Indicator 2: Nativity
(Last Updated: February 2019)

In 2016, about 97 percent of U.S. children under age 18 were born within the United States. The percentages of Asian (80 percent), Pacific Islander (93 percent), and Hispanic children (94 percent) born within the United States were below the average of 97 percent for all children. In contrast, the percentages born within the United States for Black children (97 percent), White children and children of Two or more races (99 percent each), and American Indian/Alaska Native children (rounds to 100 percent) were above the average for all children.

The composition and size of the foreign-born population of the United States has changed dramatically since 1960, when foreign-born residents accounted for 5 percent of the U.S. population and came mostly from European countries. By 2010, the foreign-born population had grown to 13 percent of the total population and came mostly from Latin America and Asia.¹ This indicator examines the percentage of the U.S. population born within the United States by racial/ethnic group, including for Hispanic and Asian subgroups.

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Figure 2.1. Percentage of the population born within the United States, by race/ethnicity: 2010 and 2016

¹ Total includes respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire and therefore could not be placed into any of the other groups.
NOTE: “Born within the United States” includes those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas, as well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded estimates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2010 and 2016. See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 101.30.

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In 2016, about 86 percent of the U.S. population was born within the United States,² which was lower than the corresponding percentage in 2010 (87 percent). The percentages of Asian (33 percent), Hispanic (66 percent), and Pacific Islander (78 percent) people born within the United States were below the national average of 86 percent in 2016. In contrast, the percentages of people who were Black (91 percent), of Two or more races (92 percent), White (96 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native (99 percent) were above the national average. The percentage of the population born within the United States was lower in 2016 than in 2010 for Black people (91 vs. 92 percent); in contrast, this percentage was higher in 2016 than in 2010 for Hispanic people (66 vs. 63 percent) and people of Two or more races (92 vs. 91 percent).

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Figure 2.2. Percentage of the population under 18 years old born within the United States, by race/ethnicity: 2010 and 2016

¹ Total includes respondents who wrote in some other race that was not included as an option on the questionnaire and therefore could not be placed into any of the other groups.
² In 2016, the American Indian/Alaska Native population under 18 years old born within the United States rounded to 100 percent.
NOTE: “Born within the United States” includes those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas, as well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded estimates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2010 and 2016. See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 101.30.

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In 2016, about 97 percent of children under age 18 were born within the United States. The percentages of Asian (80 percent), Pacific Islander (93 percent), and Hispanic children (94 percent) born within the United States were below the average of 97 percent for all children. In contrast, the percentages born within the United States for Black children (97 percent),³ children of Two or more races (98 percent), White children (99 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native children (rounds to 100 percent) were above the average for all children. The percentage of children born within the United States was higher in 2016 than in 2010 for Hispanic (94 vs. 92 percent) and Asian children (80 vs. 78 percent); in contrast, this percentage was lower in 2016 than in 2010 for Black children (97 vs. 98 percent).

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Figure 2.3. Percentage of the Hispanic population under 18 years old born within the United States, by subgroup: 2016

¹ In 2014, the Puerto Rican population under 18 years old born within the United States rounded to 100 percent.
² Includes other Central American subgroups not shown separately.
NOTE: “Born within the United States” includes those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas, as well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded estimates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2016. See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 101.30.

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In 2016, about 94 percent of Hispanic children under age 18 were born within the United States. The percentages were higher than the average for Hispanic children overall for the following Hispanic subgroups: Mexican (96 percent), Other Hispanic (those not included in other subgroups) (97 percent), Panamanian (98 percent), and Puerto Rican (rounds to 100 percent). The percentages for Costa Rican, Spanish, Chilean, and Nicaraguan children were not measurably different from the average for Hispanic children overall. The percentages for all other subgroups were lower than the Hispanic average, ranging from 67 percent for Venezuelan children to 91 percent for Ecuadorian children.

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Figure 2.4. Percentage of the Asian population under 18 years old born within the United States, by subgroup: 2016

¹ Includes Taiwanese.
² In addition to the subgroups shown, also includes Sri Lankan.
³ Consists of Indonesian and Malaysian.
NOTE: “Born within the United States” includes those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas, as well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents. Asian category excludes persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded estimates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), 2016. See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 101.30.

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Among Asian children under age 18 in 2016, about 80 percent were born within the United States. The percentages were higher than the average for Asian children overall for the following Asian subgroups: Vietnamese (86 percent), Cambodian (90 percent), Other Asian (those not included in other subgroups) (91 percent), Hmong (95 percent), and Laotian (96 percent). The percentages for Filipino, Asian Indian, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Other Southeast Asian (which consists of Indonesian and Malaysian), Pakistani, and Thai children were not measurably different from the average for Asian children overall. The percentages for all other subgroups were lower than the Asian average, ranging from 42 percent for Burmese children to 77 percent for Chinese children.

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Endnotes

¹ Grieco, E.M., Trevelyan, E., Larsen, L., Acosta, Y.D., Gambino, C., de la Cruz, P., Gryn, T., and Walters, N. (2012). The Size, Place of Birth, and Geographic Distribution of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 1960 to 2010. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 27, 2018, from https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/working-papers/2012/demo/POP-twps0096.pdf.
² Consistent with the Census definition, “born within the United States” includes those born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Marianas, as well as those born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents.
³ Due to rounding, statistically significant differences may not always be apparent. The percentage of children under age 18 born within the United States was 96.6 percent overall and 97.2 percent for Black children.

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