Metro language profile
Languages spoken in New York, NY-NJ-PA
About 3,238,693 people in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA area speak English less than "very well," across 97 languages. These tables show which languages those residents speak and where interpreter demand is highest.
Languages by interpreter demand in New York, NY-NJ-PA
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 | 3,723,911 ±16K | 1,709,026 | 45.9% |
| 2 | Chinese (not specified) | 406,191 ±8K | 244,554 | 60.2% |
| 3 | Russian | 258,101 ±8K | 131,369 | 50.9% |
| 4 | Mandarin Chinese | 153,301 ±3K | 92,297 | 60.2% |
| 5 | Bengali | 164,592 ±7K | 83,075 | 50.5% |
| 6 | Korean | 152,621 ±5K | 80,772 | 52.9% |
| 7 | Yiddish | 163,771 ±6K | 80,600 | 49.2% |
| 8 | Haitian | 200,043 ±8K | 77,448 | 38.7% |
| 9 | Cantonese | 109,677 ±5K | 64,124 | 58.5% |
| 10 | Arabic | 173,123 ±9K | 59,949 | 34.6% |
| 11 | Portuguese | 139,148 ±6K | 55,744 | 40.1% |
| 12 | Polish | 116,443 ±5K | 47,172 | 40.5% |
| 13 | Italian | 146,454 ±4K | 43,348 | 29.6% |
| 14 | French | 143,202 ±7K | 34,695 | 24.2% |
| 15 | Urdu | 97,785 ±6K | 33,782 | 34.5% |
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 New York, NY-NJ-PA have limited English proficiency?
- About 3,238,693 residents of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA metro area speak English less than "very well," across the 97 languages reported there. They are the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which languages have the highest interpreter demand in New York, NY-NJ-PA?
- By number of residents with limited English proficiency, the top languages are Spanish, Chinese (not specified), and Russian. Spanish leads, with about 1,709,026 people who speak English less than "very well."
- What is the most spoken language other than English in New York, NY-NJ-PA?
- Spanish, with about 3,723,911 speakers at home in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA area.