diff --git src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php
index 0539e7f..7d4e1a4 100644
--- src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php
+++ src/wp-admin/includes/nav-menu.php
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ function _wp_ajax_menu_quick_search( $request = array() ) {
 					'taxonomy'   => $matches[2],
 					'name__like' => $query,
 					'number'     => 10,
+					'hide_empty' => false,
 				)
 			);
 			if ( empty( $terms ) || is_wp_error( $terms ) ) {
diff --git src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php
index a6bae20..e787370 100644
--- src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php
+++ src/wp-includes/class-wp-customize-nav-menus.php
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ final class WP_Customize_Nav_Menus {
 			array(
 				'name__like' => $args['s'],
 				'number'     => 20,
+				'hide_empty' => false,
 				'offset'     => 20 * ( $args['pagenum'] - 1 ),
 			)
 		);
diff --git tests/phpunit/tests/customize/nav-menus.php tests/phpunit/tests/customize/nav-menus.php
index e738777..8191b1d 100644
--- tests/phpunit/tests/customize/nav-menus.php
+++ tests/phpunit/tests/customize/nav-menus.php
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ class Test_WP_Customize_Nav_Menus extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 				's'       => 'cat',
 			)
 		);
-		$this->assertEquals( 1, count( $results ) );
+		$this->assertCount( 2, $results ); // Category terms Cats Drool and Uncategorized.
 		$count = $this->filter_count_customize_nav_menu_searched_items;
 		add_filter( 'customize_nav_menu_searched_items', array( $this, 'filter_search' ), 10, 2 );
 		$results = $menus->search_available_items_query(
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ class Test_WP_Customize_Nav_Menus extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		);
 		$this->assertEquals( $count + 1, $this->filter_count_customize_nav_menu_searched_items );
 		$this->assertInternalType( 'array', $results );
-		$this->assertEquals( 2, count( $results ) );
+		$this->assertCount( 3, $results );
 		remove_filter( 'customize_nav_menu_searched_items', array( $this, 'filter_search' ), 10 );
 
 		// Test home.
@@ -399,6 +399,51 @@ class Test_WP_Customize_Nav_Menus extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 	}
 
 	/**
+	 * Tests that the search_available_items_query method should return term items
+	 * not assigned to any posts.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 45298
+	 */
+	public function test_search_available_items_query_should_return_unassigned_term_items() {
+		$menus = new WP_Customize_Nav_Menus( $this->wp_customize );
+
+		register_taxonomy( 'wptests_tax', 'post',
+			array(
+				'labels' => array(
+					'name' => 'Tests Taxonomy',
+				),
+			)
+		);
+
+		$term_id = $this->factory->term->create(
+			array(
+				'taxonomy' => 'wptests_tax',
+				'name'     => 'foobar',
+			)
+		);
+
+		// Expected menu item array.
+		$expected = array(
+			'title'      => 'foobar',
+			'id'         => "term-{$term_id}",
+			'type'       => 'taxonomy',
+			'type_label' => 'Tests Taxonomy',
+			'object'     => 'wptests_tax',
+			'object_id'  => intval( $term_id ),
+			'url'        => get_term_link( intval( $term_id ), '' ),
+		);
+
+		$results = $menus->search_available_items_query(
+			array(
+				'pagenum' => 1,
+				's'       => 'foo',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$this->assertEqualSets( $expected, $results[0] );
+	}
+
+	/**
 	 * Count for number of times customize_nav_menu_searched_items filtered.
 	 *
 	 * @var int
diff --git tests/phpunit/tests/menu/wpAjaxMenuQuickSearch.php tests/phpunit/tests/menu/wpAjaxMenuQuickSearch.php
index b5df3a1..9c90ee0 100644
--- tests/phpunit/tests/menu/wpAjaxMenuQuickSearch.php
+++ tests/phpunit/tests/menu/wpAjaxMenuQuickSearch.php
@@ -120,4 +120,30 @@ class Tests_Menu_WpAjaxMenuQuickSeach extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		$results = explode( "\n", trim( $output ) );
 		$this->assertCount( 1, $results );
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Test that search displays terms that are not assigned to any posts.
+	 *
+	 * @ticket 45298
+	 */
+	public function test_search_should_return_unassigned_term_items() {
+		register_taxonomy( 'wptests_tax', 'post' );
+
+		$term_id = $this->factory->term->create(
+			array(
+				'taxonomy' => 'wptests_tax',
+				'name'     => 'foobar',
+			)
+		);
+
+		$request = array(
+			'type' => 'quick-search-taxonomy-wptests_tax',
+			'q'    => 'foobar',
+		);
+		$output  = get_echo( '_wp_ajax_menu_quick_search', array( $request ) );
+
+		$this->assertNotEmpty( $output );
+		$results = explode( "\n", trim( $output ) );
+		$this->assertCount( 1, $results );
+	}
 }