Immigrants in Rhode Island: A Demographic and Economic Profile

Washington, D.C. Nov. 8, 2017–Today, the American Immigration Council released data on Rhode Island’s immigrant population and their contributions to the state. The Rhode Island state fact sheet includes data on population size, educational and citizenship attainment, English proficiency levels, and data on undocumented immigrants and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients in the state.

The fact sheet shows that Rhode Island has a large community of immigrants, much of which emigrated from the Dominican Republic. More than one in eight Rhode Islanders was born in another country, while over 15 percent of residents are native-born Americans who have at least one immigrant parent. Rhode Island’s economy benefits from the active participation of immigrants in the labor force—from supporting the state’s administrative and service industries to representing a fourth of company and enterprise managers.

The fact sheet also reveals that immigrants in Rhode Island account for 15.6 percent of the state’s labor force and have paid $549.9 million in federal taxes and $336.6 million in state and local taxes in 2014. As consumers, immigrants spent $2.6 billion on Rhode Island’s economy. Immigrant entrepreneurs in Rhode Island generated $185.3 million in business revenue.

Drawing from U.S. Census data and other sources, the Council developed fifty state fact sheets that provide the latest demographic and economic contributions of immigrants in each U.S. state and can be accessed here.