CensusScope is a product of the Social Science Data Analysis Network.
New York County |
Print-Friendly Version |
LANGUAGE
The Census asks questions about language use at home to locate groups of people who speak a language other than English. Their isolation or integration into a primarily English speaking community can be determined by their ability to speak English proficiently.
| Language Spoken at Home, 1990-2000 | ||||
| 1990 | 2000 | |||
| Number | Percent | Number | Percent | |
| Only English | 860,094 | 61.03% | 849,603 | 58.11% |
| Spanish | 337,801 | 23.97% | 364,141 | 24.91% |
| Other Indo-European* | 106,220 | 7.54% | 115,836 | 7.92% |
| Asian Language** | 87,022 | 6.18% | 108,035 | 7.39% |
| Other | 18,106 | 1.28% | 24,400 | 1.67% |
| Total Population Age 5+ | 1,409,243 | 100.00% | 1,462,015 | 100.00% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 2000 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 189,720 | 52.10% |
| Other Indo-European* | 30,309 | 26.17% |
| Asian Language** | 66,139 | 61.22% |
| Other Language | 6,073 | 24.89% |
| Total | 292,241 | 19.99% |
| Population Speaking English Less Than "Very Well" in 1990 | ||
| Language Spoken at Home: | Number | Percent |
| Spanish | 181,592 | 53.76% |
| Other Indo-European* | 28,493 | 26.82% |
| Asian Language** | 56,332 | 64.73% |
| Other Language | 4,977 | 27.49% |
| Total | 271,394 | 19.26% |
* "Other Indo-European" excludes English and Spanish. "Indo-European" is not synonymous with "European." French, German, Hindi, and Persian are all classified as Indo-European. Hungarian, on the other hand, is lumped into "Other Language."
** "Asian Language" includes languages indigenous to Asia and Pacific islands areas that are not also Indo-European languages. Chinese, Japanese, Telugu, and Hawaiian are all classified here.
Also note that ability to speak English "very well" is based on the self-assessment of those responding to Census questions, not on a test of language ability.
Source: Census 2000 analyzed by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN).
Home | About | Help | Contact | Use Policy