. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Jul 10.

Published in final edited form as: Daedalus. 2013 Summer;142(3):141–154. doi: 10.1162/daed_a_00224

Table 1. Language Use Patterns in the United States, 1980 to 2010.

Languages spoken at home	1980		1990		2000		2010
	N (millions)	%	N (millions)	%	N (millions)	%	N (millions)	%	Foreign-born %
	Total population 5 years or older	210.2	100%	230.4	100%	262.4	100%	289.2	100%	13.6%
Spoke English only	187.2	89.1	198.6	86.2	215.5	82.1	229.7	79.7	2.6
Spoke non-English language	23.1	11.0	31.8	13.8	47.0	17.9	59.5	20.3	56.7
Spoke Spanish	11.1	5.3	17.3	7.5	28.1	10.7	37.0	12.6	49.4

Sources: 1980, 1990 and 2000 U.S. censuses; 2010 American Community Survey.