What Country Has the Most Immigrants? A Comprehensive Look at the Top 12

The United States has the highest number of immigrants in the world. The U.N. estimate puts the total number at 52.4 million in 2024, and the Pew Research Center estimated that 51.9 million immigrants were living in the U.S. as of June 2025.

That means immigrants made up 15.4 percent of the country's population in Pew's June 2025 estimate. The estimated total had fallen from a January 2025 high, marking the first decline in the estimated U.S. immigrant population since the 1960s.

Pew notes that several policy shifts starting in mid-2024 affected the number of new arrivals, asylum applications, deportations and people who were deported or left on their own.

A closer look at U.S. immigrants shows why the country remains the top destination. The U.S. economy is huge, its higher education system draws students from across the world and family-based immigration has long been a major part of legal immigration.

The immigrant population also reflects many reasons people leave home. Some move for economic opportunity, employment, family reunification, education, healthcare or access to other resources. Others leave because of conflict, poverty, violence, corruption, climate change or environmental disasters.

A few U.S. data points make the scale easier to see:

The naturalization process is the route many lawful permanent residents use to become citizens. But not everyone who is eligible applies, and the legal immigration system can move slowly.

The U.S. also pulls people through work and education. In 2022, nearly 41 percent of legal immigrants came to join the workforce, and nearly 43 percent came from Asia, followed by North American countries at 29 percent. The U.S. hosted more than 1 million foreign students in recent years, more than any other country in many global student counts.

The story is not only about paperwork. In survey data included with this article's source material, 65 percent of immigrants said they felt safer in the U.S. than in their country of origin, while 75 percent cited better jobs and economic opportunity as a major reason for moving.

Those pull factors help explain why the U.S. has more immigrants than other countries, even though some smaller countries have a higher percentage of immigrants in their total population.

Germany ranks No. 2, with 16.8 million international migrants in the U.N. 2024 estimate. It is Europe's leading immigrant destination by total number, helped by a large economy, demand for workers and long-running migration ties across the region.

Germany's recent years also include a major humanitarian chapter. During the 2015 refugee crisis, the country admitted a large number of refugees and asylum seekers, especially from Syria and other conflict-affected places. That openness reshaped parts of its population and added to a growing number of residents who are foreign born.

Migration is a practical part of Germany's economy. Like many aging economies, it needs workers in healthcare, manufacturing, services and technical fields.

The International Labour Organization estimated that 167.7 million international migrants were part of destination-country labor forces worldwide in 2022, equal to 4.7 percent of the global labor force.

Saudi Arabia had 13.7 million international migrants in 2024, ranking No. 3. Its immigrant population is largely made up of foreign workers who support construction, domestic work, services, healthcare, energy and infrastructure.

That pattern is common in Gulf economies. A large share of migrant workers come from South Asia and Southeast Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines and other countries. Many send money home, which matters a lot for families and for origin-country economies.

Those payments are called remittances. The World Bank projected that officially recorded remittances to low- and middle-income countries would reach $685 billion in 2024.

That money can help pay for food, school fees, healthcare and housing, but emigration can also create brain drain when educated or skilled workers leave for better prospects abroad.

The United Kingdom ranked No. 4 in the U.N. data, with 11.8 million international migrants in 2024. Some country-specific estimates use different definitions and put the count lower, but the U.N. series makes the United Kingdom one of the world's largest immigrant destinations.

The United Kingdom remains a major hub despite Brexit. Its pull comes from jobs, universities, family networks, healthcare careers and long historical links with South Asia, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean.

This is a useful example of how immigration data can vary. Some countries count foreign-born residents. Others rely more on citizenship or nationality data. The U.N. tries to make those measures comparable, but no single report can remove every difference in how countries collect data.

France ranked No. 5, with 9.2 million international migrants in 2024. Its immigrant population reflects long ties with North Africa, West Africa, Europe, Asia and other regions.

France shows how history shapes migration. Language, colonial-era links, education networks and family ties can keep migration routes active for generations. People born in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Portugal, Italy and other countries have long been part of France's foreign born population.

Safety also matters. The U.N. Refugee Agency estimated that 123.2 million people were forcibly displaced at the end of 2024, including refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people and other people needing protection.

Not all displaced people become immigrants in France or Europe, but conflict and instability are powerful reasons people leave their home countries.

Spain ranked No. 2, with 8.9 million international migrants in 2024. Its immigrant population grew rapidly in the 2000s as agriculture, construction, domestic work, tourism and service jobs needed more workers.

Spain also has strong ties to Latin America. Shared language and family networks make migration easier for many people born in South America, Central America and the Caribbean. In recent years, people from Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Argentina and other countries have added to Spain's immigrant population.

That rapid growth also shows why the percentage of immigrants in a country's population can change quickly. Spain does not have the most immigrants in absolute terms, but its increase over a few decades has been large compared with its earlier migration history.

Canada ranked No. 7, with 8.8 million international migrants in 2024. Among North American countries, it stands out because immigrants account for a larger proportion of the population than they do in the U.S.

Canada has built much of its modern immigration system around economic needs, family reunification and humanitarian admissions. Many newcomers arrive through points-based programs that value education, language ability and job skills. Others come as refugees, students or family members.

Canada's immigrant population also plays a clear role in economic growth. New arrivals help fill jobs in healthcare, technology, transportation, food production and other sectors. For readers curious about how citizenship works in different places, we have a broader look at birthright citizenship across countries.

The United Arab Emirates ranked No. 8 by total number, with 8.2 million international migrants. But its bigger distinction is proportion: the United Arab Emirates has one of the highest shares of immigrants relative to total population anywhere in the world.

Depending on the data set and definition, the UAE is often described as having about three-quarters to nearly nine in 10 residents born abroad or holding foreign citizenship. In the U.N. 2024 migrant-stock series, immigrants made up 74 percent of the UAE population.

Qatar ranked even higher by share at 76.7 percent, even though it is not in the top 12 by total number.

That contrast is the key. Smaller countries can have enormous immigrant shares even if their total number of migrants is lower than the U.S., Germany or Saudi Arabia. Luxembourg and Switzerland also have much higher proportions of foreign born residents than the U.S., even though they host fewer people overall.

Australia ranked ninth, with 8.1 million international migrants in 2024. It also has a high immigrant share: About 30 percent of its residents were foreign-born in the U.N. estimate.

Australia attracts migrants through education, skilled-work pathways, family ties and quality-of-life factors. Universities bring students from Asia, South Asia, Europe and other regions. Healthcare, engineering, mining, hospitality and technology jobs also draw workers.

Migration can strengthen a destination country's workforce, but it can also change origin countries. When doctors, nurses, engineers or teachers leave, their home countries can lose needed skills.

At the same time, remittances can support children, fund education and reduce poverty for families who remain behind.

The Russian Federation ranked No. 10, with 7.6 million international migrants in 2024. Many migrants come from neighboring former Soviet states, including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine and other countries where Russian language knowledge or older social ties can make movement easier.

Russia is also a good reminder that migration data reflects borders as well as movement. After the Soviet Union broke apart, people who had once moved within one country could later count as international migrants because they were born in one newly independent state and lived in another.

Economic need still drives much of this migration. Workers may move north for construction, retail, transportation or service jobs, then send money to relatives in their country of birth.

Türkiye ranked No. 11, with 7.1 million international migrants in 2024. Its location makes it a major bridge between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Türkiye's immigrant population includes labor migrants, students, refugees and people seeking safety from conflict. The Syrian civil war had a major effect on the country's population, as millions of Syrians crossed the border and stayed for protection, work, school and family stability.

This is where terms matter. Refugees, asylum seekers, students, work-visa holders, permanent residents and unauthorized migrants are different legal categories. They are other types of migrants, but they may all appear in a broad immigrant population count if they live outside their country of birth.

Italy ranked No. 12, with 6.6 million international migrants in 2024. Its immigrant population includes people from Eastern Europe, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, China and Latin America.

Italy's aging population and regional labor needs make immigration important to agriculture, elder care, domestic work, manufacturing and food services. It also sits on major Mediterranean migration routes, which means migration debates often involve border policy, humanitarian rescue, asylum and citizenship.