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Language Usage in the United States: July 1975 (Advance report)

Report Number P23-60

The data presented in this report are from the Current Population Survey conducted in July 1975 by the Bureau of the Census. Supplementary questions bearing on language usage and on education were included in the survey at the request and with the support of the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. This is an advance report and is to be followed by a more detailed Census Bureau report on the same subject later this year.

As a Nation, few Americans are bilingual. Nine out of every ten persons reported that they had no second language. Of those who did report a second language, either English or Spanish was that second language in slightly more than half the cases, with Spanish being reported as the second language almost as often as English (4.3 million persons to 4.9 million). Other languages reported as the second language of a million or more persons 4 years old or over included French, German, and Italian.

A Note on Language

Census statistics date back to 1790 and reflect the growth and change of the United States. Past census reports contain some terms that today’s readers may consider obsolete and inappropriate. As part of our goal to be open and transparent with the public, we are improving access to all Census Bureau original publications and statistics, which serve as a guide to the nation's history.

Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021
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