U.S. Census Bureau
Table 1. Nativity of the Population and Place of Birth of the Native Population: 1850 to 1990
  Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census
Internet Release date: March 9, 1999

(See text for sources, definitions, and explanations)

Year 1/ Total
population
Native population Foreign-
born
population
Total Born in the
United States
Born abroad
Total In
outlying
areas 2/
Of
American
parents
NUMBER              
1990* 248,709,873 228,942,557 225,695,826 3,246,731 1,382,446 1,864,285 19,767,316
1980* 226,545,805 212,465,899 210,322,697 2,143,202 1,088,172 1,055,030 14,079,906
1970* 3/ 203,210,158 193,590,856 191,329,489 2,261,367 891,266 1,370,101 9,619,302
1960* 1/ 179,325,671 169,587,580 168,525,645 1,061,935 660,425 401,510 9,738,091
1950* 150,216,110 139,868,715 139,442,390 426,325 329,970 96,355 10,347,395
1940 131,669,275 120,074,379 119,795,254 279,125 156,956 122,169 11,594,896
1930 122,775,046 108,570,897 108,304,188 266,709 136,032 130,677 14,204,149
1920 105,710,620 91,789,928 91,659,045 130,883 38,020 92,863 13,920,692
1910 91,972,266 78,456,380 78,381,104 75,276 7,365 67,911 13,515,886
1900 75,994,575 65,653,299 65,583,225 70,074 2,923 67,151 10,341,276
1890 1/ 62,622,250 53,372,703 53,362,371 10,332 322 10,010 9,249,547
1880 50,155,783 43,475,840 43,475,498 342 51 291 6,679,943
1870 38,558,371 32,991,142 32,990,922 220 51 169 5,567,229
1860 4/ 31,443,321 27,304,624 27,304,624 - - - 4,138,697
1850 4/ 23,191,876 20,947,274 20,947,274 - - - 2,244,602
PERCENT
  DISTRIBUTION
             
1990* 100.0 92.1 90.7 1.3 0.6 0.7 7.9
1980* 100.0 93.8 92.8 0.9 0.5 0.5 6.2
1970* 3/ 100.0 95.3 94.2 1.1 0.4 0.7 4.7
1960* 1/ 100.0 94.6 94.0 0.6 0.4 0.2 5.4
1950* 100.0 93.1 92.8 0.3 0.2 0.1 6.9
1940 100.0 91.2 91.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 8.8
1930 100.0 88.4 88.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 11.6
1920 100.0 86.8 86.7 0.1 - 0.1 13.2
1910 100.0 85.3 85.2 0.1 - 0.1 14.7
1900 100.0 86.4 86.3 0.1 - 0.1 13.6
1890 1/ 100.0 85.2 85.2 - - - 14.8
1880 100.0 86.7 86.7 - - - 13.3
1870 100.0 85.6 85.6 - - - 14.4
1860 4/ 100.0 86.8 86.8 - - - 13.2
1850 4/ 100.0 90.3 90.3 - - - 9.7

* Indicates sample data.

- Represents zero or rounds to zero.

1/ Starting in 1960, includes population of Alaska and Hawaii. For 1890, excludes population enumerated in the Indian Territory and on Indian reservations for whom information on most topics, including nativity, was not collected. See Table 6.
2/ Puerto Rico is the only outlying area for which the number has ever exceeded 100,000. The numbers for Puerto Rico: 1,190,533 in 1990; 1,002,863 in 1980; 810,087 in 1970; 617,056 in 1960; 226,010 in 1950; 69,967 in 1940; 52,774 in 1930; 11,811 in 1920; 1,513 In 1910; and 678 in 1900. See text for Table 1.
3/ The data shown in Table 1 are based on the 15-percent sample. For 1970, data based on the 5-percent sample show total population as 203,193,774, native population as 193,590,856, born in the United States as 191,836,655, born abroad as 1,617,396, in outlying areas as 873,241, of American parents as 744,155, and foreign-born population as 9,739,723. See text for Table 1.
4/ In 1850 and 1860, information on nativity was not collected for slaves. The data in the table assume, as was done in 1870 census reports, that all slaves in 1850 and 1860 were native. Of the total Black population of 4,880,009 in 1870, 9,645, or 0.2 percent, were foreign-born (1870 census, Vol. I, Dubester #45, Table XXII, pp. 606-615).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Authors: Campbell Gibson and Emily Lennon
Questions? / 1-866-758-1060
Last Revised: July 09, 2008 at 02:52:19 PM