Latinos in the United States nearly doubled their population from 2000 to 2024, growing from 35.3 million to 68 million, and this racial or ethnic group accounted for more than half of the total U.S. population growth during that period.
- Latinos Play a Key Role in U.S. Population Growth
- How the Sources of Hispanic Population Growth Have Changed
- More Latinos Are Young
- Most Latinos Are U.S. Citizens
- U.S. Latinos Have Roots in Many Countries
- California and Texas Have the Largest Hispanic Populations
- Religious Affiliation Among U.S. Latinos Is Changing
- The Percentage of Hispanics Who Speak English Fluently Is Increasing
- The Share of U.S. Hispanics with College Experience Is Increasing
A study published by Pew Research Center revealed key facts about Latinos in the United States, who today make up 1 in 5 Americans, their diversity, the fact that they are mostly U.S.-born, and that they have spread across all states.
Latinos Play a Key Role in U.S. Population Growth
The Hispanic population in the U.S. reached 68 million in 2024, nearly doubling since 2000. Hispanics made up 20% of the population in 2024, up from 13% in 2000 and just 5% in 1970.
The arrival of a large number of Latin American immigrants in 2023 and 2024 led to an annual increase of nearly 2 million in the Hispanic population, the largest yearly growth on record.
The country’s population grew by 58.7 million people between 2000 and 2024, and Hispanics accounted for 56% of this increase, a larger share than any other racial or ethnic group.
Credit: Paul Sakuma | AP
How the Sources of Hispanic Population Growth Have Changed
Immigration was the main driver of Hispanic population growth during the 1980s and 1990s, though Hispanic births also contributed significantly.
This changed dramatically after 2000, when births became the primary source of Hispanic population growth, especially as immigration declined following the Great Recession of 2008 and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
Recently, immigration became a source of Latino population growth again from 2021 to 2024, with over one million Latin American immigrants arriving annually.
In 2025, the pattern is expected to return to the trends of 2000–2021 due to recent changes in the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Preliminary data suggest that births will likely outpace the number of newly arrived immigrants.
Hispanic births are not only a major driver of Hispanic population growth but of the overall population as well.
In 2024, 32% of babies born in the U.S. had a Hispanic mother or father, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a significantly higher proportion than the share of Hispanic Americans (20%).
More Latinos Are Young
In 2024, the median age of Hispanics was 31.2 years. In comparison, the median age was 36.2 years among African Americans, 39.0 years among Asian Americans, and 43.2 years among whites.
In other words, Hispanics make up a larger share of the U.S. population in younger age groups and a smaller share in older age groups.
Most Latinos Are U.S. Citizens
In 2024, 79% of all Latinos were U.S. citizens, up from 71% in 2000.
Two-thirds (67%) are U.S. citizens by birth, including those born in the U.S. and its territories (such as Puerto Rico) as well as those born abroad to U.S. parents.
About 13% of Latinos are immigrants who have naturalized as U.S. citizens.
Regarding Hispanic immigrants, Pew Research Center estimates that 59% are legal immigrants, while 41% are unauthorized immigrants, according to 2023 data. This proportion is higher than that of all unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. (27%).
U.S. Latinos Have Roots in Many Countries
Hispanics have family roots in Latin American countries and Spain. However, while they come from many countries, some groups made up the majority of the population in 2024:
- Mexicans are the largest group. The approximately 40 million people of Mexican origin in the U.S. made up 57% of the country’s Hispanic population in 2024.
- With 6.1 million, people of Puerto Rican origin are the next largest group in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Another 3.2 million Hispanics lived in Puerto Rico last year.
- Eight other Hispanic origin groups have 1 million or more people: Cubans, Salvadorans, Dominicans, Guatemalans, Colombians, Hondurans, Venezuelans, and Ecuadorians.
- Spaniards accounted for nearly 1 million Hispanics in the U.S.
- Venezuelans are the fastest-growing Hispanic origin group, doubling in number between 2019 and 2024.
California and Texas Have the Largest Hispanic Populations
In 2024, 16.1 million Hispanics lived in California, more than in any other state.
And 12.6 million lived in Texas, the second-largest Hispanic population by state.
Latinos are also the largest racial or ethnic group in both states.
The top five states with the largest Hispanic populations are rounded out by Florida (6.7 million), New York (4.0 million), and Illinois (2.5 million).
Together, these five states were home to 62% of the country’s Latino population in 2024. However, this figure is lower than in 2010, reflecting the growing dispersion of the Latino population.
Religious Affiliation Among U.S. Latinos Is Changing
Catholics are the largest religious group among Latinos, though their share is declining. In 2024, 42% identified as Catholic, down from 67% in 2010.
About a quarter of Latinos (27%) had no religious affiliation in 2024, describing themselves as atheists, agnostics, or having no particular religion. This figure rose from 10% in 2010.
Another 17% of Latinos identify as evangelical Protestants. This percentage has remained relatively stable since 2010.
The Percentage of Hispanics Who Speak English Fluently Is Increasing
In 2024, 71% of Latinos aged 5 and older (44.8 million people) spoke English fluently. This was an increase from 59% in 2000.
This growth has been driven by U.S.-born Latinos, meaning those born in the United States and its territories, including Puerto Rico, as well as those born abroad to U.S. parents.
The Share of U.S. Hispanics with College Experience Is Increasing
More Latinos in the U.S. aged 25 and older have attended college and earned degrees. In 2024, 46% had at least some college experience, compared with 36% in 2010. And 21% had a bachelor’s degree or higher, up from 13%.
About a quarter of Hispanic women aged 25 and older (24%) had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2024, compared with 14% in 2010. And 19% of Hispanic men had this level of education, up from 12%.
Image: Opinion
