#114 most spoken · language profile
Serbo-Croatian in the United States
An estimated 13,425 people aged 5 and older speak Serbo-Croatian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 39.6% of them, roughly 5,316 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as New York, where about 36.4% of Serbo-Croatian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Serbo-Croatian is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 51 additional metro areas have Serbo-Croatian 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 | 2,218 ±657 | 36.4% | 27.8–45% |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 721 ±333 | not reliable | — |
| 3 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 494 ±191 | not reliable | — |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 120 ±53 | 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 Serbo-Croatian 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 Serbo-Croatian in the United States?
- An estimated 13,425 people aged 5 and older speak Serbo-Croatian at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Serbo-Croatian speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 39.6 percent, roughly 5,316 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Serbo-Croatian speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 2,218 Serbo-Croatian speakers at home.
- Where is Serbo-Croatian interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA stands out, where about 36.4 percent of Serbo-Croatian speakers report speaking English less than "very well."