The Hispanic population reached 57.5 million in 2016, 37 of whom were born by birth, according to a study released today by the Pew Study Center based on the latest Census estimates.
The 57.5 million Hispanics in 2016 represented a significant increase from the 50.8 million in 2010, the 35.7 million in 2000, the 22.6 in 1990 and the 9.6 in 1970.
In 2016, Hispanics represented 17.6% of the population in the United States, being the second ethnic group behind whites (61.5%) and ahead of African-Americans (12.3%) and Asians ( 5.3%).
The growth rate of the Hispanic population between 2015 and 2016 slowed to 2% due to the decline in migration from Mexico – and the increase in Mexicans returning home – as well as the drop in the birth rate of women.
Of the 57.5 million Hispanics, 35.7 have Mexican origin (63.3%), 5.3 Puerto Rican (9.5%), 2.1 Salvadoran (3.8%), 2.1 Cuban , 7%), 1.8 Dominican (3.3%), 1.3 Guatemalan (2.5%) and 1.0 Colombian (1.9%).
Despite the majority of Hispanics with Mexican origin (63.3%), this percentage is lower than the 65.7% registered in 2008, its maximum.
The percentage of Hispanics born in the United States was 65.6%, while immigrants accounted for 34.4%, almost six points less than in 2000, when immigrants were 40.1% of Hispanics and Americans 59.9%.
Among Hispanics with Mexican origin, immigrants were 32.2% in 2016 (9.3 points lower than in 2000); among Salvadorans, 58.8% were immigrants (16.9% less than in 2000); and among Guatemalans the drop was 17.2 points to 61.3% of immigrants.
The Hispanic population aged in the last decade and a half, from 25 years on average in 2000 to 28 in 2016, remained the youngest ethnic group, followed by African-Americans (34), Asians (36) and Whites (43 ).
In 2016, the average age of Hispanics born in the United States was 19 years, while among immigrants 42.
Of the 57.5 million Hispanics, 37 spoke Spanish and 35 dominated English. Of those, 14 million spoke only English.
The census also rebounds that 40% of Hispanics over the age of 25 had gone to college, 10 points more than in 2000.
A figure that rose to 52% among US-born Hispanics, up 11 points from 2000.
Finally, California remained the most Hispanic state in the country: 15.2 million, 38.9% more than in 2000. Texas, however, experienced a 60.4% increase, higher than California, to 10 ,2 millions.
Behind California and Texas were Florida (5 million), New York (3.7), Illinois (2.2), Arizona (2.1), New Jersey (1.8), Colorado (1.2), New Mexico (1 million) and Georgia, also with 1 million and experiencing with 118.8% the highest increase since 2000 in all states.
