11/4/13
More than one in five Americans ages five and older (21%) speak a language other than English at home, according to newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011 American Community Survey. Of these, 62% spoke Spanish or Spanish Creole at home. The majority of Americans who speak languages other than English at home also speak English “very well” (58%) or “well” (19%).
Speakers of Indo-European languages such as French, German, Greek, Hindi, and Scandinavian languages are more likely than those who speak Asian or Pacific Island languages to also speak English “very well.” Most speakers of Native American languages such as Navajo also speak English “very well.” Speakers of Chinese (10%) and Spanish (9%) are most likely to say they don’t speak any English.
The majority of foreign-born Americans speak languages other than English at home (79% of naturalized citizens and 89% of resident aliens). More than one in 10 native-born Americans (11%) speak languages other than English. Asians and Hispanics are much more likely than non-Hispanics and blacks to speak languages other than English at home. Americans under age 40 are more likely than those 40 and older to speak languages other than English.
Between 1980 and 2011, the number of Americans who spoke Spanish at home grew by 25.9 million (233%). Vietnamese speakers had the largest percentage increase during this time-nearly 600%. Overall, the number of Americans speaking languages other than English at home grew 158% between 1980 and 2011. The total population increased only 38% during that time.
SOURCE: “Language Use in the United States: 2011,” August 2013, American Community Survey Report ACS-22, by Camille Ryan, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Rd., Washington, DC 20233; 301-763-4636; pio@census.gov; www.census.gov. Price: Available online at no charge.
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