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
- 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
- India 6.2%, 2.8 million, China 5.3% 2.4 million, 2022
- Philippines 4.6%, El Salvador 3.7%, Vietnam 3.3%, 2022 MPI
- 45% of immigrants naturalized citizens in 2022, 25 million
- 27% lawful permanent residents, 11.8 million, 2022
- Unauthorized immigrants 11.3 million or 24% in 2022 estimate, MPI
- California 27% foreign-born highest state 2022 ACS
- Florida 21%, Texas 17%, New York 22%, 2022 ACS
- Immigrants 18% of workforce in 2023 BLS
- 29% of STEM workers foreign-born, NSF data 2021
- 36% of U.S. Nobel laureates since 2000 immigrants
- First-generation immigrants 14% of population, second-gen 12% per Census
- Asia 31% of immigrants, Latin America 50%, 2022
- Europe 14%, Africa 5%, 2022 MPI
- Refugee admissions 25k in FY2022, Ukraine top
- Asylum seekers 1 million pending cases 2023 USCIS
- DACA recipients 580k active 2023, mostly Mexican
- TPS beneficiaries 900k from 17 countries 2023
- 88% of immigrants in 2022 arrived before 2010, long-term residents, MPI
- Children of immigrants 25% of U.S. children under 18
- Immigrants 17% of population but 28% of entrepreneurs, Kauffman 2022
- 55 Fortune 500 founded by immigrants or children, 2022
Immigration 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
- 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
- Transgender 1.0% of adults per 2023 Gallup estimate
- Gen Z LGBT identification 20.8%, highest generation, 2023 Gallup
- Millennials 10.5% LGBT, Gen X 4.8%, Boomers 2.6%, Silent 1.8%, 2023 Gallup
- Women 6.0% LGBT vs. men 4.6%, 2023 Gallup
- Bisexual women 11.9% of young women Gen Z, Gallup 2023
- Black Americans 7.3% LGBT, Hispanics 6.1%, Whites 5.3%, Gallup 2023
- Urban areas 7.1% LGBT vs. rural 4.0%, Gallup 2023
- 57.3% of LGBT adults married or living with partner, 2023 Gallup
- Same-sex married couples 1.2% of households per 2020 Census
- Same-sex couples with children 16.5%, similar to opposite-sex, 2020 Census
- San Francisco 6.2% LGBT adults, highest metro, Gallup
- D.C. 9.8% LGBT, highest city, Gallup
- Bisexual identification doubled since 2012 among women, Gallup 2023
- Nonbinary identification 1.2% among Gen Z women, Gallup 2023
- Pansexual 1.4% of LGBT Gen Z, Gallup 2023
- 19.7% of Gen Z women identify as LGBT, Gallup 2023
- 71% of LGBT Democrats vs. 17% Republicans, Gallup 2023
- Trans adults higher in lower income <36k 1.6%, Gallup 2023
- LGBT high school students 24% per CDC 2021 Youth Risk Survey
- Among LGBT youth, 66% bisexual, CDC 2021
- Gay/straight males 12%, females 17% among HS, CDC 2021
LGBTQ+ 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
- 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
- Asian/Pacific Islander languages 3.5%, Chinese, Tagalog top, 2019 ACS
- Other languages 1.2%, 2019 ACS
- 22% of U.S. population speaks language other than English at home, 2019 ACS
- California has 44% speaking non-English at home, highest state, 2019 ACS
- Texas 35.3% non-English speakers at home, 2019 ACS
- New Mexico 36%, New York 43%, high shares, 2019 ACS
- Spanish speakers 62% of non-English speakers, 25.9 million, 2019 ACS
- Chinese speakers 1.2 million, 3% of non-English, 2019 ACS
- Tagalog 1.7 million, 4%, 2019 ACS
- Vietnamese 1.5 million, 4%, 2019 ACS
- Arabic 1.3 million, 3%, 2019 ACS
- French 1.2 million, 3%, 2019 ACS
- Korean 0.9 million, 2%, 2019 ACS
- Russian 0.9 million, 2%, 2019 ACS
- 8% of population not proficient in English, 23 million, 2019 ACS
- Among Spanish speakers, 70% proficient in English, 2019 ACS
- Children in immigrant families more likely multilingual, 25% speak non-English
- Miami 70% speak Spanish at home, highest metro, 2019 ACS
- Los Angeles 59% non-English, 2019 ACS
- New York City 48%, 2019 ACS
- Hindi speakers grew 122% from 2010-2019, to 0.7 million, ACS
- Bengali speakers up 85%, to 0.4 million, 2019 ACS
- Urdu up 76%, 0.3 million, 2019 ACS
- Swahili doubled to 100k speakers, 2019 ACS
Language 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
- 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
- Asian Americans comprised 6.1% of the population in 2020, with significant growth from 4.8% in 2010
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone or in combination represented 2.9% of the U.S. population in 2020
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination was 0.5% in 2020, totaling about 1.6 million people
- Multiracial population (two or more races) surged to 10.2% in 2020 from 2.9% in 2010
- In California, Hispanics are 39.4% of the population as of 2020, making it the largest group
- Texas has 40.2% Hispanic population in 2020, surpassing non-Hispanic Whites at 39.8%
- New Mexico's population is 49.2% Hispanic in 2020, the highest proportion in the U.S.
- Hawaii's Asian population is 37.2% as of 2020, the highest state share
- District of Columbia is 45.4% Black in 2020, highest in the nation
- Non-Hispanic Whites are only 12.4% in Hawaii in 2020, lowest state percentage
- The multiracial population grew by 276% between 2010 and 2020
- Children under 18 are more diverse: 52.5% non-White in 2020 vs. 47.5% White alone non-Hispanic
- In the South, Black population is 19.2% as of 2020 Census data
- West region has 40.1% Hispanic or Latino in 2020
- Northeast has highest non-Hispanic White share at 52.6% in 2020
- Mexican origin Hispanics are 62% of the total Hispanic population, about 37 million in 2020
- Puerto Rican origin is 9.7% of Hispanics, roughly 6 million
- Salvadoran origin Hispanics number 2.5 million, 4% of total Hispanics in recent ACS data
- Indian Americans are the largest Asian subgroup at 4.4% of Asians, over 4.5 million
- Chinese Americans number 5 million, 24% of Asian population
- Filipino Americans are 4.4 million, 20% of Asians
- Vietnamese Americans total 2.3 million, 11% of Asians
- Black immigrants from Africa number 2.1 million, 10% of Black population in 2019
- Caribbean Black immigrants are 52% of Black immigrants, 1.1 million from Jamaica, Haiti, etc.
- Native Americans on reservations: 22% of AIAN alone live on reservations
- Arab Americans number about 3.7 million, 1.1% of population per 2020 ACS
- In New York City, 32.1% are non-Hispanic White, 24.3% Black, 29.1% Hispanic in 2020
Racial/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
- 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
- Mainline Protestants are 14% of adults, declining from 18% in 2007
- Historically Black Protestants 7%, per Pew 2021
- Jews comprise 2% of U.S. adults, about 5.8 million, per Pew 2021
- Muslims are 1.1% of population, roughly 3.5 million adults, Pew 2021
- Buddhists 1%, Hindus 1%, per Pew 2021 Religious Landscape Study update
- Jehovah's Witnesses 0.8%, other Christians 4%, Pew 2021
- Orthodox Christians 0.5%, per PRRI 2021
- Unitarians and other liberal faiths 1%, PRRI 2021
- In the South, 76% identify as Christian per Pew 2014 updated 2021
- Northeast has 24% unaffiliated, highest regional share, Pew 2021
- West region 28% unaffiliated, Pew 2021
- Black Americans 79% Christian, highest affiliation rate, Pew 2021
- Hispanic Americans 72% Christian, Pew 2021
- White Americans 65% Christian, down significantly, Pew 2021
- Among Gen Z, 34% unaffiliated vs. 17% Silent Generation, PRRI 2021
- Millennials 30% unaffiliated, PRRI 2021
- 45% of atheists raised in religious homes, now unaffiliated, Pew 2021
- 26 states have greater share of Christians than 10 years ago? No, declined everywhere but Utah, PRRI
- Utah 69% Mormon, highest concentration, PRRI 2021
- Jewish population highest in New York, 9% of state adults, PRRI 2021
- Muslim highest in Michigan, 3%, PRRI 2021
- Hindu highest in New Jersey, 3%, PRRI 2021
Religious 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