California’s Immigrant Population: A Key Pillar of the State’s Identity and Economy
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California has the largest immigrant population of any state in the United States, with an impressive 10.6 million immigrants, representing 22% of the nation’s foreign-born population. As of 2023, nearly 27% of California’s total population was foreign-born, which is more than double the national average of 12%. This makes California not only the state with the highest percentage of immigrants but also a central point of focus for understanding immigration trends and challenges across the country.
RUSSIAN CALIFORNIA — Over recent decades, the share of immigrants in California has remained relatively stable at high levels. From 2010 to 2023, the state’s immigrant population grew by 5%, or about 500,000 people, a slower pace compared to the 14% growth (1.27 million people) between 2000 and 2010. The 1990s, in particular, marked a period of substantial growth, with a 37% increase in immigrants. However, in recent years, the rate of immigration has slowed, contributing to the broader deceleration in California’s overall population growth. Despite this, the state continues to see a steady flow of new immigrants. Net immigration to California rose to 134,370 from July 2023 to July 2024, marking a recovery from a sharp decline in the 2020-2021 period due to pandemic restrictions and travel limitations.
The vast majority of California’s immigrants are documented residents. More than half of them, 55%, had become naturalized U.S. citizens by 2023, up from just 31% in 1990. Meanwhile, the number of undocumented immigrants has decreased over the years. As of 2022, about 1.8 million immigrants in California were undocumented, down from 2.8 million in 2007. This reduction has led to the share of undocumented immigrants falling from 28% to 17%. Overall, by 2022, 83% of immigrants in California were either citizens or had legal residency status.
Immigrants in California are concentrated in coastal metropolitan areas such as Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco, and Los Angeles counties, where foreign-born residents make up at least one-third of the population. In contrast, the state’s rural counties in the far north and Sierra Nevada regions have a much smaller immigrant presence.
California’s immigrant population is ethnically diverse, with nearly half (49%) originating from Latin America and 41% from Asia. The leading countries of origin include Mexico, the Philippines, China, India, and Vietnam. In recent years, immigration from Asia has outpaced that from Latin America, with 46% of new arrivals between 2014 and 2023 coming from Asia and 38% from Latin America.
The educational backgrounds of California’s immigrants are varied. While 48% of immigrants aged 25 to 64 in the state have no more than a high school diploma, compared to 28% of U.S.-born Californians, a third (34%) of immigrants hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Among immigrants who arrived between 2014 and 2023, 49% have a bachelor’s degree, and 66% of those from Asia have this level of education. This reflects the growing number of highly educated immigrants in the state, particularly from Asian countries.
Language is another key characteristic of California’s immigrant population. While two-thirds of immigrants report speaking English well or very well, a significant portion—11%—speak no English at all. Spanish is the most commonly spoken language, with 51.5% of immigrants using it at home. Other languages spoken by immigrants include Chinese, Hindi, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean.
Public opinion on immigration in California has been generally supportive, but there have been recent shifts. A February 2024 survey showed that 60% of Californians view immigrants as a benefit to the state due to their hard work and skills, though this is a decrease from 66% in 2023 and 78% in 2021. A growing number of residents (40%) now view the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border as a crisis, with two-thirds of them supporting reforms that would make the immigration process more efficient.
Immigrants continue to play a crucial role in California’s economy, culture, and demographics. While the growth of the immigrant population has slowed somewhat, it remains an essential and vibrant part of the state’s identity. As California moves forward, it is likely to continue being a focal point for national debates on immigration policies, reflecting broader trends in the United States.
Source: Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), «Immigrants in California» by Marisol Cuellar Mejia, Cesar Alesi Perez, and Hans Johnson. Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, and 2023 1-Year Estimates.
