Demographic Programs

P23-211

U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING

The Older Foreign-Born Population 

in the United States: 2000 Issued September 2002

Current Population Reports

Special Studies

By 

Wan He
Acknowledgments This report was prepared by Wan He, Aging Studies Branch,

International Programs Center, under the general direction of 

Peter O. Way, Chief, International Programs Center, Population

Division, U.S. Census Bureau. John F. Long, Chief, Population

Division, provided overall direction. Additional direction was provided by Victoria A. Velkoff, Chief, Aging Studies Branch. Thanks are

extended to Campbell J. Gibson, for his helpful comments. Within

the Aging Studies Branch, Valerie Lawson assisted with graph production and general report preparation. We also gratefully acknowledge Dianne A. Schmidley and Nolan J. Malone’s generous support to this report by providing data programming and comments

on earlier drafts.

This report was produced with the support of the Behavioral and

Social Research Program, U. S. National Institute on Aging. 

Gregory Carroll, Barbara M. Abbott, Janet Sweeney, 

Gloria Davis, and Laurene V. Qualls of the Administrative and

Customer Services Division, Walter C. Odom, Chief, provided publication and printing management, graphics design and composition,

and editorial review for print and electronic media. General direction and production management were provided by Gary J.

Lauffer, Chief, Publications Services Branch.

For further information on the older

foreign born, contact:

Wan He

Aging Studies Branch

International Programs Center

Population Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, DC 20233-8860

301-763-1371

wan.he@census.gov
The Older Foreign-Born

Population in the 

United States: 2000

P23-211

Issued September 2002

U.S. Department of Commerce

Donald L. Evans,

Secretary

Samuel W. Bodman,

Deputy Secretary

Economics and Statistics Administration

Kathleen B. Cooper, 

Under Secretary for Economic Affairs

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Charles Louis Kincannon,

Director
Suggested Citation

He, Wan, U.S. Census Bureau,

Current Population Reports, Series

P23-211, The Older Foreign-Born

Population in the United States:

2000, U.S. Government Printing

Office, Washington, DC, 2002.

ECONOMICS

AND STATISTICS

ADMINISTRATION

Economics and Statistics

Administration

Kathleen B. Cooper,

Under Secretary for Economic Affairs

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Charles Louis Kincannon,

Director

William G. Barron, Jr.,

Deputy Director

Frederick T. Knickerbocker,

Acting Principal Associate Director for Programs

Nancy M. Gordon,

Associate Director for Demographic Programs

John F. Long,

Chief, Population Division

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Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free 866-512-1800; DC area 202-512-1800

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U.S. Census Bureau The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 iii

Contents

The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000

Text

International Migration and Demographic Characteristics . . . . . . . . 2

Socioeconomic Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Text Tables

1. Place of Birth and Year of Entry of the Foreign-Born 

Population Aged 65 and Over: 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 

2. Health Care Coverage of the Population Aged 65 

and Over: 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Figures

1. Older Foreign-Born Population and Percent of Total 

Foreign-Born Population: 1960 to 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2. Foreign-Born Population by Region of Birth: 2000 . . . . . . . . . . 2

3. Population, Age Distribution, and Median Age of the 

Foreign-Born Population: 1960 to 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

4. Percent U.S. Citizens of the Older and Total Foreign-Born 

Populations by Region of Birth: 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

5. Percent Distribution of the Older Foreign-Born and 

Native Populations by Region: 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

6. Percent Foreign Born of Total Older Population 

by Region: 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

7. Educational Attainment of the Foreign-Born and Native 

Populations Aged 65 and Over and Aged 45 to 64: 2000 . . . . 6

8. Percent of Older Population Living Alone by Nativity, 

Citizenship Status, and Sex: 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

9. Marital Status of the Older Foreign-Born Population 

by Sex: 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

10. Poverty Rates for the Older Population by Nativity, 

Citizenship Status, and Sex: 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

11. Households with Older Householders Receiving MeansTested Noncash and/or Cash Benefits, by Nativity and 

Citizenship Status: 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
U.S. Census Bureau The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 1

The Older Foreign-Born Population 

in the United States: 2000

In March 2000, the foreign-born

population of the United States

reached 28.4 million, based on

data from the 2000 Current

Population Survey (CPS).1 2 Eleven

percent of this group, or 3.1 million, were aged 65 and over.

Although the total foreign-born

population expanded from 1960 to

2000 following four decades of

low immigration, the older foreign

born3 essentially remained stable

(Figure 1), so the proportion of

older people among the foreign

born declined sharply, from 

32.6 percent in 1960 to 11.0 percent in 2000. 

What has contributed to the changing age distribution of the foreignborn population? Who are the

current older foreign born, and will

the future be different? This report

examines immigration-related factors such as world region of birth,

length of residence in the United

1 This estimate of the foreign-born population is based on the March 2000 CPS,

which covers the civilian noninstitutionalized

population. The number of foreign born

counted in Census 2000 was 31.1million.

The census number, which is for the resident

population, is larger in part because it

includes armed forces in the United States

and the institutionalized population. In addition, the CPS estimate is based on adjusted

population controls consistent with the 1990

Census and does not incorporate the results

of Census 2000. For more information on

CPS, see U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of

Labor Statistics, 2000, Current Population

Survey, Technical Paper 63RV, “Design and

Methodology,” Appendix D, at 

www.bls.census.gov/cps/tp/tp63.htm. 2 The estimates in this report are based

on responses from a sample of the population. As with all surveys, estimates may

vary from the actual values because of sampling variation or other factors. All statements made in this report have undergone

statistical testing and meet Census Bureau

standards for statistical accuracy. 3 In this report, “older” refers to ages 65

and over.

Foreign-born and native populations

Simply put, the foreign born are individuals living in the United

States who are not U.S. citizens at birth. The foreign-born population is classified by citizenship status: those who have become U.S.

citizens through naturalization and those who are not U.S. citizens.

Natives, as defined by the Census Bureau, were born in the United

States, in U.S. Island Areas such as Puerto Rico, or in a foreign country of at least one parent who was a United States citizen.

Immigrants and immigration

Immigrants, as defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act, are

aliens admitted to the United States for lawful permanent residence.

They may be issued immigrant visas overseas by the Department of

State or adjusted to permanent resident status in the United States

by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Immigration is

defined here as the number of immigrants during a specified period

of time, such as a year or a decade.

Figure 1.

Older Foreign-Born Population and Percent of

Total Foreign-Born Population: 1960 to 2000 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 censuses and

Current Population Survey, March 2000.

Foreign-born older population (in millions)

Percent of total foreign born

32.6 32.0

21.2

13.6

11.0

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

3.2 3.1 3.0 2.7 3.1
States, and citizenship. It also provides a profile of demographic and

socioeconomic characteristics of

the current older foreign born, and

a glimpse of the future. 

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

AND DEMOGRAPHIC

CHARACTERISTICS

More than one-third of the

older foreign born is from

Europe.

Among the 3.1 million older foreign born in 2000, 1.2 million, or

38.6 percent, were born in

Europe,4 compared with 15.3 percent of the total foreign-born population (Figure 2). In contrast, people from Latin America accounted

for only 31.3 percent of the older

foreign born but 51.0 percent of

the total foreign born.

This contrast reflects the historical

trends and shifting world regions 

of birth of the U.S. foreign born.

Historically, Europe was the primary

source of the foreign born. With

national origin quotas that favored

Northern and Western Europe, 

the 1924 Immigration and

Naturalization Act imposed severe

numerical limits on immigration

2 The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 U.S. Census Bureau

4 Categories of ethnicity and race are not

interchangeable with the world regions of

birth. For example, the March 2000 CPS

data show 15.3 percent of the foreign born

were born in Europe; however, 67.9 percent

of the foreign born were White, and 

24.8 percent were White non-Hispanic. Also,

a race category such as Asian may be foreign born or native.

Figure 2.

Foreign-Born Population by 

Region of Birth: 2000

Europe 

38.6

Other Areas

7.9

Latin America 

31.3

Asia 

22.2

(In percent)

Note: Other Areas include Africa, Oceania, North America, and Region not reported. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000. 

Europe 

15.3

Other Areas

8.1

Latin America 

51.0

Asia 

25.5

Older Foreign Born

Total Foreign Born
from other parts of Europe and the

rest of the world, and effectively

barred immigration from Asia.5 As

a result, the Asian-born population

remained small and grew slowly

through the 1960s. The 1924 Act

also severely restricted immigration

from Eastern and Southern Europe

for the ensuing four decades.6

The Immigration and Nationality

Act Amendments of 1965 and

subsequent legislation eliminated

the national origins quota system

and opened U.S. immigration to

more of the world.7 These laws

brought about an increasing influx

of migrants from Asia beginning in

the 1970s. Coupled with

increased immigration from Latin

U.S. Census Bureau The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 3

5 Anderson, Margo J. (ed.), 2000,

Encyclopedia of the U.S. Census, CQ Press, A

Division of Congressional Quarterly Inc.,

Washington, DC. 6 For an example of background on U.S.

international migration history and information about the Immigration Act of 1924 and

the national origins quota system, see

Daniels, Roger, 2001, “Two Cheers for

Immigration,” in Roger Daniels and Otis L.

Graham, Debating American Immigration,

1882-Present, Lanham, Boulder, New York,

Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. 7

Anderson, Margo J. (ed.), 2000, ibid. 

America since the 1960s, the declined from 57.2 years in 1960 

proportion of the foreign born to 38.1 years in 2000.

from Latin America and Asia

increased sharply. Those born in In the future, the older foreign

Latin America accounted for one in born are more likely to be from

Latin America or Asia. ten (9.4 percent) of the total foreign born in 1960 but half (51.0 Although migrants from Europe

percent) of the total foreign born still constitute the largest group of

in 2000, and the proportion Asian- the older foreign born, this is likely

born increased from 5.1 percent to to change in the near future. In

25.5 percent, during the same 2000, Latin American born repreperiod of time. sented one-third of the older

foreign born. However, the majori- The substantial increase in the num- ty of Latin American born and ber of immigrants allowed to enter Asian born were in the “young old” the United States affected the age ages (65-74) in 2000, younger distribution of the foreign born, than the European-born older pop- because a large share of internation- ulation, of whom only 48.2 percent al migrants move in their young or were of the “young old” ages. In middle adulthood. The proportion addition, among the foreign born of foreign born in the age group 15 aged 45 to 64 in 2000, about to 64 expanded from 62.2 percent three-fourths were born in Latin

in 1960 to 81.9 percent in 2000. America and Asia (43.6 percent While the proportion of the foreign and 28.9 percent, respectively). born under age 15 changed only If the current immigration pattern slightly over these decades, the pro- continues, it is likely that in the portion aged 65 and over decreased next 20 years the older foreign considerably — from 32.6 percent in born will be mainly from Latin 1960 to just 11.0 percent in 2000 America and Asia instead of (Figure 3). As a result, the median Europe. age of the total foreign born

Figure 3.

Population, Age Distribution, and Median Age of the 

Foreign-Born Population: 1960 to 2000 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 censuses and Current Population Survey, March 2000. 

38.1

37.3

39.9

52.0

57.2

Median 

age

(years)

Under 15 15-44 45-64 65 and over

3.2

3.1

3.0

2.7

3.1

Foreign-born 

population 

(in millions) 

28.4

19.8

14.1

9.6

9.7

2000

1990

1980

1970

1960

All ages 65+

Percent distribution by age

5.2 24.7 37.5 32.6

6.3 34.7 27.0 32.0

8.8 48.3 21.6 21.2

7.5 56.9 22.0 13.6

7.1 72.7 9.2 11.0
Almost two-thirds of the older

foreign born in 2000 have

lived in the United States for

more than 30 years.

In 2000, most of the older foreign

born had lived in the United States

for more than 30 years (Table 1),

although the length of residence

varied by their region of birth. The

majority of the European-born

older population came to the

United States before 1970, while

only a quarter of the Asian-born

older population migrated that

early. Conversely, international

migrants from Latin America and

Asia made up the majority of the

older foreign born who had

entered the United States since

1970, while migrants from Europe

made up around half of the older

foreign born who entered before

1970.

The older foreign born are

almost twice as likely to be

naturalized citizens as the

foreign born of all ages.

A much higher proportion of the

older foreign born than of the total

foreign born are naturalized citizens (70.2 percent compared with

37.4 percent respectively in 2000),

in part because typically they have

lived in the United States longer

(Figure 4).8

In 2000, the older population from

Europe had the highest proportion

of naturalized citizens, 80.7 percent,

compared with 57.4 percent of the

older Asian born. The lower proportion of naturalized citizens among

4 The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 U.S. Census Bureau

8 The naturalization process requires that

the foreign-born applicant reside continuously in the United States for 5 years (or less for

special categories of immigrants) following

admission as a legal permanent resident.

the older Asian born may be due

partly to their shorter length of residence in the United States, given

that the major wave of Asian

immigration did not take place until

the 1970s. Among the older Latin

American born, 65.7 percent were

U.S. citizens in 2000,9 compared

with 28.3 percent of the total Latin

American-born population. One factor that contributed to the low rates

of naturalization for the total Latin

American-born population is that

more than half (54.2 percent) are

from Mexico and Mexicans tend to

have low rates of naturalization

(20.3 percent) compared with the

foreign born from other regions.

9 The difference in proportions who are

citizens for older Asian born (57.4 percent)

and older Latin American born (65.7 percent)

is not statistically significant.

Table 1.

Place of Birth and Year of Entry of the Foreign-Born Population Aged 65 and Over: 2000

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

Foreign born

Region of birth

Europe Asia Latin America Other areas

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,115 1,203 690 976 245

90-percent confidence interval .................

Year of entry:

2,888 - 3,342 1,057 - 1,349 551 - 829 805 - 1,147 178 - 312

1970 or later ............................... 1,189 172 516 441 59

Before 1970 ...............................

Percent distribution by year of entry:

1,926 1,031 173 535 187

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

1970 or later ................................. 38.1 14.2 75.0 45.2 24.0

Before 1970 .................................

Percent distribution by place of birth:

61.8 85.7 25.1 54.8 76.0

1970 or later ................................. 100.0 14.5 43.5 37.2 5.0

Before 1970 ................................. 100.0 53.5 9.0 27.8 9.7

Note: Figures may not sum to totals because of rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000.
About one-third of the older

foreign born live in the West ...

In 2000, 34.7 percent of the older

foreign born resided in the West,

27.6 percent resided in the Northeast, and 27.5 percent resided in

the South (Figure 5).10 Only 

10.3 percent lived in the Midwest.

This geographic distribution of residence of the older foreign born is

notably different from that of their

native counterparts. In 2000, more

than one-third (37.7 percent) of the

older native population resided in

the South, reflecting their interest in

living in the sunbelt states.11 For

the older foreign born, on the other

hand, the presence of immigrant

networks and communities is a

primary determinant of geographic

location of residence or internal

migration.12

U.S. Census Bureau The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 5

10 The proportions living in the Northeast

and in the South are not significantly different.11 For an example of research on internal

migration for the older native population,

see Frey, William H., Hao-Lee Liaw, and Ge

Lin, 1998, “State Magnets for Different

Elderly ‘Migrant Types’,” Report No. 98-420,

Population Studies Center, University of

Michigan. 12 For examples of research on internal

migration for the older foreign born, see

Kritz, Mary M., and June Marie Nogle, 1994,

“Nativity Concentration and Internal

Migration among the Foreign-Born,”

Demography, 31:509-524; Zavodny,

Madeline, 1999, “Determinants of Recent

Immigrants’ Locational Choices,”

International Migration Review, 33:1014-

1030.

Figure 4.

Percent U.S. Citizens of the Older and Total 

Foreign-Born Populations by Region of Birth: 2000 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000. 

Latin America

Asia

Europe

TOTAL

FOREIGN BORN

65+ 

All ages

70.2

37.4

80.7

52.0

57.4

47.1

65.7

28.3

Figure 5.

Percent Distribution of the Older Foreign-Born 

and Native Populations by Region: 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000.

CA

AZ NM

TX

OK AR

LA

MS AL GA

FL

KS

NE

SD

ND

MT

WY

CO

UT

NV

OR

WA

MN

IA

MO

IL IN OH

MI

WI

PA

WV

KY

TN NC

SC

VA

NY

ME NH VT

MA

NJ

MD

CT

RI

HI

AK

ID

DE

DC

Northeast

Foreign born: 27.6%

Native: 20.3%

South

Foreign born: 27.5%

Native: 37.7%

West

Foreign born: 34.7%

Native: 18.1% Midwest

Foreign born: 10.3%

Native: 24.0%
6 The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 U.S. Census Bureau

... and the West also has the

highest proportion of foreign

born among the total older

population.

Of the 6.4 million people aged 65

and over living in the West in

2000, 1.1 million, or 16.8 percent,

were foreign born (Figure 6). This

was the highest percent foreign

born of the total older population

in any region. The Midwest had

the lowest proportion (4.3 percent). In the South, 7.1 percent of

the population aged 65 and over

was foreign born, compared with

12.6 percent in the Northeast.

SOCIOECONOMIC

CHARACTERISTICS

Almost half of the older

foreign born has not

completed high school. 

In 2000, 18.6 percent of the older

foreign born had a bachelor’s

degree or higher compared with

15.3 percent of their native counterparts (Figure 7). However, the older

foreign-born and native populations

differed greatly at lower education

levels. Nearly half (44.5 percent) of

the older foreign born had not completed high school, whereas less

than one-third (29.0 percent) of the

older native population lacked a

high-school education.

Figure 6.

Percent Foreign Born of Total Older 

Population by Region: 2000 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000.

Northeast Midwest South West

4.3

12.6

7.1

16.8

Figure 7.

Educational Attainment of the Foreign-Born and Native 

Populations Aged 65 and Over and Aged 45 to 64: 2000 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000. 

Bachelor's degree 

or more

Less than high 

school graduate

High school 

graduate, no 

Bachelor's degree

Foreign born

45-64

Native

45-64

Foreign born

65+

Native

65+

(In percent)

15.3 18.6 11.7

27.6

55.7

36.9

77.4 40.3

29.0

44.5

11.5

32.1
U.S. Census Bureau The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 7

The future older foreign born may

have higher educational attainment

than the current older foreign

born, because among those aged

45 to 64, 67.9 percent had completed a high school education or

more, compared with 55.5 percent

of the current older foreign born.

However, the educational attainment of the future older foreign

born will also depend on the educational level of future international migrants and emigration trends

of the foreign born.

The older foreign born are

more likely than their native

counterparts to live in family

households.

The older foreign born tended to

live with their families, whether for

economic or cultural reasons.

Among the 1.7 million households13 headed by an older 

foreign-born person, 62.3 percent

13 A household is a person or group of

people who occupy a housing unit. A family

is made up of two or more people living

together who are related by birth, marriage,

or adoption.

were family households, compared

with 52.5 percent of the households with an older native householder. The older foreign born are

also more likely to live in larger

households: in 2000, 20.4 percent

lived in a family household with

three or more people, while only

9.0 percent of the native older

householders did.14 The living

arrangements of the older foreign

born did not differ significantly by

citizenship status. 

Older foreign-born women are

much more likely to live alone

than older foreign-born men.

While the older foreign born were

less likely than the older native

population to live alone, gender

differences were similar in both

groups. Only one in ten older

foreign-born men, but one in four

older foreign-born women, lived

alone (Figure 8). This gender difference, that older women were

more than twice as likely as older

men to live alone, was similar for

natives, the foreign born, and naturalized citizens. While gender did

affect whether the older noncitizens lived alone, the difference

was smaller.15

14 The householder is usually the household member, or one of the household members, in whose name the housing unit is

owned or rented. Households are classified

as foreign born or native based on the nativity of the householder, regardless of the

nativity of other household members. 15 The proportion of older noncitizen

women living alone was significantly different from the proportion of older noncitizen

men; however, the comparison of “more than

twice” was not statistically significant.

Figure 8.

Percent of Older Population Living Alone by 

Nativity, Citizenship Status, and Sex: 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000. 

Not a citizen

Naturalized citizen

FOREIGN BORN

NATIVE

Male

Female

17.7

41.1

10.5

25.5

11.2

28.1

8.9

19.3
Eight of ten older foreignborn men are married; nearly

half of older foreign-born

women are widowed.

In 2000, three-fourths of older

foreign-born men were married,16

in sharp contrast to older foreignborn women, fewer than half of

whom were married (Figure 9).

Among older foreign-born women,

44.5 percent were widows, compared with 13.8 percent of their

male counterparts. This percent

distribution by marital status is

similar to that of the older native

population. The large difference in

marital status between older men

and older women is due to a combination of factors, including higher life expectancy for women, the

tendency for women to marry men

who are slightly older, and higher

remarriage rates for older widowed

men.17

8 The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 U.S. Census Bureau

16 The marital status shown in this report

reflects the person’s status at the time of the

survey. For example, the category “married”

represents only those at the time of the survey who reported being “married, spouse

present,” “separated,” or “other married,

spouse absent.” It is not a count of marriages that occurred in 2000, nor does it differentiate between first marriages and

remarriages. 17 See Kinsella, Kevin and Victoria A.

Velkoff, U.S. Census Bureau, Series P95/01-1,

An Aging World: 2001, U.S. Government

Printing Office, Washington, DC, 2001.

Figure 9.

Marital Status of the Older Foreign-Born 

Population by Sex: 2000 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000. 

Widowed 13.8

Married 79.0 

Divorced 4.0 

Never married 3.2

Widowed 44.5

Married 46.1

Divorced 6.1

Never married 3.3

(In percent)

Male

Female
The poverty rate is higher for

the older foreign born than

for the older native

population.

The foreign born aged 65 and over

was more likely than their native

counterparts to live in poverty.18 In

1999, 13.8 percent of the older

foreign born lived in poverty, compared with 9.3 percent of the older

native population (Figure 10).

There were no significant differences in poverty rates between

older foreign-born men and

women, in sharp contrast to the

older native population, in which

women were almost twice as likely

as men to live in poverty.

U.S. Census Bureau The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 9

18 The poverty definition used by the federal government for statistical purposes is

based on a set of money income thresholds

that vary by family size and composition and

do not take into account noncash benefits or

taxes. The average threshold in 1999 for a

one-person householder aged 65 and over

was $7,990, and for a two-person household

headed by a householder aged 65 and over

was $10,075. For more information, see

www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty.html.

Figure 10.

Poverty Rates for the Older Population by Nativity, 

Citizenship Status, and Sex: 1999 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000. 

Not a citizen

Naturalized citizen

FOREIGN BORN

NATIVE

Both sexes

Male

Female

20.3

9.3

6.3

11.5

13.8

12.4

14.9

11.4

10.1

12.5

19.4

18.1

(In percent)
Households with older

foreign-born householders

participate in means-tested

programs at higher rates than

households with older native

householders.

Means-tested programs provide

cash and noncash assistance to

individuals or families whose

incomes fall below specified income

or asset thresholds.19 In 1999, 

16.5 percent of households maintained by an older foreign-born

householder participated in cash

assistance programs and 29.1 percent participated in noncash assistance programs (Figure 11).20 These

participation rates were higher than

those of households with older

native householders, of whom 

5.0 percent participated in cash

assistance programs and 14.1 percent participated in noncash assistance programs. Participation rates

were higher for older noncitizenheaded households than for households with an older householder

who was a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

and medicaid were the cash and

noncash assistance programs used

most frequently by older foreignborn householders.

10 The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 U.S. Census Bureau

19 The noncash programs included here

are school lunch, food stamps, housing

assistance, and medicaid. The cash programs included here are Temporary

Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),

General Assistance (GA), and Supplemental

Security Income (SSI). 20 Households participating in cash programs and households participating in noncash programs are not mutually exclusive,

thus the proportions are not additive. In

1999, nearly all foreign-born households

receiving cash benefits also received noncash benefits.

Figure 11.

Households With Older Householders Receiving 

Means-Tested Noncash and/or Cash Benefits, 

by Nativity and Citizenship Status: 1999 

Note: People participating in cash programs and people participating in noncash 

programs are not mutually exclusive, thus the proportions are not additive.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000. 

Not a citizen

Naturalized citizen

FOREIGN BORN

NATIVE

Cash

Noncash

5.0

14.1

16.5

29.1

13.3

21.6

24.1

46.9

(In percent)

Table 2.

Health Care Coverage of the Population Aged 65 and Over:

1999

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

Total Native

Foreign born

Total

Naturalized

citizen

Not a

citizen

Total population.............. 32,621 29,507 3,115 2,188 927

Percent:

No health care coverage ..... 1.3 0.8 6.0 1.9 15.8

Health care coverage .......

Medicaid .................

Medicare .................

Private insurance..........

Group insurance ..........

98.7

8.9

95.7

61.5

34.2

99.2

7.7

96.4

63.8

35.5

94.0

20.9

89.5

39.1

22.0

98.1

15.2

93.4

46.7

25.9

84.2

34.5

80.4

21.4

12.8

Note: Individuals may be covered by more than one type of health insurance.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, March 2000.
Forty-five percent of the older

population with no health

insurance is foreign born.

In 1999, almost all (99.2 percent)

of the older native population and

94.0 percent of the older foreign

born had health insurance for all or

at least part of the year (Table 2).

However, the older foreign born,

who constituted 9.5 percent of the

total older population, had a disproportionately large share of the

older population with no health

insurance (44.5 percent of 422,000

individuals). Older noncitizens had

the lowest overall health insurance

coverage rate (84.2 percent), and

the lowest coverage rate in

medicare and various private or

group insurance plans except for

medicaid.

Both older native and older foreign

born participated in medicare far

more often than in other types of

private and government-funded

health insurance plans. Almost

two-thirds of the older native population (63.8 percent) had private

health insurance coverage and

35.5 percent had group insurance

coverage, compared with much

lower rates for the older foreign

born, 39.1 percent and 22.0 percent, respectively.

For both older native and foreign

born, the proportion who had group

health insurance coverage was

lower than the proportion who had

most other major health insurance

coverage. The low enrollment in

group health insurance may arise

because typically group health

insurance is offered by employers,

and the older population generally

has a low labor force participation

rate, since most are retired or not

working. In March 2000, just 

13.8 percent of the older native

population and 12.4 percent of

their foreign-born counterparts

were in the labor force.21

SUMMARY

In 2000, more than one-third of

the older foreign born in the

United States came from Europe,

about one-third from Latin

America, and one-fourth from Asia.

Because of the increase in migration from Latin America and Asia

since the 1960s, migrants from

these two regions constituted a

majority of the total foreign born.

This trend suggests that the future

older foreign born will have more

migrants from Latin America and

U.S. Census Bureau The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 11

21 The difference in proportions for older

natives (13.8 percent) and older foreign born

(12.4 percent) is not statistically significant.

Asia than from Europe. In 2000,

the older foreign born from Europe

had lived in the United States

longer and were more likely to be

U.S citizens than older foreign

born from other world regions. 

Compared with their native counterparts, the older foreign born were

less educated, more likely to live in

poverty, more likely to receive government cash and noncash benefits,

and less likely to have health care

coverage. However, some characteristics were similar for the older

foreign-born and older native populations, such as the fact that older

women were twice as likely to live

alone as older men. 

For more information on

total foreign-born population, see Schmidley, A.

Dianne, U.S. Census Bureau,

Current Population Reports,

Series P23-206, Profile of the

Foreign-Born Population in

the United States: 2000, U.S.

Government Printing Office,

Washington, DC, 2001. Also

see wallchart, The ForeignBorn Population in the

United States: 2000, U.S.

Census Bureau.
SOURCE OF THE DATA

Most estimates in this report come

from data obtained in March 2000

by the Current Population Survey

(CPS), which covers the civilian

noninstitutionalized population.

The U.S. Census Bureau conducts

the CPS every month, although this

report uses only data from the

March survey for its estimates.

Some historical estimates used in

this report are based on various

decennial census data.22

ACCURACY OF THE

ESTIMATES

Statistics from surveys are subject

to sampling and nonsampling

error. All comparisons presented

in this report have taken sampling

error into account and meet the

Census Bureau’s standards for statistical significance. Nonsampling

errors in surveys may be attributed

to a variety of sources, such as

how the survey was designed, how

respondents interpret questions,

how able and willing respondents

12 The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2000 U.S. Census Bureau

22 See Gibson, Campbell J. and Emily

Lennon, 1999, “Historical Census Statistics

on the Foreign Born of the United States:

1850-1990,” Population Division Working

Paper No. 29, U.S. Census Bureau,

Washington, DC 20233. www.census.gov/

population/www/documentation/twps0029/

twps0029.html

are to provide correct answers, and

how accurately the answers are

coded and classified. The Census

Bureau employs quality control

procedures throughout the production process — including the overall design of surveys, the wording

of questions, reviews of the work

of interviewers and coders, and

statistical review of reports.

The Current Population Survey

employs ratio estimation, whereby

sample estimates are adjusted to

correspond to independent estimates of the national population

by age, race, sex, and Hispanic origin. This weighting partially

corrects for bias due to undercoverage, but how it affects different

variables in the survey is not precisely known. Moreover, biases

may also be present when people

who are missed in the survey differ

from those interviewed in ways

other than the categories used in

weighting (age, race, sex, and

Hispanic origin). All of these considerations affect comparisons

across different surveys or data

sources.

For further information on statistical standards and the computation

and use of standard errors, contact

Jeffrey Stratton, Census Bureau

Demographic Statistical Methods

Division, at 301-457-4220, or 

e-mail at dsmd_s&a@census.gov.

MORE INFORMATION

A set of detailed tabulations consisting of 16 tables from the 2000

March CPS shows more detailed

characteristics of the foreign-born

population aged 65 and over. The

electronic version of these tables is

available on the Internet at the

Census Bureau’s Web site

(www.census.gov). Once on the

site, click on “F,” then select

“Foreign Born Population Data.”

Under “CPS March 2000,” choose

“Data Tables.” 

CONTACT

Statistical Information Office:

pop@census.gov

301-763-2422

USER COMMENTS

The Census Bureau welcomes the

comments and advice of data and

report users. If you have any suggestions or comments, please

write to:

Chief, Population Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, DC 20233

Or send e-mail to: pop@census.gov
P23-211 U S C E N S U S B U R E A U 2000 The Older Foreign-Born Population in the United States Current Population Reports Special Studies

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