#52 most spoken · language profile
Lingala in the United States
An estimated 87,696 people aged 5 and older speak Lingala at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 41.9% of them, roughly 36,732 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Phoenix, where about 50.9% of Lingala speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Lingala is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 120 additional metro areas have Lingala speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 5,413 ±1K | 42% | 28.3–55.7% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 4,105 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,956 ±979 | not reliable | — |
| 4 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 3,932 ±2K | not reliable | — |
| 5 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,736 ±1K | 50.9% | 34.6–67.1% |
| 6 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 3,083 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 2,589 ±725 | 30.6% | 20.3–40.8% |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,254 ±715 | not reliable | — |
| 9 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 2,191 ±788 | not reliable | — |
| 10 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | 2,125 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 11 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,653 ±780 | not reliable | — |
| 12 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,639 ±553 | not reliable | — |
| 13 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 1,436 ±599 | not reliable | — |
| 14 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 1,287 ±569 | not reliable | — |
| 15 | Portland-South Portland, ME | 941 ±358 | not reliable | — |
| 16 | Dayton-Kettering, OH | 849 ±361 | not reliable | — |
| 17 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 759 ±371 | 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 Lingala speakers be understood
Every dot on this map is a person who deserves to be understood. Medical, legal, and community interpreters turn that need into access. Training is how you start.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Lingala in the United States?
- An estimated 87,696 people aged 5 and older speak Lingala at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Lingala speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 41.9 percent, roughly 36,732 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Lingala speakers?
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, with about 5,413 Lingala speakers at home.
- Where is Lingala interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ stands out, where about 50.9 percent of Lingala speakers report speaking English less than "very well."