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For data on these topics, click on the link: |
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TEXAS
Language & Education
Other facts sheets for Texas:
The data below describe the state rankings and selected characteristics of the immigrant and native-born populations in Texas in 2008. This fact sheet also includes national-level data from the most recently available 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL).
Rankings
The following shows
Texas' rankings in several categories. All rankings include the 50 states and the District of
Columbia and are ranked highest to lowest.
| |
Rankings |
| Size of the foreign-born, limited English proficient (LEP)
population, 2008: |
2 out of 51 |
|
Percent of immigrants persons
who are LEP: |
1 out of 51 |
| Share of the foreign-born population with a bachelor’s
or higher degree: |
46 out of 51 |
| Share of the foreign-born population with less than a high
school diploma: |
3 out of 51 |
Data Highlights
For data on these topics, click on the link:
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Who Are the Foreign Born? |
The term foreign born refers to people residing
in the United States at the time of the census who were not US citizens at
birth. The foreign-born population includes naturalized citizens, lawful
permanent immigrants, refugees and asylees, legal nonimmigrants (including
those on student, work, or other temporary visas), and persons residing in
the country without authorization. By comparison, the term native refers
to people residing in the United States who were US citizens in one of three
categories: 1) people born in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia;
2) people born in United States Insular Areas such as Puerto Rico or Guam;
or 3) people who were born abroad to at least one US-citizen parent.
We use
the terms immigrants and foreign born interchangeably.
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What Does "Limited English Proficient" (LEP) Mean? |
| In this fact sheet, and in any data from the decennial census or American
Community Survey, the term limited English proficient refers to any
person age 5 and older who reported speaking English “not at all,” “not
well,” or “well” on their survey questionnaire. Persons who
speak only English or who report speaking English “very well” are
considered proficient in English. |
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Population by English Proficiency
The foreign-born, limited English proficient (LEP) population age 5 and older in Texas increased by 39.2 percent between 2000 and 2008.
Between 2000 and 2008, the number of foreign-born persons age 5 and older in Texas who were LEP increased from 1,717,377 to 2,389,905, representing a change of 39.2 percent. In comparison, the size of the foreign-born LEP population grew from 864,017 to 1,717,377 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 98.8 percent.
At the national level, the size of the foreign-born LEP population increased from 9,120,221 to 15,672,816 between 1990 and 2000, representing a change of 71.8 percent, and grew from 15,672,816 to 19,644,720 (25.3 percent), between 2000 and 2008.
In 2008, 61.9 percent of immigrants age
5 and older in Texas were LEP.
In 2008, 61.9 percent of Texas'
total foreign-born population age 5 and older were LEP compared with 60.1 percent in 2000 and 57.9 percent in 1990. Only 4.7 percent of similarly aged native-born persons in Texas were LEP in 2008.
At the national level, 52.1 percent of the foreign-born population were LEP in 2008, compared to 51.0 percent in 2000, and 47.0 percent in 1990.
In Texas, 70.9 percent of all children in families that spoke a language other than English reported having oral English proficiency.
In 2008, 1,617,371 children between ages 5 and 17 resided in homes in which members spoke a language other than English; of these children, 70.9 percent spoke English "very well."
Nationwide, 75.3 percent of minors in such families were English proficient.
Note: these families might or might not interact in English at home.
English Proficiency by Citizenship
Naturalized citizens in Texas were less likely to be LEP than noncitizens.
Of the foreign born in Texas in 2008, 43.6 percent of naturalized citizens age 5 and older were LEP compared to 70.4 percent of noncitizens.
Similarly, at the national level, 39.1 percent of naturalized citizens were LEP compared to 62.0 percent of noncitizens.
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Language Groupings |
Indo-European languages include French, Italian, Portuguese, German,
Yiddish, other West Germanic languages, Scandinavian languages, Greek, Russian,
Polish, Serbo-Croatian, other Slavic languages, Armenian, Persian, Gujarathi,
Hindi, and Urdu.
Asian and Pacific Island languages include Chinese, Japanese, Korean,
Mon-Khmer/Cambodian, Miao/Hmong, Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.
Other languages include Navajo, other Native North American languages,
Hungarian, Arabic, Hebrew, and African languages. |
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English Proficiency by Language Group
Rates of limited English proficiency were higher among speakers of certain language groupings than among others.
Among the foreign born older than 5 in Texas in 2008, 74.6 percent of those who spoke Spanish at home were LEP compared to 31.5 percent of those who spoke other Indo-European languages, 54.3 percent of those who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 30.7 percent of those who spoke other languages.
At the national level, 72.4 percent of foreign-born persons who spoke Spanish at home were LEP, compared to 43.5 percent of those who spoke other Indo-European languages, 56.8 percent of those who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 39.4 percent of those who spoke other languages.
Linguistically Isolated Households
Of all of the households in Texas in 2008, 8.7 percent were linguistically isolated, meaning that all persons age 14 and over in the household were LEP.
In Texas, 8.7 percent of all households (of both natives and the foreign born) were linguistically isolated in 2008, including 27.4 percent of Spanish-speaking households, 10.6 percent of households speaking other Indo-European languages, 27.6 percent of households speaking Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 14.3 percent of households speaking other languages.
Nationwide, 4.8 percent of household were linguistically isolated. Of Spanish-speaking households, 27.8 percent were linguistically isolated, compared to 17.1 percent of households speaking other Indo-European languages, 28.2 percent of households speaking Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 16.5 percent of households speaking other languages.
Educational Attainment
The number of immigrants in Texas with a college degree increased by 66.7 percent between 2000 and 2008.
Between 2000 and 2008, the number of foreign-born persons in Texas older than 25 who had a bachelor's or higher degree increased from 370,271 to 617,313,
representing a difference of 66.7 percent. In comparison, the foreign-born, college-educated population grew from 169,049 to 370,271 between 1990 and 2000,
a difference of 119.0 percent.
At the national level, the foreign-born population with a bachelor's or higher degree increased from 3,103,918 to 5,862,756 between 1990 and 2000, representing a change
of 88.9 percent, and grew from 5,862,756 to 8,638,275
(47.3 percent) between 2000 and 2008.
The number of immigrants in Texas with less than a high school diploma increased by 28.1 percent between 2000 and 2008.
Between 2000 and 2008, the number of foreign-born persons older than 25 in Texas who had not completed high school increased from 1,166,918 to 1,495,377, or 28.1
percent. In comparison, the foreign-born population lacking a high school diploma increased from 629,967 to 1,166,918 between 1990 and 2000, a difference of 85.2 percent.
At the national level, the foreign-born population without a high school diploma increased from 6,285,122 to 9,297,557 between 1990 and 2000, representing a change
of 47.9 percent, and grew from 9,297,557 to 10,363,985
(11.5 percent) between 2000 and 2008.
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English Literacy |
About the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)
NAAL is a nationally representative assessment of English literacy among US
adults age 16 and older conducted about once a decade by the US Department
of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. NAAL’s goal
was to measure the literacy skills that adults typically would apply in
their daily lives. Literacy is defined as one’s ability to use printed
and written information to function in society, achieve one’s goals,
and develop one’s knowledge and potential.
For more detail about NAAL, click
here.
English literacy domains tested in NAAL
NAAL provides information on English knowledge and skills in the following
three domains:
- Prose literacy, or the ability to search, comprehend, and use
English-written materials such as editorials, news stories, brochures,
and instructional materials.
- Document literacy, or the ability to search, comprehend, and
use information from document-like materials such as job applications,
payroll forms, transportation schedules, maps, and food and drug labels.
- Quantitative literacy, or the knowledge and skills needed to
identify and perform computations using numbers in printed materials, such
as balancing a checkbook, completing an order form, or determining the
amount of interest on a loan.
Proficiency levels (for more detail, click here):
For each literacy domain, proficiency could be measured as four literacy
levels:
- Below basic – indicates no more than the most simple and concrete
literacy skills.
- Basic – indicates skills necessary to perform simple and everyday
literacy activities.
- Intermediate – indicates skills necessary to perform moderately
challenging literacy activities.
- Proficient – indicates skills necessary to perform more complex
and challenging literacy activities.
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In 2008, 19.4 percent of immigrants in Texas had a college degree, while 46.9 percent did not complete high school.
In 2008, 19.4 percent of
Texas'
foreign-born population age 25 and older had a bachelor's or higher degree while 46.9 percent lacked a high school diploma. In comparison, 26.9 percent of native-born persons above age 25 had a bachelor's or higher degree in 2008, and 13.3 percent lacked a high school diploma. In 2000, 17.1 percent of the foreign born in Texas had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 54.0 percent had less than a high school diploma. In 1990, 15.2 percent had a college degree, and 56.6 percent lacked a high school diploma.
Nationally, 27.1 percent of the foreign-born population age 25 and older had a bachelor's or higher degree in 2008 compared to 24.1 percent in 2000 and 20.3 percent in 1990. At the same time, 32.5 percent of the foreign born at the national level lacked a high school diploma in 2008 compared to 38.2 percent in 2000 and 41.2 percent in 1990.
Of foreign-born persons who were naturalized citizens in 2008, 28.6 percent had a bachelor's or higher degree compared to 14.4 percent of noncitizens.
In Texas, 28.6 percent of foreign-born persons who were naturalized citizens had a bachelor's or higher degree, compared to 14.4 percent of noncitizens. At the same time, 30.6 percent of naturalized citizens lacked a high school diploma compared to 55.8 percent of noncitizens.
At the national level, 32.7 percent of naturalized citizens and 22.1 percent of noncitizens had a college degree. Further, 22.3 percent of naturalized citizens lacked a high school diploma compared to 41.6 percent of noncitizens.
Education by Language Spoken at Home
The educational attainment of all adults in Texas in 2008 varied by the language spoken at home.
Of the total population (both native and foreign born) age 25 and older in Texas, 29.5 percent of those who spoke only English at home had a college degree compared to 10.8 percent of those who spoke Spanish, 51.1 percent of those who spoke other Indo-European languages, 49.8 percent of those who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 44.2 percent who spoke other languages.
At the same time, 10.4 percent of those who spoke only English lacked a high school diploma compared to 45.5 percent of those who spoke Spanish, 10.7 percent of those who spoke other Indo-European languages, 14.5 percent of those who spoke Asian and Pacific Island languages, and 8.4 percent who spoke other languages.
Adult English Literacy Assessment
In 2003, nearly one in seven US adults lacked basic English reading
skills.
According to NAAL, 13.5 percent of all US adults scored below basic on
prose literacy, 12.4 percent on document literacy, and 21.3 percent on quantitative literacy.
Among immigrant adults, 46.2 percent scored below basic on prose literacy,
36.3 percent on document literacy, and 45.3 percent on quantitative literacy in
2003. A significantly lower share of native-born adults scored at the below
basic level: 9.3 percent on prose literacy, 9.6 percent on document literacy, and
18.3 percent on quantitative literacy.
For more detail see Table 6
In 2003, about 30 million adults had low English literacy.
About 13.1 million immigrants and 17.3 million natives scored below
basic on prose literacy. These 30.4 million adults had
difficulties reading simple English words and phrases and using written
materials such as newspapers. To bring their skills to basic and higher
levels, they would need programs that emphasize reading and writing
in English in addition to oral proficiency. Many immigrant adults who
lack English-reading skills would first need to develop literacy in
their native language.
For indirect estimates of the all adults with low English literacy by
state and county in 1992 and 2003 (no breakdown by nativity or other
characteristics), visit NAAL’s State and County Estimates
of Low Literacy page.
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Table 1. Change in the Limited English Proficient (LEP) Population of Texas, 1990 to 2008
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| |
1990 |
2000 |
2008 |
| |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
| Total Household
Population of Texas, Age 5 and Older |
15,572,545 |
100.0 |
19,241,518 |
100.0 |
22,314,134 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
11,612,397 |
74.6 |
13,230,765 |
68.8 |
14,767,091 |
66.2 |
| Speak language other than
English |
3,960,148 |
25.4 |
6,010,753 |
31.2 |
7,547,043 |
33.8 |
| Speak English "very
well" |
2,198,969 |
14.1 |
3,341,150 |
17.4 |
4,283,085 |
19.2 |
| Speak English less than "very
well"(LEP) |
1,761,179 |
11.3 |
2,669,603 |
13.9 |
3,263,958 |
14.6 |
| Native Born |
14,080,586 |
100.0 |
16,383,122 |
100.0 |
18,456,219 |
100.0 |
| Speak
only English |
11,439,836 |
81.2 |
12,927,498 |
78.9 |
14,437,599 |
78.2 |
| Speak language other than
English |
2,640,750 |
18.8 |
3,455,624 |
21.1 |
4,018,620 |
21.8 |
| Speak English "very
well" |
1,743,588 |
12.4 |
2,503,398 |
15.3 |
3,144,567 |
17.0 |
| Speak
English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
897,162 |
6.4 |
952,226 |
5.8 |
874,053 |
4.7 |
| Foreign Born |
1,491,959 |
100.0 |
2,858,396 |
100.0 |
3,857,915 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
172,561 |
11.6 |
303,267 |
10.6 |
329,492 |
8.5 |
| Speak language other than
English |
1,319,398 |
88.4 |
2,555,129 |
89.4 |
3,528,423 |
91.5 |
| Speak English "very
well" |
455,381 |
30.5 |
837,752 |
29.3 |
1,138,518 |
29.5 |
| Speak
English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
864,017 |
57.9 |
1,717,377 |
60.1 |
2,389,905 |
61.9 |
| |
| |
Change
1990 to 2000 |
Change
1990 to 2008 |
Change
2000 to 2008 |
| |
Numeric |
Percent |
Numeric |
Percent |
Numeric |
Percent |
| Total Household
Population of Texas, Age 5 and Older |
3,668,973 |
23.6 |
6,741,589 |
43.3 |
3,072,616 |
16.0 |
| Speak only English |
1,618,368 |
13.9 |
3,154,694 |
27.2 |
1,536,326 |
11.6 |
| Speak language other than English |
2,050,605 |
51.8 |
3,586,895 |
90.6 |
1,536,290 |
25.6 |
| Speak English "very well" |
1,142,181 |
51.9 |
2,084,116 |
94.8 |
941,935 |
28.2 |
| Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) |
908,424 |
51.6 |
1,502,779 |
85.3 |
594,355 |
22.3 |
| Native Born |
2,302,536 |
16.4 |
4,375,633 |
31.1 |
2,073,097 |
12.7 |
| Speak
only English |
1,487,662 |
13.0 |
2,997,763 |
26.2 |
1,510,101 |
11.7 |
| Speak
language other than English |
814,874 |
30.9 |
1,377,870 |
52.2 |
562,996 |
16.3 |
| Speak
English "very well" |
759,810 |
43.6 |
1,400,979 |
80.4 |
641,169 |
25.6 |
| Speak
English less than "very well" (LEP) |
55,064 |
6.1 |
-23,109 |
-2.6 |
-78,173 |
-8.2 |
| Foreign Born |
1,366,437 |
91.6 |
2,365,956 |
158.6 |
999,519 |
35.0 |
| Speak
only English |
130,706 |
75.7 |
156,931 |
90.9 |
26,225 |
8.6 |
| Speak
language other than English |
1,235,731 |
93.7 |
2,209,025 |
167.4 |
973,294 |
38.1 |
| Speak
English "very well" |
382,371 |
84.0 |
683,137 |
150.0 |
300,766 |
35.9 |
| Speak
English less than "very well" (LEP) |
853,360 |
98.8 |
1,525,888 |
176.6 |
672,528 |
39.2 |
|
|
Sources: US Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey (ACS); 2000
Decennial Census; Steven Ruggles, Matthew Sobek, Trent Alexander, et al.,
Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 3.0 [IPUMS 1990 5%] (Minneapolis, MN:
Minnesota Population Center, 2004).
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error,
click here. |
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Table 2. Change in the Educational Attainment of the Foreign Born, 1990 to 2008
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| |
1990 |
2000 |
2008 |
| |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
| Total Household
Population of Texas, Age 25 and Older |
10,298,615 |
100.0 |
12,783,131 |
100.0 |
15,124,846 |
100.0 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
2,866,652 |
27.8 |
3,111,278 |
24.3 |
3,082,598 |
20.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or
higher |
2,088,281 |
20.3 |
2,965,256 |
23.2 |
3,832,100 |
25.3 |
| Native Born |
9,186,460 |
100.0 |
10,620,896 |
100.0 |
11,937,733 |
100.0 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
2,236,685 |
24.3 |
1,944,360 |
18.3 |
1,587,221 |
13.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or
higher |
1,919,232 |
20.9 |
2,594,985 |
24.4 |
3,214,787 |
26.9 |
| Foreign Born |
1,112,155 |
100.0 |
2,162,235 |
100.0 |
3,187,113 |
100.0 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
629,967 |
56.6 |
1,166,918 |
54.0 |
1,495,377 |
46.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or
higher |
169,049 |
15.2 |
370,271 |
17.1 |
617,313 |
19.4 |
|
| |
Change
1990 to 2000 |
Change
1990 to 2008 |
Change
2000 to 2008 |
| |
Numeric |
Percent |
Numeric |
Percent |
Numeric |
Percent |
| Total Household
Population of Texas, Age 25 and Older |
2,484,516 |
24.1 |
4,826,231 |
46.9 |
2,341,715 |
18.3 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
244,626 |
8.5 |
215,946 |
7.5 |
-28,680 |
-0.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or
higher |
876,975 |
42.0 |
1,743,819 |
83.5 |
866,844 |
29.2 |
| Native Born |
1,434,436 |
15.6 |
2,751,273 |
29.9 |
1,316,837 |
12.4 |
| Less than high school diploma |
-292,325 |
-13.1 |
-649,464 |
-29.0 |
-357,139 |
-18.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher |
675,753 |
35.2 |
1,295,555 |
67.5 |
619,802 |
23.9 |
| Foreign Born |
1,050,080 |
94.4 |
2,074,958 |
186.6 |
1,024,878 |
47.4 |
| Less than high school diploma |
536,951 |
85.2 |
865,410 |
137.4 |
328,459 |
28.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher |
201,222 |
119.0 |
448,264 |
265.2 |
247,042 |
66.7 |
|
|
Sources:: US Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey (ACS); Steven
Ruggles, Matthew Sobek, Trent Alexander, et al.,
Integrated Public Use Microdata Series: Version 3.0 [IPUMS 1990 and 2000
5%] (Minneapolis, MN:
Minnesota Population Center, 2004).
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error,
click here. |
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Table 3. Limited English Proficient
Populations by Citizenship Status, 2008
|
| Total Household Population of Texas, Age 5 and
Older |
22,314,134 |
| Speak only English |
66.2 |
| Speak language other than English |
33.8 |
| Speak English "very well" |
19.2 |
| Speak English less than "very well" (LEP) |
14.6 |
| Native Born |
18,456,219 |
| Speak
only English |
78.2 |
| Speak
language other than English |
21.8 |
| Speak
English "very well" |
17.0 |
| Speak
English less than "very well" (LEP) |
4.7 |
| Foreign Born |
3,857,915 |
| Speak
only English |
8.5 |
| Speak
language other than English |
91.5 |
| Speak
English "very well" |
29.5 |
| Speak
English less than "very well" (LEP) |
61.9 |
| Noncitizen |
2,641,766 |
| Speak only English |
6.4 |
| Speak language other
than English |
93.6 |
| Speak English "very
well" |
23.2 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
70.4 |
| Naturalized
Citizen |
1,216,149 |
| Speak
only English |
13.2 |
| Speak
language other than English |
86.8 |
| Speak
English "very well" |
43.2 |
| Speak
English less than "very well" (LEP) |
43.6 |
|
|
Notes:
The letter N indicates that the US Census Bureau could not provide a number because the number of sample cases was too small.
Sources:US Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey
(ACS).
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error,
click here.
For definitions used in ACS, click
here. |
|
Table 4. Educational Attainment by
Citizenship Status
|
| Total Household Population of Texas, Age 25
and Older |
15,124,846 |
| Less than high school diploma |
20.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher |
25.4 |
| Native Born |
11,937,733 |
| Less than high school diploma |
13.3 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher |
27.0 |
| Foreign Born |
3,187,113 |
| Less than high school diploma |
46.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher |
19.3 |
| Noncitizen |
2,066,286 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
55.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or
higher |
14.4 |
| Naturalized
Citizen |
1,120,827 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
30.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or
higher |
28.6 |
|
|
Notes:
The letter N indicates that the US Census Bureau could not provide a number because the number of sample cases was too small.
Sources:US Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey
(ACS).
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error,
click here.
For definitions used in ACS, click
here. |
|
Table 5. Language and Educational
Characteristics of the Foreign-Born Household Population
in Texas, 2008
|
| |
Number |
Percent |
| LANGUAGE
SPOKEN AT HOME BY CITIZENSHIP STATUS |
| Total Household
Population, Age 5 and Older |
22,314,134 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
14,767,091 |
66.2 |
| Speak Spanish |
6,465,096 |
29.0 |
| Speak other Indo-European
languages |
429,109 |
1.9 |
| Speak Asian and Pacific
Island languages |
518,617 |
2.3 |
| Speak other languages |
134,221 |
0.6 |
| Native Born |
18,456,219 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
14,437,599 |
78.2 |
| Speak Spanish |
3,718,626 |
20.1 |
| Speak other Indo-European
languages |
158,559 |
0.9 |
| Speak Asian and Pacific
Island languages |
105,173 |
0.6 |
| Speak other languages |
36,262 |
0.2 |
| Foreign Born |
3,857,915 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
329,492 |
8.5 |
| Speak Spanish |
2,746,470 |
71.2 |
| Speak other Indo-European
languages |
270,550 |
7.0 |
| Speak Asian and Pacific
Island languages |
413,444 |
10.7 |
| Speak other languages |
97,959 |
2.5 |
| Noncitizen |
2,641,766 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
168,954 |
6.4 |
| Speak Spanish |
2,094,596 |
79.3 |
| Speak other Indo-European
languages |
137,626 |
5.2 |
| Speak Asian and Pacific
Island languages |
186,308 |
7.1 |
| Speak other languages |
54,282 |
2.1 |
| Naturalized
Citizen |
1,216,149 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
160,538 |
13.2 |
| Speak Spanish |
651,874 |
53.6 |
| Speak other Indo-European
languages |
132,924 |
10.9 |
| Speak Asian and Pacific
Island languages |
227,136 |
18.7 |
| Speak other languages |
43,677 |
3.6 |
| EDUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENT BY LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME |
| Total Household Population, Age
25 and Older |
15,124,846 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
10,048,669 |
100.0 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
1,043,926 |
10.4 |
| High school diploma
(includes equivalency) |
2,679,803 |
26.7 |
| Some college or associate's
degree |
3,356,356 |
33.4 |
| Bachelor's degree |
2,968,584 |
29.5 |
| Speak Spanish |
4,266,223 |
100.0 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
1,939,091 |
45.5 |
| High school diploma
(includes equivalency) |
1,031,955 |
24.2 |
| Some college or associate's
degree |
834,265 |
19.6 |
| Bachelor's degree |
460,912 |
10.8 |
| Speak Other Indo-European Languages |
326,228 |
100.0 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
35,055 |
10.7 |
| High school diploma
(includes equivalency) |
53,387 |
16.4 |
| Some college or associate's
degree |
71,126 |
21.8 |
| Bachelor's degree |
166,660 |
51.1 |
| Speak Asian and Pacific Island
Languages |
393,770 |
100.0 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
56,983 |
14.5 |
| High school diploma
(includes equivalency) |
66,948 |
17.0 |
| Some college or associate's
degree |
73,621 |
18.7 |
| Bachelor's degree |
196,218 |
49.8 |
| Speak Other Languages |
89,956 |
100.0 |
| Less than high school
diploma |
7,543 |
8.4 |
| High school diploma
(includes equivalency) |
15,910 |
17.7 |
| Some college or associate's
degree |
26,777 |
29.8 |
| Bachelor's degree |
39,726 |
44.2 |
| ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
BY NATIVITY AND LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME |
| Total Household Population,
Age 5 and Older |
22,314,134 |
100.0 |
| Native Born |
18,456,219 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
14,437,599 |
78.2 |
| Speak language other than English |
4,018,620 |
21.8 |
| Speak Spanish |
3,718,626 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
2,887,419 |
77.6 |
| Speak English "well" |
542,249 |
14.6 |
| Speak English "not well" |
234,786 |
6.3 |
| Speak English "not at all" |
54,172 |
1.5 |
| Speak Other Indo-European Languages |
158,559 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
138,642 |
87.4 |
| Speak English "well" |
13,886 |
8.8 |
| Speak English "not well" |
5,447 |
3.4 |
| Speak English "not at all" |
584 |
0.4 |
| Speak Asian or Pacific Island Languages |
105,173 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
85,989 |
81.8 |
| Speak English "well" |
13,825 |
13.1 |
| Speak English "not well" |
4,791 |
4.6 |
| Speak English "not at all" |
568 |
0.5 |
| Speak Other Languages |
36,262 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
32,517 |
89.7 |
| Speak English "well" |
3,134 |
8.6 |
| Speak English "not well" |
411 |
1.1 |
| Speak English "not at all" |
200 |
0.6 |
| Foreign Born |
3,857,915 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
329,492 |
8.5 |
| Speak language other than English |
3,528,423 |
91.5 |
| Speak Spanish |
2,746,470 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
696,457 |
25.4 |
| Speak English "well" |
578,691 |
21.1 |
| Speak English "not well" |
849,961 |
30.9 |
| Speak English "not at all" |
621,361 |
22.6 |
| Speak Other Indo-European Languages |
270,550 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
185,289 |
68.5 |
| Speak English "well" |
58,538 |
21.6 |
| Speak English "not well" |
19,714 |
7.3 |
| Speak English "not at all" |
7,009 |
2.6 |
| Speak Asian or Pacific Island Languages |
413,444 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
188,910 |
45.7 |
| Speak English "well" |
127,624 |
30.9 |
| Speak English "not well" |
76,056 |
18.4 |
| Speak English "not at all" |
20,854 |
5.0 |
| Speak Other Languages |
97,959 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
67,862 |
69.3 |
| Speak English "well" |
21,328 |
21.8 |
| Speak English "not well" |
6,655 |
6.8 |
| Speak English "not at all" |
2,114 |
2.2 |
| ENGLISH PROFICIENCY BY AGE AND
LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME |
| Total Household Population,
Age 5 and Older |
22,314,134 |
100.0 |
| Ages 5 to 17 |
4,713,419 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
3,096,048 |
65.7 |
| Speak language other than English |
1,617,371 |
34.3 |
| Speak English “very well” |
1,146,418 |
24.3 |
| Speak English less than “very
well” (LEP) |
470,953 |
10.0 |
| Speak Spanish |
1,446,658 |
30.7 |
| Speak English "very well" |
1,009,880 |
21.4 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
436,778 |
9.3 |
| Speak Other Indo-European
Languages |
60,708 |
1.3 |
| Speak English "very well" |
53,755 |
1.1 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" |
6,953 |
0.1 |
| Speak Asian and Pacific
Island Languages |
83,290 |
1.8 |
| Speak English "very well" |
60,949 |
1.3 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
22,341 |
0.5 |
| Speak Other Languages |
26,715 |
0.6 |
| Speak English "very well" |
21,834 |
0.5 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
4,881 |
0.1 |
| Ages 18 to 64 |
15,133,256 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
9,795,464 |
64.7 |
| Speak language other than English |
5,337,792 |
35.3 |
| Speak English "very well" |
2,896,414 |
19.1 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
2,441,378 |
16.1 |
| Speak Spanish |
4,534,733 |
30.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
2,385,597 |
15.8 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
2,149,136 |
14.2 |
| Speak Other Indo-European
Languages |
309,686 |
2.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
232,919 |
1.5 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
76,767 |
0.5 |
| Speak Asian and Pacific
Island Languages |
392,973 |
2.6 |
| Speak English "very well" |
203,057 |
1.3 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
189,916 |
1.3 |
| Speak Other Languages |
100,400 |
0.7 |
| Speak English "very well" |
74,841 |
0.5 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
25,559 |
0.2 |
| Age 65 and Older |
2,467,459 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
1,875,579 |
76.0 |
| Speak language other than English |
591,880 |
24.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
240,253 |
9.7 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
351,627 |
14.3 |
| Speak Spanish |
483,705 |
19.6 |
| Speak English "very well" |
188,399 |
7.6 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
295,306 |
12.0 |
| Speak Other Indo-European
Languages |
58,715 |
2.4 |
| Speak English "very well" |
37,257 |
1.5 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
21,458 |
0.9 |
| Speak Asian and Pacific
Island Languages |
42,354 |
1.7 |
| Speak English "very well" |
10,893 |
0.4 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
31,461 |
1.3 |
| Speak Other Languages |
7,106 |
0.3 |
| Speak English "very well" |
3,704 |
0.2 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
3,402 |
0.1 |
| LINGUISTIC ISOLATION BY
LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN HOUSEHOLD |
| All Households |
8,422,249 |
100.0 |
| Linguistically isolated |
735,668 |
8.7 |
| Not linguistically isolated |
7,686,581 |
91.3 |
| Speak
only English |
5,586,826 |
100.0 |
| Speak Spanish |
2,363,236 |
100.0 |
| Linguistically isolated |
648,303 |
27.4 |
| Not linguistically isolated |
1,714,933 |
72.6 |
| Speak Other Indo-European Languages |
210,507 |
100.0 |
| Linguistically isolated |
22,265 |
10.6 |
| Not linguistically isolated |
188,242 |
89.4 |
| Speak Asian and Pacific Island Languages |
207,319 |
100.0 |
| Linguistically isolated |
57,310 |
27.6 |
| Not linguistically isolated |
150,009 |
72.4 |
| Speak Other Languages |
54,361 |
100.0 |
| Linguistically isolated |
7,790 |
14.3 |
| Not linguistically isolated |
46,571 |
85.7 |
| LANGUAGE
OTHER THAN ENGLISH SPOKEN AT HOME |
| Total Household Population,
Age 5 and Older |
22,314,134 |
100.0 |
| Speak language other than English |
7,547,043 |
100.0 |
| Spanish or Spanish Creole |
6,465,096 |
85.7 |
| French (including Patois and Cajun) |
57,046 |
0.8 |
| French Creole |
4,534 |
0.1 |
| Italian |
14,222 |
0.2 |
| Portuguese or Portuguese Creole |
16,805 |
0.2 |
| German |
76,736 |
1.0 |
| Yiddish |
1,467 |
0.0 |
| Other West Germanic languages |
7,701 |
0.1 |
| Scandinavian languages |
5,660 |
0.1 |
| Greek |
5,094 |
0.1 |
| Russian |
17,314 |
0.2 |
| Polish |
7,767 |
0.1 |
| Serbo-Croatian |
6,985 |
0.1 |
| Other Slavic languages |
11,977 |
0.2 |
| Armenian |
731 |
0.0 |
| Persian |
22,721 |
0.3 |
| Gujarathi |
24,398 |
0.3 |
| Hindi |
44,432 |
0.6 |
| Urdu |
55,208 |
0.7 |
| Other Indic languages |
36,572 |
0.5 |
| Other Indo-European languages |
11,739 |
0.2 |
| Chinese |
118,385 |
1.6 |
| Japanese |
13,563 |
0.2 |
| Korean |
50,306 |
0.7 |
| Mon-Khmer, Cambodian |
6,942 |
0.1 |
| Hmong |
185 |
0.0 |
| Thai |
10,970 |
0.1 |
| Laotian |
10,050 |
0.1 |
| Vietnamese |
174,654 |
2.3 |
| Other Asian languages |
59,689 |
0.8 |
| Tagalog |
61,368 |
0.8 |
| Other Pacific Island languages |
12,505 |
0.2 |
| Navajo |
395 |
0.0 |
| Other Native North American languages |
3,950 |
0.1 |
| Hungarian |
2,683 |
0.0 |
| Arabic |
50,015 |
0.7 |
| Hebrew |
8,221 |
0.1 |
| African languages |
67,961 |
0.9 |
| Other and unspecified languages |
996 |
0.0 |
| ENGLISH PROFICIENCY BY
LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME |
| Total Household Population,
Age 5 and Older |
22,314,134 |
100.0 |
| Speak only English |
14,767,091 |
66.2 |
| Speak language other than English |
7,547,043 |
33.8 |
| Spanish or Spanish Creole |
6,465,096 |
100.00 |
| Speak English "very well" |
3,583,876 |
55.4 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
2,881,220 |
44.6 |
| French (Including Patois and Cajun) |
57,046 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
47,918 |
84.0 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
9,128 |
16.0 |
| French Creole |
4,534 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
3,053 |
67.3 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
1,481 |
32.7 |
| Italian |
14,222 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
11,829 |
83.2 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
2,393 |
16.8 |
| Portuguese or Portuguese Creole |
16,805 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
12,410 |
73.8 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
4,395 |
26.2 |
| German |
76,736 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
63,890 |
83.3 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
12,846 |
16.7 |
| Yiddish |
1,467 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
1,039 |
70.8 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
428 |
29.2 |
| Other West Germanic Languages |
7,701 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
7,035 |
91.4 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
666 |
8.6 |
| Scandinavian Languages |
5,660 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
4,964 |
87.7 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
696 |
12.3 |
| Greek |
5,094 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
3,611 |
70.9 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
1,483 |
29.1 |
| Russian |
17,314 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
10,963 |
63.3 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
6,351 |
36.7 |
| Polish |
7,767 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
6,221 |
80.1 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
1,546 |
19.9 |
| Serbo-Croatian |
6,985 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
3,689 |
52.8 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
3,296 |
47.2 |
| Other Slavic Languages |
11,977 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
9,808 |
81.9 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
2,169 |
18.1 |
| Armenian |
731 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
262 |
35.8 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
469 |
64.2 |
| Persian |
22,721 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
11,807 |
52.0 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
10,914 |
48.0 |
| Gujarathi |
24,398 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
17,032 |
69.8 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
7,366 |
30.2 |
| Hindi |
44,432 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
34,884 |
78.5 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
9,548 |
21.5 |
| Urdu |
55,208 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
39,308 |
71.2 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
15,900 |
28.8 |
| Other Indic Languages |
36,572 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
25,032 |
68.4 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
11,540 |
31.6 |
| Other Indo-European Languages |
11,739 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
9,176 |
78.2 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
2,563 |
21.8 |
| Chinese |
118,385 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
59,877 |
50.6 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
58,508 |
49.4 |
| Japanese |
13,563 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
7,821 |
57.7 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
5,742 |
42.3 |
| Korean |
50,306 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
22,356 |
44.4 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
27,950 |
55.6 |
| Mon-Khmer, Cambodian |
6,942 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
3,550 |
51.1 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
3,392 |
48.9 |
| Hmong |
185 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
58 |
31.4 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
127 |
68.6 |
| Thai |
10,970 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
4,865 |
44.3 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
6,105 |
55.7 |
| Laotian |
10,050 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
4,864 |
48.4 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
5,186 |
51.6 |
| Vietnamese |
174,654 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
75,712 |
43.3 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
98,942 |
56.7 |
| Other Asian Languages |
59,689 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
44,168 |
74.0 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
15,521 |
26.0 |
| Tagalog |
61,368 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
42,467 |
69.2 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
18,901 |
30.8 |
| Other Pacific Island Languages |
12,505 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
9,161 |
73.3 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
3,344 |
26.7 |
| Navajo |
395 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
331 |
83.8 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
64 |
16.2 |
| Other Native North American Languages |
3,950 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
3,359 |
85.0 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
591 |
15.0 |
| Hungarian |
2,683 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
2,049 |
76.4 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
634 |
23.6 |
| Arabic |
50,015 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
33,849 |
67.7 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
16,166 |
32.3 |
| Hebrew |
8,221 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
6,766 |
82.3 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
1,455 |
17.7 |
| African Languages |
67,961 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
53,188 |
78.3 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
14,773 |
21.7 |
| Other and unspecified Languages |
996 |
100.0 |
| Speak English "very well" |
837 |
84.0 |
| Speak English less than "very
well" (LEP) |
159 |
16.0 |
|
|
Notes:
The letter N indicates that the US Census Bureau could not provide a number because the number of sample cases was too small.
Sources: US Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey
(ACS).
For information about ACS methodology,sampling error, and nonsampling error,
click here.
For definitions used in ACS, click
here. |
|
Table 6. Percentage of Adults in Prose, Document, and Quantitative Literacy Levels by Nativity, United States, 2003
|
| PROSE LITERACY |
Percent |
| Total Household
Population, Age 16 and Older |
100.0 |
| Below basic |
13.5 |
| Basic |
28.7 |
| Intermediate |
44.4 |
| Proficient |
13.3 |
| Native Born |
100.0 |
| Below basic |
9.3 |
| Basic |
28.0 |
| Intermediate |
48.7 |
| Proficient |
14.0 |
| Foreign Born |
100.0 |
| Below basic |
46.2 |
| Basic |
27.0 |
| Intermediate |
21.9 |
| Proficient |
4.8 |
| DOCUMENT LITERACY |
Percent |
| Total Household
Population, Age 16 and Older |
100.0 |
| Below basic |
12.4 |
| Basic |
22.3 |
| Intermediate |
52.6 |
| Proficient |
12.7 |
| Native Born |
100.0 |
| Below basic |
9.6 |
| Basic |
21.4 |
| Intermediate |
56.0 |
| Proficient |
13.0 |
| Foreign Born |
100.0 |
| Below basic |
36.3 |
| Basic |
24.7 |
| Intermediate |
32.4 |
| Proficient |
6.6 |
| QUANTITATIVE LITERACY |
Percent |
| Total Household
Population, Age 16 and Older |
100.0 |
| Below basic |
21.3 |
| Basic |
32.7 |
| Intermediate |
32.6 |
| Proficient |
13.5 |
| Native Born |
100.0 |
| Below basic |
18.3 |
| Basic |
32.9 |
| Intermediate |
34.7 |
| Proficient |
14.1 |
| Foreign Born |
100.0 |
| Below basic |
45.3 |
| Basic |
28.2 |
| Intermediate |
19.2 |
| Proficient |
7.3 |
|
|
Notes:
Adults are defined as those age 16 and older. Adults who could
not be interviewed because of a language barrier or cognitive/mental disabilities
(2 percent and 1 percent of all US adults, respectively) are not included in
this table. This table refers to adults residing in households.
Source: Migration
Policy Institute’s analysis of the 2003 NAAL data. The NAAL data came
from the US Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National
Center for Education Statistics. For more information about NAAL, click
here.
For indirect estimates of the adults with low English literacy by state and
county (no breakdown by nativity), click here. |
|
For data on these topics, click on the link: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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