US Immigrant Population: Asians To Surpass Hispanics To Become America’s Largest Migrant Population By 2055

Asians will beat Hispanics to become America’s largest immigrant population by 2055, according to a Pew Research Center report released Monday. The study estimated the United States' immigrant population by 2065 and noted that the turning point comes in 2055 when 36 percent of the migrants will be from Asia.

Migrants are estimated to account for 88 percent of the increase in the American population between 2015 and 2065, the report stated. Currently, 14 percent of the population comprises immigrants compared to 5 percent in 1965.

"Without the immigrants, the U.S. population would start decreasing," said Pew demographer Jeff Passel, according to Reuters. "The big picture is that immigration has been the major demographic factor driving growth and change in the U.S. population over the last 50 years."

At present, 47 percent of immigrants in the United States are Hispanic, whose number will drop to 31 percent by 2065. Asians, who currently make up 26 percent of the immigrant population, will shoot to 38 percent in five decades, the study showed.

However, no racial or ethnic group will hold a majority in the U.S., the report found. Whites, who currently constitute 62 percent of the country’s overall population, will make up 46 percent of the population in 50 years, whereas Hispanics will comprise 24 percent, Asians will be at 14 percent and blacks at 13 percent. Today, 18 percent of Hispanics, 12 percent blacks and 6 percent Asians constitute America’s population.

The Pew researchers analyzed census data, population projections and conducted a survey that collected opinions on immigrants from March 10 through April 6 this year. They surveyed 3,147 adults and had a plus or minus 2.4 percent margin of error.

According to the report, 45 percent of Americans said immigrants would make the society better in the long run while 37 percent said they would worsen the conditions. Of the total respondents, 16 percent said immigrants did not have much effect on the American society.

About half of those surveyed said immigrants were worsening the U.S. economy and leading to crimes. However, about the same percentage of people said immigrants were improving the food, music and arts scene in the country.

“Some 47 percent of U.S. adults say immigrants from Asia have had a mostly positive impact on American society, and 44 percent say the same about immigrants from Europe. Meanwhile, half of Americans say the impact of immigrants from Africa has been neither positive nor negative,” the report stated.

Overall, Pew estimated that by 2065, there will be 78 million immigrants, and 18 percent who are foreign-born. Furthermore, if there was no immigration after 1965, the U.S. would be 75 percent white, 14 percent black, 8 percent Hispanic and less than 1 percent Asian today, the center said in the report. The foreign-born population in the U.S. currently stands at 45 million.