In September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week, observed during the week that included Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. Congress expanded the observance in 1989 to a monthlong celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15) of the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Sept. 15 is the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

Graphic [PDF <1.0MB]

55 million

The Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2014, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or racial minority. Hispanics constituted 17 percent of the nation’s total population.
Source: 2014 Population Estimates
<factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2014/PEPASR6H?slice=hisp~hisp!year~est72014>

1.15 million

Number of Hispanics added to the nation’s population between July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014. This number is close to half of the approximately 2.36 million people added to the nation’s population during this period.
Source: 2014 Population Estimates
National Characteristics: Population by Sex, Race, and Hispanic origin
<www.census.gov/popest/data/national/asrh/2014/index.html>, See first bullet under “Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin”

2.1%

Percentage increase in the Hispanic population between 2013 and 2014.
Source: 2014 Population Estimates
National Characteristics: Population by Sex, Race, and Hispanic origin
<www.census.gov/popest/data/national/asrh/2014/index.html>, See first bullet under “Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin”

119 million

The projected Hispanic population of the United States in 2060. According to this projection, the Hispanic population will constitute 28.6 percent of the nation’s population by that date.
Source: Population Projections <www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2014/summarytables.html>, Table 10

64%

The percentage of those of Hispanic origin in the United States who were of Mexican background in 2013. Another 9.5 percent were of Puerto Rican background, 3.7 percent Cuban, 3.7 percent Salvadoran, 3.3 percent Dominican and 2.4 percent Guatemalan. The remainder was of some other Central American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origin.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013 American Community Survey, Table B03001
<factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_1YR/B03001>

10.4 million

The estimated population for those of Hispanic origin in Texas as of July 1, 2014.
Source: 2014 Population Estimates
State Characteristics: Population by Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin
<factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2014/PEPASR6H?slice=GEO~0400000US12!hisp~hisp!year~est72014>

8

The number of states with a population of 1 million or more Hispanic residents in 2014 — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas.
Source: 2014 Population Estimates
State Characteristics: Population by Race and Hispanic Origin
<factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2014/PEPASR6H?slice=GEO~0100000US!hisp~hisp!year~est72014>

55%

The percentage of all the Hispanic population that lived in California, Florida and Texas as of July 1, 2014.
Source: 2014 Population Estimates
State Characteristics: Population by Race and Hispanic Origin
<factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2014/PEPASR6H?slice=GEO~0100000US!hisp~hisp!year~est72014>

15 million

The Hispanic population of California. This is the largest Hispanic population of any state.
Source: 2014 Population Estimates
<factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2014/PEPASR6H?slice=GEO~0400000US06!hisp~hisp!year~est72014>

4.9 million

Los Angeles County had the largest Hispanic population of any county in 2014.
Source: 2014 Population Estimates
<www.census.gov/newsroom/archives/2015-pr/cb15-113.html>

45,000

Harris County in Texas had the largest numeric increase of Hispanics from 2013 to 2014.
Source: 2014 Population Estimates
<www.census.gov/newsroom/archives/2014-pr/cb14-118.html>

12.2 million

The number of Hispanic family households in the United States in 2014.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements: Table F1, by Race and Hispanic Origin
<www.census.gov/hhes/families/files/cps2014/tabF1-hisp.xls>
<www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2014F.html>

61.6%

The percentage of Hispanic family households that were married-couple households in 2014. For the total population in the U.S., it was 73.3 percent.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements, Table F1
<www.census.gov/hhes/families/files/cps2014/tabF1-hisp.xls>
<www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2014F.html>

56.7%

The percentage of Hispanic married-couple households that had children younger than 18 present in 2014, whereas for the nation it was 40.1 percent.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements, Table F1
<www.census.gov/hhes/families/files/cps2014/tabF1-hisp.xls>
<www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2014F.html>

64.9%

Percentage of Hispanic children living with two parents in 2014, whereas nationwide it was 68.7 percent.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements, Table C9
<www.census.gov/hhes/families/files/cps2014/tabC9-hispanic.xls>
<www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2014C.html>

46.0%

Percentage of Hispanic married couples with children under 18 where both spouses were employed in 2014, whereas nationwide it was 59.7 percent.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements: Table FG-1
<www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2014FG.html>

38.4 million

The number of U.S. residents 5 and older who spoke Spanish at home in 2013. This is a 120 percent increase since 1990 when it was 17.3 million. Those who hablan español en casa constituted 13.0 percent of U.S. residents 5 and older. More than half (58 percent) of these Spanish speakers spoke English “very well.” 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013 American Community Survey, Table DP02
<factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_1YR/DP02> and Language Use in the United States: 2012 <www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf>

73.3%

Percentage of Hispanics 5 and older who spoke Spanish at home in 2013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013 American Community Survey, Table B16006 <factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_1YR_B16006&prodType=table>

$40,963

The median income of Hispanic households in 2013.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2013, Table A
<www.census.gov/newsroom/archives/2014-pr/cb14-169.html>

23.5%

The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2013.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2013, Table B
<www.census.gov/newsroom/archives/2014-pr/cb14-169.html>

24.3%

The percentage of Hispanics who lacked health insurance in 2013.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2013
<www.census.gov/newsroom/archives/2014-pr/cb14-169.html>

64.7%

The percentage of Hispanics 25 and older that had at least a high school education in 2013.
Source: American Community Survey: 2013 Selected Population Profile in the United States, Hispanic or Latino, Table S0201 <factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_1YR/S0201//popgroup~400>

14.0%

The percentage of the Hispanic population 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2013.
Source: American Community Survey: 2013 Selected Population Profile in the United States, Hispanic or Latino, Table S0201 <factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_1YR/S0201//popgroup~400>

4.2 million

The number of Hispanics 25 and older who had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2013.
Source: American Community Survey: 2013, Table B15002I
<factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_1YR_B15002I&prodType=table>

1.3 million

Number of Hispanics 25 and older with advanced degrees in 2013 (e.g., master’s, professional, doctorate).
Source: American Community Survey: 2013, Table B15002I
<factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_13_1YR_B15002I&prodType=table>

16.5%

Percentage of students (both undergraduate and graduate) enrolled in college in 2013 who were Hispanic.
Source: School Enrollment Data Current Population Survey: October 2013, Table1
<www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2013/tables.html>

23.5%

Percentage of elementary and high school students that were Hispanic in 2013.
Source: School Enrollment Data Current Population Survey: October 2013, Table 1
<www.census.gov/hhes/school/data/cps/2013/tables.html>

35.2%

Percentage of the Hispanic population that was foreign-born in 2013.
Source: American Community Survey: 2013 Selected Population Profile in the United States, Hispanic or Latino, Table S0201 <factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_1YR/S0201//popgroup~400>

64.3%

Percentage of the 10.3 million noncitizens under the age of 35 who were born in Latin America and the Caribbean and are living in the United States in 2010-2012.
Source: American Community Survey Brief – Noncitizens Under Age 35: 2010-2012 <www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/acsbr12-06.pdf>

67.0%

Percentage of Hispanics or Latinos 16 and older who were in the civilian labor force in 2013.
Source: American Community Survey: 2013 Selected Population Profile in the United States, Hispanic or Latino, Table S0201 <factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_1YR/S0201//popgroup~400>

19.6%

The percentage of civilian employed Hispanics or Latinos 16 and older who worked in management, business, science and arts occupations in 2013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013 American Community Survey, Table C24010I
<factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_1YR/C24010I>

8.4%

The percentage of voters in the 2012 presidential election who were Hispanic. Hispanics comprised 4.7 percent of voters in 1996.
Source: The Diversifying Electorate − Voting Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2012 (and Other Recent Elections), Table 3 <www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-568.pdf>

7.3%

The percentage of voters in the 2014 congressional election who were Hispanic.
Source: Who Votes? Congressional Elections and the American Electorate: 1978-2014: Figure 5
<www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p20-577.pdf>

1.2 million

The number of Hispanics or Latinos 18 and older who are veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013 American Community Survey, Table B21001I
<factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_1YR/B21001I>