More than 40 per cent of Californians aged five and older don’t speak English at home, census data has revealed.
As of July 2016, California is America’s most populous state with a population of 39,250,017.
At the same time 18.6 per cent of California residents five and older do not speak English ‘very well’, according to the Census Bureau.
Data released this week shows that more than 40 per cent of Californians don’t speak English at home. According to the Census Bureau, 44.6 per cent of the people five years of age and older do not speak English at home as depicted by this graphic
The states with the smallest percentage of residents who speak a language other than English at home include North Dakota with 5.2 per cent, Alabama with 5.1 per cent and Montana at 3.7 per cent. West Virginia had the smallest percentage with 2.5 per cent (above)
The bureau found that 44.6 per cent of the people aged five and older do not speak English at home.
In both of these categories, California ranks No.1 within the United States.
Texas ranked second for the percentage of residents five and older who do not speak English at home with 35.6 per cent.
Following the Lone Star State is New Mexico with 34.5 per cent and New Jersey at 31.7 per cent.
New York ranks fifth with 31.0 per cent.
The states with the smallest percentage of residents who speak a language other than English at home include North Dakota with 5.2 per cent, Alabama with 5.1 per cent and Montana at 3.7 per cent.
West Virginia had the smallest percentage with 2.5 per cent.
Throughout the nation, 21.6 per cent speak a language other than English at home.
The Census Bureau released the numbers this week from the 2016 American Community Survey in which they asked people about the language they speak in their homes and how well they speak English.
According to the Bureau’s website, the first questions asked is: ‘Does this person speak a language other than English at home?’
California also had the highest percentage of residents 5 or older who ‘speak English less than very well’. The 2016 data showed that 18.6 per cent of the people 5 or older in California spoke English less than very well as depicted by this graphic
Montana (data pictured) was the state with the smallest percentage of residents who could not speak English very well with 0.7 per cent and West Virginia had the second smallest at 0.8 per cent
If the answer is ‘yes,’ there are two follow up questions: ‘What is this language?’ and ‘How well does this person speak English?’
For the last question, respondents answered ‘very well, well, not well, or not at all’.
California also had the highest percentage of residents 5 or older who ‘speak English less than very well’, according to the Census Bureau.
The 2016 data showed that 18.6 per cent of the people 5 or older in California spoke English less than very well.
Throughout the US, 8.6 per cent spoke English less than very well, according to the Census Bureau.
Again, Texas ranked second in this category with 14 per cent, while New York came in third at 13.7 per cent.
New Jersey came in fourth with 12.6 per cent and Hawaii was fifth at 12.2 per cent.
Montana was the state with the smallest percentage of residents who could not speak English very well with 0.7 per cent and West Virginia had the second smallest at 0.8 per cent.
Throughout the US, 8.6 per cent spoke English less than very well, according to the Census Bureau. File image of the Golden Gate Bridge