Migration from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to the United States began in the late 1800s and picked up in recent decades, driven largely by political turmoil in the region and economic opportunities abroad. In 2016, nearly 1.2 million immigrants from the MENA region lived in the United States, accounting for roughly 3 percent of the country’s approximately 44 million immigrants.

 Compared to the overall foreign- and U.S.-born populations, MENA immigrants are on average significantly better educated, but are much less likely to be employed, and have lower household incomes. Although many MENA countries share a similar religious and linguistic background, socioeconomic characteristics vary greatly by origin group.

Compared to the overall foreign-born population, MENA immigrants were more likely to be proficient in English but less likely to speak English at home. In 2016, 41 percent of MENA immigrants ages 5 and over reported limited English proficiency (LEP), compared to 49 percent of the overall immigrant population. Approximately 11 percent of MENA immigrants spoke only English at home, versus 16 percent of all immigrants.

English proficiency varied significantly by country of origin: Less than 15 percent of immigrants from the United Arab Emirates were LEP, versus roughly half of Iraqis and Syrians, and 62 percent of Yemenis.

Read the full article on Middle Eastern and North African immigrants by Mattea Cumoletti and Jeanne Batalova at Migration Policy Institute