People born outside of the United States comprised an estimated 13.7% of the 29-county Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)’s population in 2016 and accounted for an estimated 5.1% of the region’s population growth between 2015 and 2016.  In appreciation of the increasing and integral part that the foreign-born play in the regional community and economy, the forthcoming February Regional Snapshot will focus in depth on this foreign born population.  This week’s Monday Mapday and Friday Factday set the stage for that Snapshot with a little background.

The infographic below provides an MSA-level overview of the foreign born population by place of birth – broken out by world region and country.  There were an estimated 793,489 foreign born people living in the metro region as of the 2016 1-year American Community Survey. The largest regional source for Atlanta’s foreign-born, at an estimated 47%, was the Americas (45% from Latin America alone), followed by Asia at an estimated 32% of the foreign born population.  The single country providing the most people was Mexico, the birthplace of an estimated 20% of the foreign born population.  India, as the birthplace of nearly 10% of the foreign-born residents metro-wide, provides the second-highest inflow of foreign-born people.

Data about the foreign-born community serve as a benchmarking foundation for planning and engagement work. For a great example of how the Atlanta Regional Commission is undertaking such planning and engagement work, please visit the agency’s Global Advisory Panel webpage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Data about the foreign-born community serve as a benchmarking foundation for planning and engagement work. For a great example of how the Atlanta Regional Commission is undertaking such planning and engagement work, please visit the agency’s Global Advisory Panel webpage.