Europe isn't ethnically pure. If you look at the proportions of the foreign-born, immigrants, and/or non-nationals out of the total populations, many European nations are as diverse as, and some of them are more diverse than, the United States. USA is way behind Canada and Australia in the proportions of the foreign-born in the total population and the labor force.
"Europe is the region with the highest concentrations of non-nationals in the world, with 26-30 million non-national residents" (@ <http://www.twnside.org.sg/title/europe.htm>).
***** Who goes where? Gildas Simon, University of Poitiers, France
...How should we categorize the different "host countries", in the broadest sense of the term -- that is, countries that receive immigrants?
The most obvious yardstick is numbers. This means either the annual number of legal entries into a country or the number of immigrants who have been there for some time. By this criterion, two countries stand out. First is the United States (720,000 entries in 1995, but 1.8 million in 1991, including 1.1 million whose status was regularized by a law passed in 1986). Germany comes a close second (800,000 in 1995, 1.2 million in 1991), and easily leads the European field where immigration is concerned. Next comes a group of countries (Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Australia and Israel), which take in an average of between 100,000 and 200,000 legal immigrants every year. In terms of the number of resident aliens, the United States is again top of the list, with 24.6 million foreigners living in the country in 1996 (9.3% of the total population), just ahead of India (8.6 million in 1990, or 1% of its population), Pakistan (7.2 million or 6%) and Germany (7.1 million, 8.8%). Another group is home to between two and four million immigrants -- Australia (3.7 million in 1991, 22.3% of its population), Canada (4.3 million in 1991, 16.1%), France (3.6 million in 1990, 6.3%), the United Kingdom (2 million in 1995, 3.4%), Saudi Arabia (4 million, 25.7% in 1990), Côte d'Ivoire (3.4 million, 29.7%) and Hong Kong (2.2 million, 39.9%).
These percentages already show the wide variation in the proportion of foreigners to the local population. In some other countries, this proportion is very high. Top of the list are sparsely-populated, oil-rich countries where immigrants are actually in the majority -- Qatar (63.7%), Kuwait (71.6%) and the United Arab Emirates (90.1% in 1990). The figures for Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, Oman, Brunei and Libya ranged from 25% to 35% in 1990.
A second group of countries with a high proportion of immigrants consists of very small countries, mainly Caribbean or Pacific islands or small states which often have some special status, such as being a tax haven. They include Luxembourg (37.8% foreigners), Macao (44.7%) and Monaco (67%).
A third category comprises very large but still sparsely populated "new countries", such as Canada and Australia (16% to 22%). Other possible members of this category are the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
A fourth group is made up of Western industrial democracies where the proportion of immigrants (much lower than generally supposed) is between three and 10%. This includes most member states of the European Union (those mentioned above plus Austria and Belgium: 9%, and Sweden and the Netherlands: 5%). The United States could also be added to this group. Switzerland, with 18.9% in 1995, stands out here, but its geographical position, history and fiscal policy perhaps suggest that it should belong to the second group....
<http://www.unesco.org/courier/1998_11/uk/dossier/txt21.htm> *****
***** Table I.5. Foreign or foreign-born population and labour force in selected OECD countries Thousands and percentages Foreign population and labour force Foreign population[1] Foreign labour force[2]
Thousands % of total Thousands % of total
population labour force
1987[3] 1997[4] 1987 1997 1987[5] 1997[6] 1987 1997 Austria 326 733 4.3 9.1 158 326 5.4 9.9 Belgium 863 903 8.7 8.9 270 333 6.8 7.9 Denmark 136 250 2.7 4.7 63 88 2.1 3.1 Finland 18 81 0.4 1.6 .. 19 .. 0.8 France 3714 3597 6.8 6.3 1525 1570 6.3 6.1 Germany 4241 7366 6.9 9.0 1866 2522 6.9 9.1 Ireland 77 114 2.2 3.1 33 52 2.5 3.4 Italy 572 1241 1.0 2.2 285 332 1.3 1.7 Japan 884 1483 0.7 1.2 .. 660[7] .. 1.0 Luxem- bourg 103 148 26.8 34.9 64[8] 125[8] 37.6 55.1 Nether- lands 592 678 4.0 4.4 176 208 3.0 2.9 Norway 124 158 2.9 3.6 49[9] 60[9] 2.3 2.8 Portugal 95 175 1.0 1.8 46 88 1.0 1.8 Spain 335 610 0.9 1.5 58 176 0.4 1.1 Sweden 401 522 4.8 6.0 215 220 4.9 5.2 Switzer- land 979 1341 14.9 19.0 588[10] 693[10]16.6 17.5 United Kingdom 1839 2066 3.2 3.6 815 949 3.3 3.6
Foreign-born population and labour force (Census data) Foreign-born population[11] Foreign-born labour force[11]
Thousands % of total Thousands % of total
population labour force
1986[12] 1996 1986 1996 1986[12] 1996[13 ]1986 1996 Australia 3247 3908 20.8 21.1 1901 2239 25.4 24.6 Canada 3908 4971 15.4 17.4 2359 2681 18.5 18.5 United States 14080 24600 6.2 9.3 7077 14300 6.7 10.8
[1] Data are from population registers except for France (Census), Ireland and the United Kingdom (Labour Force Survey), Japan and Switzerland (register of foreigners) and Italy, Portugal and Spain (residence permits). [2] Data include the unemployed except for Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. Data for Austria, Germany and Luxembourg are from Social Security registers, for Denmark and Norway from the register of population and the register of employees respectively. Data for Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland are from residence or work permits. Figures for Japan and the Netherlands are estimates from national Statistical Offices. For the other countries, data are from Labour Force Surveys. [3] 1982 for France; 1988 for Portugal. [4] 1990 for France; 1996 for Denmark. [5] 1988 for Norway, Portugal and Spain; 1991 for Italy; 1986 for Belgium. [6] 1995 for Italy; 1996 for Denmark. [7] Data are estimates and include those of Japanese descent, students and illegal workers. [8] Including cross-border workers. [9] Excluding the self-employed. [10] Number of foreigners with an annual residence permit or a settlement permit who engage in gainful activity. Seasonal and cross-border workers are excluded. [11] Data are from censuses except for the United States in 1996 (estimates from the Current Population Survey). [12] 1980 for the United States. [13] 1991 for Canada. Sources: National Statistical Institutes.
<http://www1.oecd.org/media/publish/tabimmigrationa.pdf> ***** -- Yoshie
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