As of December 7, 2023, the recently released 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates reveal intriguing language trends among the U.S. population aged 5 and older. The data indicates a slight decrease from 78.7% in 2013-2017 to 78.3% in those who spoke only English at home.
Among those who spoke a language other than English during 2018-2022, Spanish emerged as the predominant language, with 61.1%, followed by Chinese (5.1%), and Tagalog (2.5%). However, it is worth noting that 61.0% of Spanish speakers, 48.2% of Chinese speakers, and 69.8% of Tagalog speakers aged 5 and older spoke English “very well.”
Adrienne Griffiths, a survey statistician in the Education and Social Stratification Branch, emphasized that English remains the most commonly spoken language. Across various age groups, the majority of individuals who spoke a language other than English at home exhibited a high proficiency in English. “English remains the most commonly spoken language,” she told the United States Census Bureau. “Across most age groups, the majority of the population who spoke a language other than English at home still spoke English very well.”
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Age-Specific Language Patterns
Examining age-specific language patterns from 2018-2022, it’s revealed that 70.0% of individuals aged 5-17 who spoke a language other than English at home spoke Spanish. Among these Spanish speakers, 79.8% spoke English “very well.” Similarly, among those aged 18-64, 61.0% spoke Spanish, with 58.3% expressing proficiency in English. For those aged 65 and older, 49.0% spoke Spanish, and 41.6% spoke English “very well.” Age and language demonstrate an interesting interplay.
Dynamic Landscape of the Foreign-Born Population
The ACS sheds light on the dynamic landscape of the foreign-born population in the United States during the 2018-2022 period. The estimated 45.3 million foreign-born individuals constituted 13.7% of the nation’s total population. The foreign-born population witnessed an increase of more than 5 million between 2008-2012 and 2018-2022, with significant concentrations in California (26.5%), New Jersey (23.2%), New York (22.6%), and Florida (21.1%).
The data further highlights educational achievements among the foreign-born population, with 18.7% holding a bachelor’s degree and 14.9% possessing a graduate or professional degree. Employment patterns reveal that 63.5% of the foreign-born population aged 16 and older were part of the civilian labor force, with over a third employed in management, business, science, and arts occupations.
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