Older Immigrants in the United States

Posted by Catherine Stifter  May 18, 2009

http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=727

After declining steadily between 1960 and 1990, the number of older immigrants (those age 65 and over) in the United States nearly doubled between 1990 and 2007, from 2.7 million to 4.5 million. Immigrants now account for one of every nine older persons in the United States. 

Analysis of 2007 federal government data revealed the following:

  • Nearly three-quarters of older immigrants were naturalized US citizens in 2007.
  • Over half of older immigrants in 2007 were limited English proficient. On average, the total personal incomes of older immigrants were about 20 percent lower than those of older natives.

This article by Aaron Terrazas focuses on older immigrants residing in the United States, examining the population's size, geographic distribution, socioeconomic characteristics, labor force participation and income, health and disability levels, and admission categories using data from the US Census Bureau's 2007 American Community Survey (ACS) and 2000 Decennial Census, and the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS) for 2008.

Read more on the MPI website.

Tags: Migration Policy Institute
Topics: Citizenship, Community Health, Family, Health Care Access, Immigrants, Language