The number of people living in the United States who speak another language at home is holding steady, according to a new study. But a closer look at the figures tells a more complex story.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the number of people in the United States who speak a language other than English at home remained nearly unchanged in 2025. But behind that steady national figure are differences in age, language and English proficiency that matter to organizations trying to reach the communities they serve.
An estimated 74.2 million people ages 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home in 2025, compared with 74.1 million in 2024, according to the survey. The fact that this number increased slightly is somewhat surprising given the current administration's efforts to increase deportations and expand immigration enforcement, as well as to restrict asylum, refugee admissions, and certain legal immigration pathways.
The American Community Survey offers a picture of life in the United States between the population counts conducted every 10 years. The Census Bureau collects responses from a sample of households throughout the year, then uses them to estimate characteristics of the broader population. The latest one-year estimates reflect responses collected during 2025.
Seven findings stand out.
1. The national figure is steady
In 2025, 22.9% of people ages 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, compared with 23.0% in the 2024 one-year estimate.
The share is nearly one in four people. For organizations serving the public, multilingual communication remains a regular part of doing business.
2. English proficiency differs sharply by age
Across every language group in the survey, older adults were more likely than children to report speaking English less than “very well.”
Among people who speak Spanish at home, 56.7% of those ages 65 and older reported speaking English less than very well, compared with 22.6% of those ages 5 to 17.
The gap was even wider among speakers of Asian and Pacific Island languages: 65.0% of older adults reported speaking English less than very well, compared with 23.1% of children.
For organizations serving older adults, these differences are especially relevant when communicating about healthcare, benefits, and other services.
3. Most people reporting limited English proficiency are working age
Approximately 19 million people ages 18 to 64 reported speaking English less than very well. That represents nearly 70% of the 27.4 million people in the survey who reported that level of English proficiency.
Their communication needs can arise throughout daily life, including a doctor’s appointment, at a bank, or during an interaction with a government agency.
4. The need extends well beyond Spanish
An estimated 17.3 million Spanish speakers reported speaking English less than very well, accounting for about 63% of the total. Another 10.1 million spoke other languages at home.
Spanish is essential to many language access plans. The figures also show why organizations need to understand which other languages are spoken in their own communities.
5. Nearly 13 million are adult U.S. citizens
The survey estimates that 12.9 million U.S. citizens ages 18 and older speak English less than very well. Citizenship alone does not tell an organization whether someone may need language assistance.
6. Speaking another language does not mean someone needs help with English
Of the 74.2 million people who speak a language other than English at home, 63.1% reported speaking English very well. People’s language preferences and needs vary, so organizations should avoid making assumptions based on the language spoken at home.
7. Language access matters at the ballot box
The survey estimates that 44.4 million adult U.S. citizens speak a language other than English at home. Nearly 13 million report speaking English less than very well. These figures help illustrate the importance of accessible election information. Census language data are also used to help determine where bilingual election materials are required under the Voting Rights Act.
A stable national figure can conceal very different needs within a community. An older patient, a working-age customer and an eligible voter may each encounter language barriers in different settings.
The starting point is to understand the people an organization serves, then make interpretation and translation available where communication matters most.
We invite you to contact LanguageLine to learn how language access can help your organization communicate with diverse audiences.