<b>Background</b>Although there are consistent reports of higher psychosis rates among immigrants, the information on mood disorders is limited.<b>Aims</b>To review and quantify the difference in incidence of mood disorders in first- and second-generation immigrant (FGI and SGI) groups <i>v.</i> non-immigrants.<b>Method</b>PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO were searched for articles from cohort studies reporting incidence of mood disorders among FGIs and SGIs.<b>Results</b>Eighteen studies met our inclusion criteria.