The Contributions of New Americans in Kentucky

While less than 4 percent of Kentucky’s population is foreign-born today, the state is one of several across the country that in recent years have become increasingly attractive to immigrants. While in 1990, less than 1 percent of Kentucky’s population was foreign-born, by 2010 that share had more than tripled, reaching 3.4 percent. Such patterns have only continued in more recent years. Between 2010 and 2014, Kentucky’s immigrant population grew by almost 9 percent—or at a greater rate than the number of foreign-born residents increased in the United States more broadly. Today, Kentucky is home to roughly 160,000 immigrants. Such new Americans serve as everything from livestock workers to software developers, making them critical contributors to Kentucky’s economic success overall.

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