- California’s foreign-born population has increased tremendously in recent decades. Between 1970 and 2005, the number of immigrants in California increased more than fivefold, from 1.8 million to 9.6 million.
- One in four Californians is an immigrant, a higher proportion than in any other state. The proportion of the state’s population that is foreign born is at its highest level since 1890. California has a much higher share of immigrants in its population than does the United States as a whole (27 percent versus 12 percent).
- Most of California’s immigrants are from Latin America or Asia. Eighty-nine percent of the state’s immigrants are from Latin America or Asia, with slightly over half from Latin America (55 percent) and one-third (34 percent) from Asia. While California is home to sizable populations of immigrants from dozens of countries, the leading countries of origin are Mexico (4.3 million), the Philippines (739,000), China (469,000), and Vietnam (451,000).