1933-1986: Annual report of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, scanned pdf but has by country breakdowns not always available in Historical Statistics of the US. Most of the run is also in HathiTrust as well as in print at Stokes JV6414 .A6.
- 1892-1933 The Annual Report of the INS was formed from these two predecessors: Bureau of Naturalization, Annual report of the Commissioner of Naturalization to the Secretary of Labor 1892-1912 and 1912-1933; also in print various years. Bureau of Immigration, Annual report of the Commissioner-General of Immigration to the Secretary... 1892-1932; also in print various years.
DHS Immigration Estimates, 1990-present
The Department of Homeland Security produces estimates of the population of legal permanent residents (2002-present), unauthorized immigrants (1990-2018), and resident nonimmigrants (2004-2019) in the U.S.. They also provide data on immigration enforcement actions (2004-2020).
Visa Statistics, Dept. of State, 2000-present
The Report of the Visa Office is an annual report providing statistical information on immigrant and non-immigrant visa issuances by consular offices, as well as information on the use of visa numbers in numerically limited categories.
- 1965-1993: scanned pdf of the report. Also in print in ReCAP, 1974-2001.
U.S. Refugee Arrivals
The State Department's Refugee Processing Center (RPC) runs the Worldwide Refugee Admissions Processing System (WRAPS) to process and track the movement of refugees from various countries around the world to the U.S. for resettlement under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Site provides reports in Excel and PDF of arrivals by major world region, initial settlement in U.S. states by nationality (also separately for Special Immigrant Visa [SIV] arrivals of Iraqi and Afghan nationals), and arrivals by nationality and religion, FY2010-present. Older data for some of these is available in the Refugee Resettlement Program, Report to Congress and the Proposed U.S. Refugee Admissions and Allocations for Fiscal Year [FY], which can be found in Statistical Insight and the ASI microfiche set.
TRAC Immigration Tools
Provides access to data on immigration court caseloads, backlogs, processing times, and outcomes; new deportation proceedings and outcomes; asylum filings, backlogs, and outcomes; ICE detentions, removals, and facilities; immigration judges; and juvenile cases. Information on criminal enforcement of immigration law including statutes used is also available. Based upon analyses by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University of court and agency records obtained via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Statistical Abstract of the United States
Gathers the most requested tables of statistics from INS and related agencies on immigration and refugees/displaced persons (see above). Issued annually since 1878, the tables can all be downloaded as Excel spreadsheets.
Social Explorer
Allows user to visually analyze and understand the demography of the United States through the use of interactive maps and data reports from 1790 to the present. The key term for immigrants in the census is foreign born, including naturalized U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (immigrants), temporary migrants (such as foreign students), humanitarian migrants (such as refugees and asylees), and unauthorized migrants.

Handbook of U.S. Labor Statistics
Compilation of statistical tables, including those about the foreign born population, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Pew Research Center
Charts and statistics about U.S. immigrants. 1980+

International Migration Data

Note: Governments vary in the way they collect statistics on international and internal migrants and many do not count the number of individuals who emigrate from the country. The sources below provide comparative figures calculated by the issuing organization. For more detailed information, it may be helpful to examine publications from individual country statistical offices. In addition, Stokes Library houses a print collection of international census publications and vital statistics. They may be found by searching the Library catalog with the following Subject headings: (country name) -- Census or (country name) -- Statistics, Vital (for example, Argentina--Census or Nigeria--Statistics, Vital). To find microdata about immigration available through Princeton University Libraries, see Data and Statistical Services.

Migration Research Hub
Created by IMISCOE (International Migration Research Network), a network of 63 member institutes and over 1300 scholars from all over the world, the Hub is a portal to migration research with 3 main components: 1) Research Database indexes over 100,000 items, including journal articles, book chapters, reports, projects, datasets, and policy briefs; 2) Taxonomy of Migration Studies, which categorizes every item on the Hub into a detailed classification under four main branches: Topics, Disciplines, Methods, and Geographies; and 3) an international database of migration experts.
UN International Migration Stock Estimates
The dataset presents estimates of international migrant by age, sex, origin, and destination. Estimates are presented for 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 and are available for all countries and areas of the world. The estimates are based on official statistics on the foreign-born or the foreign population. Data in Excel. Abel & Cohen (2022) provide a simplified, tidy version of the data.
UN International Migration Flows
The dataset contains annual data on the flows of international migrants as recorded by the countries of destination. The data presents both inflows and outflows according to the place of birth, citizenship or place of previous / next residence both for foreigners and nationals. Data available from 45 countries, 1980+, in Excel. See also Abel, Guy (2019). Bilateral international migration flow estimates for 200 countries for origin-destination migration flow estimates as well as by type of move (outward, return and transit).
UN Demographic Yearbook
International migration characteristics by country.
UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons
Periodic report released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) "presents a global picture of the trends, patterns and flows of trafficking, alongside detailed regional analyses." In addition to the report, they provide an interactive data tool.
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Migration Data Portal
Data about migrant stocks and flows, forced migration, migrant deaths, migration policy, remittances, and more. Separate portals have more detailed data:
- monthly displacement figures by district/town, 2014–present;
- monthly data on migrants who have gone missing or died with region, location coordinates, number dead/missing/survived; source URL, source quality, 2014–present;
- Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative provides an anonymized, individual level dataset on victims of trafficking, 2002-present, which codes for age, gender, type of exploitation, means of control, and recruiter type.
International Migration Institute DEMIG Datasets
The Determinants of International Migration (DEMIG) project produced several datasets: 1) The DEMIG C2C (country-to-country) database contains bilateral migration flow data for 34 reporting countries and from up to 236 countries over the 1946–2011 period; 2) the DEMIG POLICY dataset, which tracks more than 6,500 migration policy changes enacted by 45 countries, 1945-2013; 3) DEMIG TOTAL, which reports immigration, emigration, and net migration flows for up to 161 countries covering various periods from the early 1800s to 2011; and 4) DEMIG VISA, which tracks annual bilateral travel visa requirements for 237 nationalities in 214 countries over the 1973–2013 period.
National and Subnational Global Net Migration, 2000-2019
Scholarly project collected, gap-filled, and harmonized national level (ADM0) birth and death rate datasets for 200+ countries and sub-national data for births and deaths (covering 100+ countries and 2000+ administrative areas (ADM1: state/province and ADM2: communal/county). They calculate net migration estimates by comparing this "natural" population change with reported population changes. Data is provided in gridded geospatial form, but the masterData.rds file has the birth, death, and net migration rates by administrative level in tabular form. Data can be explored visually at https://wdrg.aalto.fi/global-net-migration-explorer/.
OECD International Migration Statistics
Includes the International Migration Database and labor market outcomes of immigrants. Flows and stocks of the total immigrant population and immigrant labor force in OECD countries, together with data on acquisition of nationality, 1975+. Downloadable to .csv.
OECD Indicators of Immigrant Integration
Broad international comparison across all EU and OECD countries of the outcomes for immigrants and their children based on 68 indicators. See also: Indicators of Immigrant Integration: Settling In.
UNHCR Population Statistics Database
Contains data about UNHCR's populations of concern from 1951-present. Can filter by location of residence, origin, and status (refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returned refugees, returned IDPs, stateless people). Data downloadable in .csv.
Global Internal Displacement Database
Covers more than 160 countries and territories and provides data (in Excel) on situations of:
- Internal displacement associated with conflict and generalized violence (2003-present)
- Displacement associated with sudden-onset natural hazard-related disasters (2008-present)
Migration Policy Institute
MPI's datahub has maps and data on migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers as well as on global remittances.
Humanitarian Data Exchange
Hub and platform for NGOs to post humanitarian data. Includes more than 6000 datasets and provides infographics and data visualizations as well.
World Bank Global Bilateral Migration Database
Global matrices of bilateral migrant stocks spanning the period 1960-2000, disaggregated by gender and based primarily on the foreign-born concept.
Eurostat Migration and Asylum Statistics
European Union country statistics and articles about citizenship, asylum, first and second generation immigrants, migrant integration, migration by area and region, residence permits.
International Labour Organization (ILO) Labour Migration Statistics
Includes international migration stocks, nationals abroad, international migration flow.

Migration Policy

In addition to the following, see also the DEMIG Policy dataset listed above.

Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX)
Project of the Migration Policy Group to measure policies across 8 issue areas to integrate migrants in all EU member states and several other countries across 5 continents (52 in all). 2007-2019.
Immigration Policy: 1783-2010
Measures the restrictiveness of immigration policy for low-skill immigration in 19 countries from the 19th century through to today. The measure is comparable across countries and across time. In addition, the sub-measures used to create the immigration policy variables are included as well.
Immigration Policies in Comparison (IMPIC)
Provides a set of sophisticated quantitative indices to measure immigration policies in all OECD countries for the time period 1980-2010.
EUI Global Citizenship Observatory Database
Provides several datasets with wide geographic and temporal coverage of laws and policy related to provisions for acquiring citizenship and electoral rights by immigrants. Includes the Global Nationality Laws Database, GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset and CITLAW Indicators, Conditions for Electoral Rights Database and Electoral Law Indicators.

Migration Research Projects

Mesoamerican Migration Project (1982-)
Continues and expands the previous Mexican Migration Project. Each year, the MMP randomly samples households in communities located throughout Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras (Mexico since 1982; all others in more recent years). After gathering social, demographic, and economic information on the household and its members, interviewers collect basic immigration information on each person's first and last trip to the United States, as well information on migration to other countries and internal migration. From household heads and spouses, detailed year-by-year labor, migration, property, and family formation histories are compiled. Interviewers also ask detailed questions about their last trip to the U.S., focusing on employment, earnings, and use of U.S. social services. In recent years, questions on health, violence, food insecurity and weather-related crop loses have been added. More than 28,000 households and ~180,000 individuals have been interviewed. Data in Stata and SPSS.
Latin American Migration Project (1998-)
Aims to advance our understanding of the complex processes of international migration and immigration to the United States through surveys of migrant households. LAMP employs the ethnosurvey approach, which combines the tecniques of ethnographic fieldwork and representative survey sampling to gather qualitative as well as quantitative data. Countries covered include Puerto Rico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Haiti, Peru, Guatemala, and Ecuador. Data in SAS, SPSS, and Stata.
Migrations between Africa and Europe Project (2008-2010)
Collected data on migration flows between Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. MAFE conducted household surveys in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Senegal, as well as individual biographical questionnaires in Africa (DR Congo, Ghana, Senegal) and in Europe (Congolese in Belgium and the UK; Ghanaians in the Netherlands and the UK; Senegalese in France, Italy and Spain). Data were collected both in origin and destination countries, providing data on migrants abroad at the time of the surveys and also on returnees and non-migrants interviewed in origin countries. The individual questionnaire collects full retrospective histories of individual's housing, study and work trajectories, family formation, property ownership and migrant networks.
Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (1992-2006)
Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS) was designed to study the adaptation process of the immigrant second generation. CILS followed a sample of over 5,200 children of immigrants from early adolescence to early adulthood, interviewing them at three key points of their life cycle: in junior high school, at average age 14, just prior to high school graduation (or dropping out of school), at average age 17, at the beginning of their work careers (or continuing schooling), at average age 24. Each sample wave retrieved approximately 85 percent of the preceding one. The third wave produced data on 3,564 respondents or 68 percent of the original sample.
New Immigrant Survey (2003-2009)
The New Immigrant Survey (NIS) is a nationally representative multi-cohort longitudinal study of new legal immigrants and their children to the United States based on nationally representative samples of the administrative records, compiled by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), pertaining to immigrants newly admitted to permanent residence. It asks about immigrant lifestyles pre- and post-immigration, family networks, schooling, health, employment, income and transfers, housing, and assimiliation.
Comparative Immigrant Organization Project (2006)
The Comparative Immigrant Organizations Project (CIOP) studied the effects of transnational and domestic organizations on the political incorporation of Latin American (Mexican, Colombian, Dominican) immigrants in the United States by examining the views of leaders of immigrant organizations toward citizenship acquisition and political participation in the United States as well as the actual activities of these organizations in civic life and politics, both in the United States and abroad. The dataset contains detailed measures of the extent of economic, political, and socio-cultural transnationalism, activities in the U.S. and sending countries, and characteristics of both the organizations and their members. Data in both Stata and SPSS formats.
Center for Migration and Development Data Archive
Repository of datasets conducted by researchers at the Center for Migration and Development at Princeton University.

Reports & Documents and Organizations

Policy Commons: Global Think Tanks
Policy Commons preserves and provides access to more than 30 million pages of curated policy reports and briefs, analyses, working papers, books, case studies, tables, charts, media, and statistical publications created by 25,000 policy organizations (NGOs, IGOs, foundations, think tanks, government agencies, etc.) from around the world. Platform provides multiple filters and advanced searching operators.
Trends & Policy: U.S. Immigration
Provides a curated primary source collection of U.S. government documents on immigration and border security 1790-present, including government policy, history, law, and news. Includes text of U.S. immigration laws and other content from the legislative branch, reports and statistics from the executive and judicial branches, and news content for additional information and context. Statistics from many reports have been converted into CSV and Excel tables and users can export the statistics or create and export charts directly in the product for use in assignments and research.

Migration Policy Institute
MPI provides analysis, development, and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at the local, national, and international levels. Of particular note on the Institute's web site are the U.S. Immigration Policy Program and the datahub.
Pew Research Center
Nonpartisan think tank that provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world, including migration, U.S. immigration, and Hispanics in the U.S.
Urban Institute: Program on Immigrants and Immigration
Among the research interests at the Urban Institute are US immigration policy and the role immigrants play in the economy, the challenges immigrants face in different communities, and immigrants’ access to the social safety net.
Center for Immigration Studies
Independent research center focused on immigration policy in the US and advocating a "low-immigration, pro-immigrant" vision.
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
United Nations affiliated intergovernmental organization that provides services and advice concerning migration to governments and migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees and migrant workers.
Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)
Non-profit organization focusing on national health issues including immigrant health policy.
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
U. S. State immigration laws and legislation, and sanctuary policies. Includes an Immigration Database
Migration Policy Group
Brussels-based migration think tank in the areas of integration, migration and anti-discrimination. Publishes research, manages the European Web Site on Integration, and offers the Migration Integration Poicy Index.

PAIS: Public Affairs Information Service
Citations to articles, books, reports, and select government documents on U.S. and international public policy issues. Includes policy briefs and reports from many think tanks and NGOs.
1968-1971 of the foreign language component is only available in print. (Trustees Reading Room) Z7164.A2P8

Overviews of the Literature

The following resources provide focused reviews of the scholarship and research relating to various aspects of migration, which can help you understand the context of your research question as well as identify sources for further exploration.

Topical overviews of the field
Good starting points for getting a sense of the field. This catalog search uses the keywords (immigration OR migration OR migrant OR refugee OR diaspora) as subjects and (handbook OR encyclopedia) in the title.

Here are some examples of what you might find:

Introduction to Migration Studies by Peter Scholten (Editor)
ISBN: 9783030923761
Publication Date: 2022-06-04
This open access textbook provides an introduction to theories, concepts and methodological approaches concerning various facets of migration and migration-related diversities. It starts with an introduction to migration studies and continues with an introductory reading of migration drivers, migration infrastructures, migration flows, and several transversal topics such as gender, race, and migration. It also covers politics, policies and governance as well as specific research methods. The chapters are also connected to IMISCOE's online interactive Migration Research Hub for further reading and for more empirical material on migration and diversity.
International Migration Outlook : Annual Report by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Call Number: JV6001.A1 S66 (Stokes Library)
Publication Date: 2006-
Annual publication analyzing recent developments in migration movements and policies in OECD countries. Includes statistical information on immigrant stocks and flows, the immigrant labor market and migration policies. Focus on a different issue each year. Former title: Trends in International Migration.
Routledge Handbook of Immigration and Refugee Studies by Anna Triandafyllidou (Editor)
ISBN: 1003194311
Publication Date: 2023
Offers a comprehensive study of the multi-disciplinary field of international migration and asylum studies. Incorporates numerous chapters on issues including return migration, the relationship between urbanization and migration, the role of advanced digital technologies in migration governance, decision making and human agency, and the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on global migration, work, welfare, families, citizenship, the relationship between migration and development, asylum, and irregular migration.
Debates on U. S. Immigration by Judith Gans; Elaine M. Replogle; Daniel J. Tichenor; and MTM Publishing Staff (Editors)
Call Number: JV6483 .D422 2012 (Stokes Library)
Publication Date: 2012
Point/counterpoint articles explore key aspects of immigration debates in the United States, including labor & economic, social & cultural, and political & legal issues. Each article includes lists of readings, data sources, and other resources as a jumping-off spot for further research.
The Oxford Handbook of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies by Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh, et al. (Editors)
Call Number: HV640 .O94 2014 (Stokes Library)
Publication Date: 2014
Comprising more than 50 chapters, this authoritative handbook critically evaluates the birth and development of Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and provides a comprehensive overview of the key intellectual, political, social and institutional challenges arising from mass displacement in the world today.
The Oxford Handbook of Migration Crises by Cecilia Menjívar, Marie Ruiz, Immanuel Ness, eds.
Call Number: JV6033 .O94 2019 (Firestone)
ISBN: 9780190856908
Publication Date: 2019
The volume covers a wide range of historical, economic, social, political, and environmental conditions that generate migration crises around the globe. At the same time, it illuminates how the media and public officials play a major role in framing migratory flows as crises. Focusing on migrants' departures and arrivals in all continents, this comprehensive handbook explores the social dynamics of migration crises, with an emphasis on factors that propel these flows as well as the actors that play a role in classifying them and in addressing them.
The Encyclopedia of Global Human Migration by Immanuel Ness (Editor-In-Chief)
Call Number: GN370 .E55 2013 (Stokes Library Reference)
Publication Date: 2013
An extensive exploration of the prominent themes, events, and theoretical underpinnings of the movements of human populations from prehistory to the present day. Provides thematic discussions of key topics, detailed migration histories, biographies, and more.
Contemporary Immigration in America: a State by State Encyclopedia by Kathleen R. Arnold (Editor)
Call Number: JV6465 .C745 2015 (Stokes Library-Reference, Firestone Library- Reference
Publication Date: 2015
Chapters for each state. Includes: a historical timeline; topical essays about important immigration events, issues, legislation, and notable figures or groups. Covers 1945-present.
Anti-Immigration in the United States by Kathleen R. Arnold (Editor)
Call Number: JV6450 .A67 2011 (Stokes Library)
Publication Date: 2011
Explores the debate, policies, ideas, and key groups from historical and contemporary perspectives surrounding anti-immigration sentiment.
Undocumented Immigrants in the United States: an Encyclopedia of Their Experience by Anna Ochoa O'Leary (Editor)
Call Number: JV6475 .U48 2014 (Firestone Library)
Publication Date: 2014
Addresses the dynamic lives of undocumented immigrants in the United States
Encyclopedia of the Great Black Migration by Steven A. Reich
Call Number: E185.6 .E54 2006 (Firestone Library - African American Studies Reading Room))
Publication Date: 2006
3 volume set explores the movement of southern African Americans to the urban North and West from 1900 to the 1990s.
Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health by Sana Loue; Martha Sajatovic (Editors)
Call Number: RA448.5.I44 E58 2012 (Stokes Library Reference)
Publication Date: 2012
Biopsychosocial-historical approach to global immigrant health. Includes chapters on the United States.
Routledge Handbook of Asian Diaspora and Development by Ajaya K. Sahoo (Editor)
ISBN: 9780429352768
Publication Date: 2021
This handbook offers an analysis of Asian diaspora and development, and explores the role that immigrants living within diasporic and transnational communities play in the development of their host countries and their homeland. Bringing together an array of interdisciplinary scholars from across the world, it covers issues of development potential, gender and identities, soft power, media and representations.