Metro language profile
Languages spoken in Los Angeles, CA
About 2,721,808 people in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area speak English less than "very well," across 91 languages. These tables show which languages those residents speak and where interpreter demand is highest.
Languages by interpreter demand in Los Angeles, CA
Ranked by the number of speakers who report limited English proficiency, the measure of interpreter need.
| # | Language | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English (count) | Limited English (rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | 4,235,585 ±16K | 1,723,306 | 40.7% |
| 2 | Vietnamese | 271,756 ±8K | 164,803 | 60.6% |
| 3 | Chinese (not specified) | 267,946 ±5K | 146,718 | 54.8% |
| 4 | Korean | 234,804 ±7K | 131,267 | 55.9% |
| 5 | Armenian | 187,439 ±5K | 82,476 | 44% |
| 6 | Tagalog | 223,749 ±7K | 71,580 | 32% |
| 7 | Mandarin Chinese | 101,126 ±2K | 55,373 | 54.8% |
| 8 | Cantonese | 92,450 ±4K | 53,439 | 57.8% |
| 9 | Persian | 111,918 ±5K | 43,209 | 38.6% |
| 10 | Russian | 65,072 ±5K | 29,221 | 44.9% |
| 11 | Japanese | 64,599 ±4K | 27,014 | 41.8% |
| 12 | Arabic | 79,220 ±5K | 24,309 | 30.7% |
| 13 | Khmer (Cambodian) | 31,155 ±2K | 17,030 | 54.7% |
| 14 | Filipino | 48,333 ±3K | 14,371 | 29.7% |
| 15 | Thai | 23,950 ±2K | 13,585 | 56.7% |
Limited English means speaking English less than "very well." Counts are the population an interpreter program serves. Margins of error are at the 90 percent confidence level; a rate of "—" means the estimate was suppressed for reliability.
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Frequently asked questions
- How many people in Los Angeles, CA have limited English proficiency?
- About 2,721,808 residents of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area speak English less than "very well," across the 91 languages reported there. They are the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which languages have the highest interpreter demand in Los Angeles, CA?
- By number of residents with limited English proficiency, the top languages are Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese (not specified). Spanish leads, with about 1,723,306 people who speak English less than "very well."
- What is the most spoken language other than English in Los Angeles, CA?
- Spanish, with about 4,235,585 speakers at home in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area.