The traditional American demographic landscape is rapidly transforming, as evidenced by the 2020 Census revealing that non-Hispanic White Americans now constitute only 57.8% of the population, while the multiracial population has exploded by 276% and nearly half of all children under 18 identify with a non-White racial or ethnic group.
Key Takeaways
- As of the 2020 Census, the non-Hispanic White population constituted 57.8% of the total U.S. population, down from 63.7% in 2010
- Black or African American alone accounted for 12.4% of the U.S. population in 2020, including those identifying as Black in combination with other races
- Hispanic or Latino individuals made up 18.7% of the U.S. population in 2020, representing over 62 million people
- 29% of U.S. Christians identify as Protestant, 20% Catholic, 2% Mormon per 2021 Pew survey
- Religiously unaffiliated ("nones") rose to 29% of U.S. adults in 2021 from 16% in 2007
- Evangelicals make up 25% of U.S. population per 2021 PRRI Census of American Religion
- 73% of U.S. adults speak only English at home per 2019 ACS
- Spanish spoken at home by 13% of population, 41 million speakers, 2019 ACS
- Other Indo-European languages 3.4%, including Hindi, French, etc., 2019 ACS
- 5.6% of U.S. adults identify as LGBT in 2023 Gallup poll, up from 3.5% in 2012
- Bisexuals are 4.4% of adults, 86% of LGBT identifiers, 2023 Gallup
- Gay men 2.0%, lesbians 1.1%, 2023 Gallup
- 26.6% foreign-born in U.S. population in 2022, 46 million immigrants
- 73.4% native-born in 2022
- Mexico origin immigrants 23% of total, 10.7 million in 2022
America's diversity is rapidly increasing as its white population majority declines.
Immigration and Nativity
126.6% foreign-born in U.S. population in 2022, 46 million immigrants
Verified273.4% native-born in 2022
Verified3Mexico origin immigrants 23% of total, 10.7 million in 2022
Verified4India 6.2%, 2.8 million, China 5.3% 2.4 million, 2022
Directional5Philippines 4.6%, El Salvador 3.7%, Vietnam 3.3%, 2022 MPI
Single source645% of immigrants naturalized citizens in 2022, 25 million
Verified727% lawful permanent residents, 11.8 million, 2022
Verified8Unauthorized immigrants 11.3 million or 24% in 2022 estimate, MPI
Verified9California 27% foreign-born highest state 2022 ACS
Directional10Florida 21%, Texas 17%, New York 22%, 2022 ACS
Single source11Immigrants 18% of workforce in 2023 BLS
Verified1229% of STEM workers foreign-born, NSF data 2021
Verified1336% of U.S. Nobel laureates since 2000 immigrants
Verified14First-generation immigrants 14% of population, second-gen 12% per Census
Directional15Asia 31% of immigrants, Latin America 50%, 2022
Single source16Europe 14%, Africa 5%, 2022 MPI
Verified17Refugee admissions 25k in FY2022, Ukraine top
Verified18Asylum seekers 1 million pending cases 2023 USCIS
Verified19DACA recipients 580k active 2023, mostly Mexican
Directional20TPS beneficiaries 900k from 17 countries 2023
Single source2188% of immigrants in 2022 arrived before 2010, long-term residents, MPI
Verified22Children of immigrants 25% of U.S. children under 18
Verified23Immigrants 17% of population but 28% of entrepreneurs, Kauffman 2022
Verified2455 Fortune 500 founded by immigrants or children, 2022
DirectionalImmigration and Nativity Interpretation
The United States is quite literally built, powered, and continually reinvented by immigrants, who make up over a quarter of us, as they are disproportionately our Nobel winners, STEM pioneers, and job creators, yet nearly half of them have been here for over a decade waiting for a system that fully recognizes their foundational role.
LGBTQ+ Demographics
15.6% of U.S. adults identify as LGBT in 2023 Gallup poll, up from 3.5% in 2012
Verified2Bisexuals are 4.4% of adults, 86% of LGBT identifiers, 2023 Gallup
Verified3Gay men 2.0%, lesbians 1.1%, 2023 Gallup
Verified4Transgender 1.0% of adults per 2023 Gallup estimate
Directional5Gen Z LGBT identification 20.8%, highest generation, 2023 Gallup
Single source6Millennials 10.5% LGBT, Gen X 4.8%, Boomers 2.6%, Silent 1.8%, 2023 Gallup
Verified7Women 6.0% LGBT vs. men 4.6%, 2023 Gallup
Verified8Bisexual women 11.9% of young women Gen Z, Gallup 2023
Verified9Black Americans 7.3% LGBT, Hispanics 6.1%, Whites 5.3%, Gallup 2023
Directional10Urban areas 7.1% LGBT vs. rural 4.0%, Gallup 2023
Single source1157.3% of LGBT adults married or living with partner, 2023 Gallup
Verified12Same-sex married couples 1.2% of households per 2020 Census
Verified13Same-sex couples with children 16.5%, similar to opposite-sex, 2020 Census
Verified14San Francisco 6.2% LGBT adults, highest metro, Gallup
Directional15D.C. 9.8% LGBT, highest city, Gallup
Single source16Bisexual identification doubled since 2012 among women, Gallup 2023
Verified17Nonbinary identification 1.2% among Gen Z women, Gallup 2023
Verified18Pansexual 1.4% of LGBT Gen Z, Gallup 2023
Verified1919.7% of Gen Z women identify as LGBT, Gallup 2023
Directional2071% of LGBT Democrats vs. 17% Republicans, Gallup 2023
Single source21Trans adults higher in lower income <36k 1.6%, Gallup 2023
Verified22LGBT high school students 24% per CDC 2021 Youth Risk Survey
Verified23Among LGBT youth, 66% bisexual, CDC 2021
Verified24Gay/straight males 12%, females 17% among HS, CDC 2021
DirectionalLGBTQ+ Demographics Interpretation
While America's rainbow is getting decidedly brighter and more complex, particularly among the young, these numbers ultimately tell a simple story: as society grows more accepting, more people feel safe enough to tell the truth about who they are and whom they love.
Language Spoken
173% of U.S. adults speak only English at home per 2019 ACS
Verified2Spanish spoken at home by 13% of population, 41 million speakers, 2019 ACS
Verified3Other Indo-European languages 3.4%, including Hindi, French, etc., 2019 ACS
Verified4Asian/Pacific Islander languages 3.5%, Chinese, Tagalog top, 2019 ACS
Directional5Other languages 1.2%, 2019 ACS
Single source622% of U.S. population speaks language other than English at home, 2019 ACS
Verified7California has 44% speaking non-English at home, highest state, 2019 ACS
Verified8Texas 35.3% non-English speakers at home, 2019 ACS
Verified9New Mexico 36%, New York 43%, high shares, 2019 ACS
Directional10Spanish speakers 62% of non-English speakers, 25.9 million, 2019 ACS
Single source11Chinese speakers 1.2 million, 3% of non-English, 2019 ACS
Verified12Tagalog 1.7 million, 4%, 2019 ACS
Verified13Vietnamese 1.5 million, 4%, 2019 ACS
Verified14Arabic 1.3 million, 3%, 2019 ACS
Directional15French 1.2 million, 3%, 2019 ACS
Single source16Korean 0.9 million, 2%, 2019 ACS
Verified17Russian 0.9 million, 2%, 2019 ACS
Verified188% of population not proficient in English, 23 million, 2019 ACS
Verified19Among Spanish speakers, 70% proficient in English, 2019 ACS
Directional20Children in immigrant families more likely multilingual, 25% speak non-English
Single source21Miami 70% speak Spanish at home, highest metro, 2019 ACS
Verified22Los Angeles 59% non-English, 2019 ACS
Verified23New York City 48%, 2019 ACS
Verified24Hindi speakers grew 122% from 2010-2019, to 0.7 million, ACS
Directional25Bengali speakers up 85%, to 0.4 million, 2019 ACS
Single source26Urdu up 76%, 0.3 million, 2019 ACS
Verified27Swahili doubled to 100k speakers, 2019 ACS
VerifiedLanguage Spoken Interpretation
The American linguistic landscape is stubbornly monolingual at its core, yet remarkably vibrant at its ever-expanding edges, where Spanish is the dominant symphony but Hindi's growth is the surprising new hit single.
Racial/Ethnic Composition
1As of the 2020 Census, the non-Hispanic White population constituted 57.8% of the total U.S. population, down from 63.7% in 2010
Verified2Black or African American alone accounted for 12.4% of the U.S. population in 2020, including those identifying as Black in combination with other races
Verified3Hispanic or Latino individuals made up 18.7% of the U.S. population in 2020, representing over 62 million people
Verified4Asian Americans comprised 6.1% of the population in 2020, with significant growth from 4.8% in 2010
Directional5American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination represented 2.9% of the U.S. population in 2020
Single source6Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination was 0.5% in 2020, totaling about 1.6 million people
Verified7Multiracial population (two or more races) surged to 10.2% in 2020 from 2.9% in 2010
Verified8In California, Hispanics are 39.4% of the population as of 2020, making it the largest group
Verified9Texas has 40.2% Hispanic population in 2020, surpassing non-Hispanic Whites at 39.8%
Directional10New Mexico's population is 49.2% Hispanic in 2020, the highest proportion in the U.S.
Single source11Hawaii's Asian population is 37.2% as of 2020, the highest state share
Verified12District of Columbia is 45.4% Black in 2020, highest in the nation
Verified13Non-Hispanic Whites are only 12.4% in Hawaii in 2020, lowest state percentage
Verified14The multiracial population grew by 276% between 2010 and 2020
Directional15Children under 18 are more diverse: 52.5% non-White in 2020 vs. 47.5% White alone non-Hispanic
Single source16In the South, Black population is 19.2% as of 2020 Census data
Verified17West region has 40.1% Hispanic or Latino in 2020
Verified18Northeast has highest non-Hispanic White share at 52.6% in 2020
Verified19Mexican origin Hispanics are 62% of the total Hispanic population, about 37 million in 2020
Directional20Puerto Rican origin is 9.7% of Hispanics, roughly 6 million
Single source21Salvadoran origin Hispanics number 2.5 million, 4% of total Hispanics in recent ACS data
Verified22Indian Americans are the largest Asian subgroup at 4.4% of Asians, over 4.5 million
Verified23Chinese Americans number 5 million, 24% of Asian population
Verified24Filipino Americans are 4.4 million, 20% of Asians
Directional25Vietnamese Americans total 2.3 million, 11% of Asians
Single source26Black immigrants from Africa number 2.1 million, 10% of Black population in 2019
Verified27Caribbean Black immigrants are 52% of Black immigrants, 1.1 million from Jamaica, Haiti, etc.
Verified28Native Americans on reservations: 22% of AIAN alone live on reservations
Verified29Arab Americans number about 3.7 million, 1.1% of population per 2020 ACS
Directional30In New York City, 32.1% are non-Hispanic White, 24.3% Black, 29.1% Hispanic in 2020
Single sourceRacial/Ethnic Composition Interpretation
America's demographic portrait is no longer a simple black-and-white sketch but a richly complex and rapidly evolving mosaic, where the historical majority is becoming a vibrant plurality and the future is already visible in the faces of its children.
Religious Affiliation
129% of U.S. Christians identify as Protestant, 20% Catholic, 2% Mormon per 2021 Pew survey
Verified2Religiously unaffiliated ("nones") rose to 29% of U.S. adults in 2021 from 16% in 2007
Verified3Evangelicals make up 25% of U.S. population per 2021 PRRI Census of American Religion
Verified4Mainline Protestants are 14% of adults, declining from 18% in 2007
Directional5Historically Black Protestants 7%, per Pew 2021
Single source6Jews comprise 2% of U.S. adults, about 5.8 million, per Pew 2021
Verified7Muslims are 1.1% of population, roughly 3.5 million adults, Pew 2021
Verified8Buddhists 1%, Hindus 1%, per Pew 2021 Religious Landscape Study update
Verified9Jehovah's Witnesses 0.8%, other Christians 4%, Pew 2021
Directional10Orthodox Christians 0.5%, per PRRI 2021
Single source11Unitarians and other liberal faiths 1%, PRRI 2021
Verified12In the South, 76% identify as Christian per Pew 2014 updated 2021
Verified13Northeast has 24% unaffiliated, highest regional share, Pew 2021
Verified14West region 28% unaffiliated, Pew 2021
Directional15Black Americans 79% Christian, highest affiliation rate, Pew 2021
Single source16Hispanic Americans 72% Christian, Pew 2021
Verified17White Americans 65% Christian, down significantly, Pew 2021
Verified18Among Gen Z, 34% unaffiliated vs. 17% Silent Generation, PRRI 2021
Verified19Millennials 30% unaffiliated, PRRI 2021
Directional2045% of atheists raised in religious homes, now unaffiliated, Pew 2021
Single source2126 states have greater share of Christians than 10 years ago? No, declined everywhere but Utah, PRRI
Verified22Utah 69% Mormon, highest concentration, PRRI 2021
Verified23Jewish population highest in New York, 9% of state adults, PRRI 2021
Verified24Muslim highest in Michigan, 3%, PRRI 2021
Directional25Hindu highest in New Jersey, 3%, PRRI 2021
Single sourceReligious Affiliation Interpretation
While America remains a predominantly Christian nation, its spiritual landscape is rapidly fracturing into a kaleidoscope of belief and disbelief, with the "nones" rising to tie Protestants and regional traditions holding strong, all pointing toward a future far less uniformly churched than its past.
Sources & References
- Reference 1CENSUScensus.govVisit source
- Reference 2PEWRESEARCHpewresearch.orgVisit source
- Reference 3BROOKINGSbrookings.eduVisit source
- Reference 4AAIUSAaaiusa.orgVisit source
- Reference 5PRRIprri.orgVisit source
- Reference 6MIGRATIONPOLICYmigrationpolicy.orgVisit source
- Reference 7NEWSnews.gallup.comVisit source
- Reference 8CDCcdc.govVisit source
- Reference 9BLSbls.govVisit source
- Reference 10NCSESncses.nsf.govVisit source
- Reference 11NBERnber.orgVisit source
- Reference 12WRAPSNETwrapsnet.orgVisit source
- Reference 13USCISuscis.govVisit source
- Reference 14DHSdhs.govVisit source
- Reference 15AMERICANIMMIGRATIONCOUNCILamericanimmigrationcouncil.orgVisit source
- Reference 16KAUFFMANkauffman.orgVisit source
- Reference 17NEWAMERICANECONOMYnewamericaneconomy.orgVisit source