Fewer Mexican immigrants arriving, similar number returning home

Posted by Elena del Valle on August 3, 2009

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Because most immigrants to the United States come from Mexico (see Mexico top country of origin of foreign born) many immigration watchers look closely at trends in immigration from that country. Since 2006, the overall number of immigrants from Mexico has declined significantly (see Mexican immigration declined sharply last year). Researchers at the Pew Hispanic Center wondered whether the decline in immigrants would also mean an increase in Mexican born immigrants returning to their country of origin.

The answer is no according to data from Mexican and United States sources such as the United States Population Survey and the United States Border Patrol. A recent study by the Pew Hispanic Center seems to indicate there is no correlation between incoming immigrant and outgoing (from Mexico) numbers.

The Mexico National Survey of Employment and Occupation indicates that 433,000 immigrants returned to Mexico between February 2008 and February 2009 while 440,000 and 479,000 immigrants returned to Mexico for the same period in 2007-2008 and 2006-2007, respectively. An examination of the U.S. Current Population Survey reveals no indication of substantially higher outflows to Mexico for 2007 or 2008.

One third of all foreign-born residents and two-thirds of Hispanic immigrants are from Mexico. At the same time almost all Mexican immigrants move to the United States. Looked at another way, ten percent of people born in Mexico live in the United States.