#42 most spoken · language profile
Akan in the United States
An estimated 156,075 people aged 5 and older speak Akan at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 20.7% of them, roughly 32,356 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Chicago, where about 28.8% of Akan speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Akan is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 139 additional metro areas have Akan speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 43,623 ±4K | 25.7% | 23–28.5% |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 21,943 ±3K | 20.3% | 17–23.7% |
| 3 | Worcester, MA-CT | 7,037 ±1K | 25.5% | 19.8–31.2% |
| 4 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 6,481 ±1K | 12.8% | 8.3–17.3% |
| 5 | Columbus, OH | 6,194 ±2K | 25.9% | 17.5–34.3% |
| 6 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 5,502 ±2K | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 5,205 ±1K | 28.8% | 21.8–35.7% |
| 8 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 4,098 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 9 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,687 ±979 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | 3,093 ±958 | 13.7% | 7.3–20.2% |
| 11 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 2,806 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,501 ±731 | 14.5% | 8.2–20.9% |
| 13 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 2,285 ±735 | not reliable | — |
| 14 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2,108 ±926 | not reliable | — |
| 15 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,543 ±499 | not reliable | — |
| 16 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1,480 ±646 | not reliable | — |
| 17 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,250 ±424 | not reliable | — |
| 18 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 1,019 ±483 | not reliable | — |
Limited English means speaking English less than "very well." Margins of error are at the 90 percent confidence level. "Range" is the 90 percent confidence interval for the limited-English share.
Help Akan speakers be understood
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Akan in the United States?
- An estimated 156,075 people aged 5 and older speak Akan at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Akan speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 20.7 percent, roughly 32,356 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Akan speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 43,623 Akan speakers at home.
- Where is Akan interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI stands out, where about 28.8 percent of Akan speakers report speaking English less than "very well."