Monday, March 7, 2016

Refugees in Buffalo by the numbers

I've been trying to find specific numbers on the amount of refugees currently in Buffalo and how that number compares to the United States and New York as a whole. Here's a breakdown of the statistics I found.

  • Since 2006, the number of foreign-born residents of Buffalo has increased 95%. 
  • In 2012, 2,985 people in Buffalo-Niagara obtained legal residence, and 62% of those were refugees or asylum-seekers. This compares to 150,000 people in New York State obtaining legal residence, with only 14% registering as refugees or asylum seekers. In the United States in general, more than 1 million people obtained legal permanent residence, with 15% registering as refugees or asylum seekers.
  • Between 2003 and 2014, 9,723 refugees were resettled in Erie County.
  • 6.1% of people in Buffalo speak English "less than very well."


Top Countries of Origin in Buffalo 2007-2012
1. Burma
2. India
3. China
4. Thailand
5. Canada

Top 10 Languages Spoken in Buffalo Public Schools 2013-2014
1. Spanish
2. Karen
3. Arabic
4. Somali
5. Nepali
6. Burmese
7. Bengali
8. Swahili
9. French
10. Vietnamese

First Language of Refugees Resettled by Journey's End in 2012-2013
1. Arabic —62 refugees
2. Nepali — 52 refugees
3. Swahili — 37 refugees
4. Karen — 19 refugees
5. Burmese —18 refugees
6. Spanish — 11 refugees

First Language of Refugees Resettled by International Institute of Buffalo 2012-2013
1. Burmese — 50 refugees
2. Arabic — 48 refugees
3. Nepali — 43 refugees
4. Chin — 25 refugees
5. Spanish — 4 refugees
6. Somali — 2 refugees
7. Tigrinya — 2 refugees


Here's a graphic from an NPR article about the refugee population in Buffalo.


Source: http://www.ppgbuffalo.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Language-2014.pdf


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