Pennsylvania’s immigrant population is one of the driving forces behind the state’s economic growth, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition, writes Ashley Adams for The Keystone. 

Pennsylvania is the fifth most populated state in the nation and its sixth largest economy with gross domestic product of $915 billion. 

With around 978,000 immigrant residents, Pennsylvania ranks 12th in the country for the highest total immigrant population, according to 2021 data. That accounts for 7.3 percent of the state’s total population, with Hispanic individuals making up the largest portion of that number. 

Pennsylvania immigrants had a spending power of $30.1 billion in 2021, and paid $11.5 billion in taxes that same year, according to the report. Meanwhile, immigrant entrepreneurs generated a total of $1.9 billion in income in 2021. 

Additionally, this demographic skews younger, which is important since Pennsylvania is an aging state. Around 19.9 percent of residents in the state are 65 years or older, while just 15.8 percent of the immigrant population are 65 years or older. 

The immigrant population also has a higher workforce participation rate, with 77.7 percent employed compared to just 58.8 percent of the state’s native-born population. 

Read more about the report on Pennsylvania’s immigrant population in The Keystone. 

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