Trends in Naturalization. Immigrant Families and Workers. Facts and Perspectives Brief.

This brief examines changes in the number of naturalized citizens in the United States and the rate of naturalization, also exploring the size and characteristics of the pool of immigrants now or soon to be eligible to naturalize. Analysis of data from the Current Population Survey indicates that beginning in the mid-1990s, the number of naturalized citizens rose for the first time in decades, from 6.5 million to 11 million citizens by 2002. The share of legal immigrants who had naturalized rose to 49 percent in 2002 after a steep downward trend from 64 percent in 1970 to 39 percent in 1996. Despite rising numbers and rates, a large pool of immigrants, almost 8 million, is now eligible to naturalize. Of these, 2.7 million live in Canada, and another 2.7 legal immigrants are likely to soon become eligible to naturalize. Eligible immigrants who have not yet naturalized differ significantly from recently naturalized citizens. For example, those not yet naturalized have more limited English language skills, have less education, and are more heavily Mexican. A table shows the number of eligible and naturalized immigrants in each state, and lists the major destination and new growth states.(SM)