- Description
New York State has been a major destination for immigrants coming to the U.S. for decades. However, a new FWD.us analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data finds that the state's immigrant, or foreign-born, population largely stopped growing during the previous decade, with serious implications for its economy. In 2019, just before the pandemic, immigrants in New York State numbered approximately 4.35 million and made up about 22% of the state's population—about the same share of the population as in 2010. Now that number is plateauing, and more immigrants are leaving the state than entering. To grow its population and its economy in the decades ahead, New York must make the state a more attractive destination for immigrants as well as offer more opportunities for immigrants already living there.
