Persons Obtaining Legal Permanent Status Share of U.S. Population

This database lists the number or persons obtaining legal permanent status, sometimes called green card holders, in the U.S. by decade, that number as a share of total U.S. population, and the number of persons obtaining legal permanent status per 1,000 U.S. population. The source for U.S. population data is the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

• Population estimates from 1830-1899 reflect June 1 of each year.
• Estimates from 1900 to the present reflect the population on July 1 of each year, except 1960, 1970, and 1980, which reflect April 1 estimates.
• U.S. population data for the years 1900 to 1949 exclude the population residing in Alaska and Hawaii.
• National population data for the years 1940 to 1979 cover the resident population plus Armed Forces overseas.
• For all other years, national population data cover only the resident population only.  
• National population data for the years 1900 to 1929 are rounded to the nearest thousand. Data for persons obtaining legal permanent resident status in 1976 includes the 15 months from July 1, 1975 to September 30, 1976 because the end date of fiscal years was changed from June 30 to September 30.