In Arizona, English is the official language, but that doesn’t mean residents don’t speak a wide array of other languages. The population of Arizona is diverse, featuring people with a variety of backgrounds. Often, when people immigrate to the state, they bring their languages. Plus, members of Native American tribes live in Arizona, and they typically use their native language regularly.
More often than not, the languages present in a state reflect immigration patterns in the region. Here’s a look at Arizona’s immigration history, as well as the top ten languages of Arizona, not including English.
Arizona Immigration History
Arizona is unique in that settlement in the region was far slower than what was seen in many other states. Until the late 19th century, barring small groups of Native Americans, a significant part of Arizona remained uninhabited. The Spanish occupation was primarily held back due to the Apache, who were openly hostile to the incoming Europeans, limiting the presence of immigrants significantly. The challenging landscape was also a factor, causing those who did come to Arizona to primarily congregate in small settlements.
Even Hispanic immigrants weren’t widely present in Arizona until the 20th century when their numbers increased dramatically. Native Americans also remain a significant part of the population, including Apache, Navajo, Hopi, and others. Additionally, immigrants from other nations or cultural backgrounds have been increasingly present in the state, including Asians, Pacific Islanders, and others.
Top 10 Languages of Arizona (Other Than English)
Arizona is home to an estimated 7.36 million residents. While English is the predominant language, among residents age five and up, approximately 26.6 percent (around 1.96 million people) speak a non-English language at home.
Further, an estimated 9.52 percent of the population (about 700,405 residents) are considered to have limited English proficiency (LEP). As a result, many languages are spoken by Arizonans. Here’s an overview of the top ten languages of Arizona, not including English.
1. Spanish
As is true in the vast majority of US states, Spanish is the most widely spoken non-English language in Arizona. In total, there are approximately 1.36 million Spanish-speaking residents, giving them a population share of a bit more than 20.15 percent.
2. Navajo
Navajo is the second most widely used non-English language in Arizona. There are an estimated 84,467 Navajo speakers, which make up about 1.25 percent of the population.
3. Chinese
Chinese (including Cantonese and Mandarin) is spoken by around 35,526 Arizona residents. As a result, they have a population share of nearly 0.53 percent.
4. Other Native American Languages
While some Native American languages are calculated separately in the census data, others are grouped together. As a result, around 28,909 Arizonans are classified as speaking other Native American languages, and those speakers make up nearly 0.43 percent of the state’s population.
5. Tagalog
Tagalog (including Filipino) is spoken by an estimated 26,381 Arizona residents. That means they have a population share of just shy of 0.40 percent.
6. Arabic
In Arizona, approximately 23,294 residents speak Arabic. Since that’s the case, Arabic speakers make up nearly 0.35 percent of the population.
7. Vietnamese
There are about 22,073 Vietnamese speakers in Arizona, giving them a population share of close to 0.33 percent.
8. German
German is spoken by approximately 18,169 Arizonans. As a result, they represent nearly 0.27 percent of the population.
9. French
Around 16,567 Arizona residents speak French (including Cajun). That gives them a population share just a little bit shy of 0.25 percent.
10. Hindi
Hindi is the tenth most widely used non-English language in Arizona. The estimated 14,505 speakers make up nearly 0.22 percent of the state’s population.
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