Which Countries Do Immigrant Healthcare Workers Come From?
Date: April 24, 2020
We breakdown the more than 2.8 million immigrant healthcare workers in the United States by country of birth to see where they hail from.
Top Countries of Birth for Immigrant Healthcare Workers
| Country of Birth | Number of Healthcare Workers | Share of All Immigrant Healthcare Workers | Share of All Healthcare Workers |
| Philippines | 357,300 | 13.5% | 2.2% |
| Mexico | 283,200 | 10.7% | 1.7% |
| India | 183,700 | 7.0% | 1.1% |
| Jamaica | 115,900 | 4.4% | 0.7% |
| Haiti | 102,100 | 3.9% | 0.6% |
| China | 91,300 | 3.5% | 0.6% |
| Cuba | 75,600 | 2.9% | 0.5% |
| Dominican Republic | 74,400 | 2.8% | 0.4% |
| Vietnam | 66,400 | 2.5% | 0.4% |
| Nigeria | 62,800 | 2.4% | 0.4% |
Using the most recent data available from the American Community Survey, we analyzed data on the country of birth for more than 2.8 million foreign-born healthcare workers in the United States. The results show that great diversity among the immigrant healthcare workforce.
Overall, however, the Philippines was the most popular country of birth for immigrant healthcare workers overall, with more than 357,000 Filipino immigrants working in healthcare. This includes almost 143,000 Filipino immigrant registered nurses, making the Philippines also the most common country of birth for foreign-born registered nurses in the United States. Together, Filipino immigrants made up almost 1 out of 20 registered nurses.
Top Countries of Birth for Immigrant Registered Nurses
| Country of Birth | Number of Workers | Share of All Immigrant RNs | Share of All RNs |
| Philippines | 142,800 | 29.3% | 4.5% |
| India | 32,400 | 6.7% | 1.0% |
| Nigeria | 21,200 | 4.4% | 0.7% |
| Jamaica | 21,200 | 4.3% | 0.7% |
| Mexico | 18,900 | 3.9% | 0.6% |
India was by far the most common country of origin for immigrant physicians and surgeons, with more than 56,000 physicians and surgeons. Indian immigrants today make up more than 1 in 20 physicians and surgeons in the United States. Overall, India was the third most popular country of birth for immigrant healthcare workers, with almost 184,000 healthcare workers in the United States hailing from India.
Top Countries of Birth for Immigrant Physicians and Surgeons
| Country of Birth | Number of Physicians and Surgeons | Share of All Immigrant Physicians and Surgeons | Share of All Physicians and Surgeons |
| India | 56,500 | 21.9% | 6.1% |
| China | 13,600 | 5.3% | 1.5% |
| Pakistan | 12,600 | 4.9% | 1.4% |
| Philippines | 12,100 | 4.7% | 1.3% |
| Canada | 10,300 | 4.0% | 1.1% |
With 133,000 workers, Mexico was the most common country of birth for immigrant home health aides in the United States. Overall, Mexico was the second most popular country of birth for immigrant healthcare workers, with more than 283,000 workers.
Top Countries of Birth for Immigrant Home Health Aides
| Country of Birth | Number of Workers | Share of All Immigrant Home Health Aides | Share of All Home Health Aides |
| Mexico | 133,300 | 15.5% | 3.9% |
| Philippines | 87,600 | 10.2% | 2.5% |
| Jamaica | 59,300 | 6.9% | 1.7% |
| Haiti | 59,300 | 6.9% | 1.7% |
| Dominican Republic | 53,400 | 6.2% | 1.6% |
For more information and data on immigration in the United States in the time of COVID-19, check out our research portal of Immigration and Covid-19. If you have any specific questions about our data, please reach out to us at info@newamericaneconomy.org.
