New Hispanic Trends

After four decades of Hispanic rapid growth , the number of Latino immigrants in the U.S. reached a record 18.8 million in 2010, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Since 2000, the U.S.-born Latino population continued to grow at a faster rate than the immigrant population. 

Among Hispanic adults in 2012, 49.8% were born in another country, down from a peak of 55% in 2007. Among all Hispanics, the share foreign-born was 35.5% in 2012, down from about 40% earlier in the 2000s.

The slowdown in growth of the Hispanic foreign-born population coincides with a decline in Mexican migration to the U.S. Today, about as many people from Mexico are leaving the U.S. as entering, after four decades of explosive growth. Many factors have played a role in this trend, including the U.S. economic downturn, stepped-up border enforcement, growing dangers associated with illegal border crossings and demographic and economic changes in Mexico.

Key findings from the statistical portrait of U.S. Hispanics include:

Marriage and living arrangements

• Between 2000 and 2012, the percentage of Hispanics ages 18 and older who have never married increased from 29% to 37%. Meanwhile, the percentage that is currently married has declined from 55% to 46%. The share of Hispanics living in households led by married couples has also declined since 2000, from 65% to 57%.
• The percentage of Hispanic-headed family households with five or more people has declined since 2000, falling from 31% to 26% in 2012. There has been an increase in two-person households, from 24% in 2000 to 28% in 2012.

Population by geography

• The top five states by Hispanic population in 2012 are: California (14.5 million), Texas (10 million), Florida (4.5 million), New York (3.6 million) and Illinois (2.1 million).
• Between 2000 and 2012, the five states with the fastest-growing Hispanic populations were: Tennessee (up 163%), South Carolina (161%), Alabama (157%), Kentucky (135%) and South Dakota (132%).
• The five states where Hispanics make up the biggest share of the population in 2012 are: New Mexico (47%), California (38%), Texas (38%), Arizona (30%) and Nevada (27%).

Spanish use at home and English proficiency

• About 12.3 million Hispanics ages 5 and older (26%) speak English at home exclusively. That share is 39% among the U.S. born and 4% among the foreign born.
• Some 35.5 million Latinos ages 5 and older (74%) say they speak a language other than English at home, whether or not they also speak English at home. Among them, 35.3 million say the other language they speak is Spanish.
• Among Hispanics (ages 5 and older) who speak a language other than English at home, 56% report speaking English very well.
• One-third of all Hispanics (33%) say they do not speak English very well.
• Among immigrant Latinos, a language gap exists between children and adults. Some 70% of immigrant children between ages 5 and 17 say they speak only English or speak English very well. By comparison, just 32% of immigrant adults say they speak only English or speak English very well