#80 most spoken · language profile
Sinhala in the United States
An estimated 35,160 people aged 5 and older speak Sinhala at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 29.8% of them, roughly 10,472 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Dallas, where about 44% of Sinhala speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Sinhala is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 89 additional metro areas have Sinhala 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 | 5,418 ±1K | 34.9% | 26.4–43.5% |
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 4,073 ±842 | 28% | 22.2–33.8% |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,733 ±891 | 35.2% | 25.7–44.7% |
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 849 ±334 | 44% | 31.8–56.3% |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 838 ±346 | not reliable | — |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 751 ±310 | not reliable | — |
| 7 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 745 ±299 | 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 Sinhala 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 Sinhala in the United States?
- An estimated 35,160 people aged 5 and older speak Sinhala at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Sinhala speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 29.8 percent, roughly 10,472 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Sinhala speakers?
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, with about 5,418 Sinhala speakers at home.
- Where is Sinhala interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX stands out, where about 44 percent of Sinhala speakers report speaking English less than "very well."