How many members of the 118th Congress were born outside the United States?

1. Clear number from the Library of Congress/CRS: 32 foreign‑born members

The Congressional Research Service’s profile of the 118th Congress reports that “Twenty‑seven Representatives and five Senators” were born outside the United States — 32 members in all — and says this group made up about 5.9% of the 118th Congress ^[1]. That CRS figure appears in the Library of Congress product “Membership of the 118th Congress: A Profile” ^{[4] [5]}.

2. Why other counts (like Pew) report a much lower total

Pew Research Center’s analysis of the 118th Congress reports only 18 foreign‑born voting members — 17 Representatives and one Senator (Mazie Hirono) — and frames its broader tally by combining foreign‑born members with children of immigrants to reach “at least 81” members overall ^{[2] [3]}. The discrepancy stems from differing methodologies: CRS explicitly tallies “foreign birth” among all members in its membership profile (including non‑voting members or using different birthplace rules), while Pew restricts its count to voting members and applies its own inclusion/exclusion rules ^[2].

3. Definitions and methodological differences matter

Sources use different definitions of “foreign‑born.” CRS reports foreign birth in its membership profile and notes members’ places of birth (including those born abroad to American parents) but does not necessarily limit the list to voting members or exclude births on U.S. territories or military bases ^{[1] [5]}. Pew explicitly excludes births in U.S. territories and sometimes omits members born to U.S. citizens abroad depending on how it classifies data; it also reports separate totals for foreign‑born members versus children of immigrants ^[2]. Those methodological choices produce materially different headline counts ^{[1] [2]}.

4. What the differences imply for interpretation

If you want the raw CRS count of members in the 118th Congress who were born outside the United States, use 32 (27 Representatives + 5 Senators) as reported in the CRS profile ^[1]. If you want the count of foreign‑born voting members using Pew’s approach, the number is 18 (17 House, 1 Senate) and the broader immigrant/second‑generation estimate rises to “at least 81” by including children of immigrants ^{[2] [3]}. Both figures are defensible depending on which population you intend to measure ^{[1] [2]}.

5. Historical and demographic context from reporting

CRS notes that places of birth among foreign‑born members of the 118th Congress include nations such as Cuba, Germany, Guatemala, India, Japan, South Korea, and Peru, and it emphasizes that some members were born to American citizens serving or working abroad ^[1]. Pew highlights that the share of immigrants in the 118th Congress remains below historical highs and well below the foreign‑born share of the U.S. population; Pew’s reporting further breaks out children of immigrants to capture a broader immigrant‑heritage presence in Congress ^{[3] [2]}.

6. Rival claims and how to reconcile them

When different reputable sources disagree, pick the figure that matches your purpose and cite the source and definition you used: CRS’s profile = 32 foreign‑born members ^[1]; Pew’s voting‑member focus = 18 foreign‑born voting members and 81 counting children of immigrants ^{[2] [3]}. Available sources do not mention a single universally accepted “official” tally that unambiguously resolves every definitional dispute beyond the documented methodologies ^{[1] [2]}.

7. Bottom line for readers

Be explicit about definitions when quoting a number: cite CRS and its 32‑member count for a membership‑profile figure (27 Representatives + 5 Senators) ^[1], or cite Pew’s 18 foreign‑born voting members and its broader 81‑member immigrant/children‑of‑immigrants estimate if you mean voting members or immigrant heritage more broadly ^{[2] [3]}. Different, responsible sources reach different counts because they measure slightly different populations ^{[1] [2]}.