Biggest sources of immigrants to Kentucky

Written by:
August 22, 2022
Chris Watson // Wikicommons

Biggest sources of immigrants to Kentucky

Over 14% of the United States population is composed of immigrants. But in reality, the vast majority of Americans today are here because of relatives who immigrated from other countries some time in the last several hundred years.

And while the distinctive American culture and spirit is the result of blending many diverse cultures and histories, the United States has for centuries had an up-and-down relationship with immigration.

Each era of immigration has been met with reductive ideas and resistance, whether the backlash was directed toward the Chinese, Irish, Italians, or Mexicans. Immigration laws have targeted specific groups at various times, stoking intolerance and preventing people from truly joining American society. Over time, however, as laws changed to be more equitable and immigrants found their footings, we have reaped the rewards of innovation in business, music, art, literature, dance, food, societal norms, entertainment, and sports—all while realizing a greater understanding of and respect for different cultures, religions, and ideas.

Stacker compiled a list of the biggest sources of immigrants to Kentucky using data from the "U.S. Census Bureau. Countries are ranked by the highest number of residents according to 2020 5-year estimates. Keep reading to find out more about the immigrant community in your home state.

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Prin Adulyatham // Shutterstock

#50. Egypt

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 567
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 202,049
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #40 most common country of origin

2 / 50
Evgeniya Uvarova // Shutterstock

#49. Argentina

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 598
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 193,056
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #41 most common country of origin

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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#48. Spain

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 616
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
National
- Number of residents: 118,177
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #56 most common country of origin

4 / 50
Fabian Plock // Shutterstock

#47. Liberia

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 621
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 92,283
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #68 most common country of origin

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Canva

#46. Uzbekistan

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 633
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 65,545
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #80 most common country of origin

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Canva

#45. Ghana

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 681
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 180,675
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #43 most common country of origin

7 / 50
Lena Ha // Shutterstock

#44. Senegal

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 700
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 27,838
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #113 most common country of origin

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Jose Ignacio Soto // Shutterstock

#43. Morocco

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 737
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 83,842
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #70 most common country of origin

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Canva

#42. Ireland

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 758
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 122,010
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #55 most common country of origin

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Tupungato // Shutterstock

#41. France

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 786
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
National
- Number of residents: 181,242
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.4%
- #42 most common country of origin

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Fitria Ramli // Shutterstock

#40. Saudi Arabia

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 846
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 76,837
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #74 most common country of origin

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Patrick Foto // Shutterstock

#39. Malaysia

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 898
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 78,179
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #73 most common country of origin

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Canva

#38. Taiwan

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 925
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 378,942
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #25 most common country of origin

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Sergei25 // Shutterstock

#37. Jordan

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 927
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 83,160
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #72 most common country of origin

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byvalet // Shutterstock

#36. Jamaica

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 952
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
National
- Number of residents: 760,486
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%
- #13 most common country of origin

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aleksander hunta // Shutterstock

#35. Cambodia

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,011
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 149,486
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #47 most common country of origin

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Ruslan Lytvyn // Shutterstock

#34. Ukraine

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,026
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 358,823
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #27 most common country of origin

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HandmadePictures // Shutterstock

#33. South Africa

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,038
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 108,650
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #58 most common country of origin

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Canva

#32. Haiti

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,057
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 667,432
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%
- #14 most common country of origin

20 / 50
Christian Vinces // Shutterstock

#31. Peru

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,062
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
National
- Number of residents: 451,666
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.0%
- #18 most common country of origin

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Artush // Shutterstock

#30. Ethiopia

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,203
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
National
- Number of residents: 260,577
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
- #33 most common country of origin

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Catarina Belova // Shutterstock

#29. Brazil

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,213
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
National
- Number of residents: 474,723
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%
- #17 most common country of origin

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Saqib Rizvi // Shutterstock

#28. Pakistan

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,259
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.7%
National
- Number of residents: 385,873
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #24 most common country of origin

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Canva

#27. Venezuela

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,326
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 394,365
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #22 most common country of origin

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Kellys Portillo/APHOTOGRAFIA //Getty Images

#26. El Salvador

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,388
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 1,370,579
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%
- #5 most common country of origin

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Canva

#25. Nigeria

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,417
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 366,534
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #26 most common country of origin

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Andrew V Marcus // Shutterstock

#24. Iran

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,420
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
National
- Number of residents: 389,383
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #23 most common country of origin

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Jack Bkk // Shutterstock

#23. Thailand

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,514
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
National
- Number of residents: 256,436
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.6%
- #34 most common country of origin

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Marian Galovic // Shutterstock

#22. Republic of the Congo

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,515
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
National
- Number of residents: 31,671
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #109 most common country of origin

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Alexander Canas Arango // Shutterstock

#21. Colombia

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,566
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
National
- Number of residents: 792,579
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.8%
- #12 most common country of origin

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Canva

#20. Kenya

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 1,576
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
National
- Number of residents: 145,272
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #49 most common country of origin

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MDOGAN // Shutterstock

#19. Somalia

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 2,016
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.1%
National
- Number of residents: 96,898
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #63 most common country of origin

33 / 50
Viacheslav Lopatin // Shutterstock

#18. Russia

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 2,055
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%
National
- Number of residents: 397,214
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.9%
- #21 most common country of origin

34 / 50
Vixit // Shutterstock

#17. Nepal

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 2,438
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.4%
National
- Number of residents: 142,749
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #50 most common country of origin

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Canva

#16. Burma

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 2,831
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.6%
National
- Number of residents: 147,834
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.3%
- #48 most common country of origin

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Focus and Blur // Shutterstock

#15. Iraq

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 2,841
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.6%
National
- Number of residents: 229,309
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.5%
- #39 most common country of origin

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Canva

#14. Japan

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 3,058
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.7%
National
- Number of residents: 346,149
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.8%
- #28 most common country of origin

38 / 50
Lucertolone // Shutterstock

#13. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 3,117
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.8%
National
- Number of residents: 102,942
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.2%
- #59 most common country of origin

39 / 50
Issa Kashala // Shutterstock

#12. Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 3,261
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.8%
National
- Number of residents: 50,221
- Percent of foreign born residents: 0.1%
- #88 most common country of origin

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Canva

#11. Vietnam

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 4,149
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
National
- Number of residents: 1,354,391
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.1%
- #6 most common country of origin

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Marek Poplawski // Shutterstock

#10. Honduras

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 4,183
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
National
- Number of residents: 649,209
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.5%
- #15 most common country of origin

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Kampon // Shutterstock

#9. South Korea

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 4,264
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
National
- Number of residents: 1,048,588
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
- #9 most common country of origin

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Canva

#8. Canada

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 4,316
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.4%
National
- Number of residents: 817,885
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.9%
- #11 most common country of origin

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Canva

#7. Germany

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 5,126
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.9%
National
- Number of residents: 549,073
- Percent of foreign born residents: 1.2%
- #16 most common country of origin

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Joseph Oropel // Shutterstock

#6. Philippines

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 5,606
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.2%
National
- Number of residents: 1,967,140
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.5%
- #4 most common country of origin

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Kobby Dagan // Shutterstock

#5. Guatemala

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 5,691
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.2%
National
- Number of residents: 964,528
- Percent of foreign born residents: 2.2%
- #10 most common country of origin

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Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

#4. China

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 7,384
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.2%
National
- Number of residents: 2,184,189
- Percent of foreign born residents: 4.9%
- #3 most common country of origin

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Canva

#3. Cuba

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 12,361
- Percent of foreign born residents: 7.0%
National
- Number of residents: 1,314,570
- Percent of foreign born residents: 3.0%
- #7 most common country of origin

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Kriangkrai Thitimakorn // Shutterstock

#2. India

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 13,252
- Percent of foreign born residents: 7.5%
National
- Number of residents: 2,618,558
- Percent of foreign born residents: 5.9%
- #2 most common country of origin

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Aleksandar Todorovic // Shutterstock

#1. Mexico

Kentucky
- Number of residents: 29,830
- Percent of foreign born residents: 16.9%
National
- Number of residents: 10,924,662
- Percent of foreign born residents: 24.8%
- #1 most common country of origin

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