Key Facts About Our Nation ’ s Latino Population
To help us in the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month , the Pew Research Center presents the following key facts about the nation ’ s Latino population in the United States today . The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan American “ fact tank ,” which is based in Washington , D . C . It provides information on social issues , public opinion , and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world .
1 . The U . S . Hispanic population now stands at 57 million . 2 . A record 27.3 million Latinos were eligible to vote in 2016 .
3 . People of Mexican origin account for about two-thirds ( 35.3 million ) of the nation ’ s Hispanics . .
4 . As the population of U . S . -born Latinos booms and the arrival of new immigrants slows , the share of Latinos who are immigrants – as opposed to those who are born here – is on the decline across all Latino origin groups . .
5 . Diversity among Hispanic origin groups varies between major metropolitan areas . Mexicans make up 79 percent of Hispanics in the Los Angeles metro area . .
6 . Hispanics are the youngest of the major racial and ethnic groups in the U . S . At 28 years , the median age of Hispanics is nearly a full decade lower than that of the U . S . overall ( 37 years ).
7 . Millennials accounted for nearly half ( 44 percent ) of the Hispanic electorate in 2016 .
8 . Latinos make up the largest group of immigrants in most states , mostly because Mexico is the biggest source of immigrants in 33 states .
9 . A majority of Hispanic adults ( 55 percent ) say they are Catholic , while 16 percent are evangelical Protestants and five percent are mainline Protestants .
10 . The share of Latinos in the U . S . who speak English proficiently is growing . In 2013 , 68 percent of Latinos ages five and older spoke English proficiently , up from 59 percent in 2000 .
Latino Education :
Over the past decade , the Hispanic high school dropout rate has declined and college enrollment has increased , even as Hispanics trail other groups in earning a bachelor ’ s degree . The issue of education is an important one for Hispanics . Roughly eight-in-ten ( 83 percent ) cited education as very important to their vote in the 2016 election , ranking it alongside the economy , health care and terrorism as a top issue .
Yet , for many Hispanics , economic factors remain an obstacle to college enrollment . In a 2014 National Journal poll , 66 percent of Hispanics who got a job or entered the military directly after high school cited the need to help support their family as a reason for not enrolling in college , compared with 39 percent of whites .
1 . Over the past decade , the Hispanic high school dropout rate has dropped dramatically . Even so , the Hispanic dropout rate remains higher than that of blacks ( seven percent ), whites ( five percent ) and Asians ( one percent ).
2 . Hispanics are making big inroads in college enrollment . In 2014 , 35 percent of Hispanics ages 18 to 24 were enrolled in a two – or four-year college , up from 22 percent in 1993 – a 13-percentage-point increase . That amounted to 2.3 million Hispanic college students in 2014 .
3 . Even though more Hispanics are getting a postsecondary education than ever before , Hispanics still lag behind other groups in obtaining a four-year degree .
4 . Another reason why Hispanics lag in Bachelor ’ s degrees is that nearly half who go to college attend a public two-year school , or community college , the highest share of any race or ethnicity .
5 . Hispanics are significantly less likely than other groups to have student debt .
Additional Data
According to a published article by Octavio Blanco , Latinos are playing a key role in U . S . economic growth and becoming an increasingly critical engine for America ’ s economic growth . In 2015 , the Latinos living and working in the U . S . were responsible for $ 2.13 trillion or 11.8 percent of Americans 18 trillion gross domestic product , according to a study released by the Latino Donors Collaborative , a nonpartisan association of Latino businesses , political and academic leaders . To many Latino groups , this is statistical evidence that Latinos living in the U . S . have always know to be true , that “ we are hardworking , productive and an essential part of American economic growth and American Society ,” said Ana Valdez , Executive Director of the Latino Advocacy group .
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 gmhtoday . com
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