While English is the official language of Indiana and it’s the most widely used language in the state, it’s by no means the only one spoken. Instead, a wide array of languages are present in the state, often reflecting Indiana’s immigration patterns and history.
By exploring a bit of the history of Indiana, it’s easier to see how so many languages made their way into the region. With that in mind, here’s an overview of Indiana’s immigration history and the top ten languages of Indiana.
Indiana Immigration History
Overall, the bulk of Indiana’s population is of white European descent. The state was one of the first to use the township and range system, leading many residents of Ohio, New York, and New England to transition into the area. There was also an influx of former residents of Southern states like Tennessee and Kentucky.
Immigrants of German ancestry are especially common in the South Bend region. Additionally, there are a large number of people of Belgian, Hungarian, Italian, and Polish descent, particularly in northern areas of the state.
However, Indiana also has significant minority populations. Approximately one-tenth of the population is of African descent, living mainly in urban areas. The Hispanic population is also growing, especially in central and northern Indiana cities. Asians are also seeing their numbers grow quickly – particularly since the start of the 21st century – though they are currently a relatively small part of the overall population.
Top 10 Languages of Indiana (Other Than English)
Indiana has a sizeable population, coming in a bit above 6.8 million people. While the vast majority speak English, approximately 8.9 percent of residents above the age of four – about 608,140 people – speak a language other than English at home.
Additionally, though many of those residents also speak English well, around 3.26 percent have limited English proficiency (LEP). That calculates out to an estimated 222,757 residents.
As a result, a wide array of languages are regularly spoken by Indiana residents. Here’s an overview of the top tent languages of Indiana (besides English)
1. Spanish
As is true in most other states, Spanish is the most common non-English language spoken in Indiana. In total, there are an estimated 290,345 Spanish speakers in the state, giving that group a population share of a little more than 4.62 percent.
2. Yiddish, Pennsylvania Dutch, or Other West Germanic Languages
A potentially surprising entry for the second-place position on this list is Yiddish, Pennsylvania Dutch, and other West Germanic languages. While their numbers are far below Spanish, the 30,437 speakers make up nearly 0.49 percent of the population.
3. German
German comes in a little behind second place with 30,330 speakers in Indiana. That results in a population share of a little more than 0.48 percent of the population.
4. Chinese
Next on the list of the top ten languages of Indiana is Chinese (including Cantonese and Mandarin). Chinese speakers make up around 0.43 percent of the population. Overall, there are an estimated 26,718 Chinese speakers in Indiana.
5. Arabic
With approximately 12,036 speakers, Arabic is in fifth place on this list. Arabic speakers represent about 0.19 percent of the population.
6. French
Just a little behind Arabic is French (including Cajun). The estimated 11,600 French speakers make up a little less than 0.19 percent of the population.
7. Hindi
In seventh place on this list is Hindi, which has a population share a bit above 0.14 percent. In total, there are around 8,960 Hindi speakers in Indiana.
8. Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, or Other Languages of Western Africa
With an estimated 8,614 speakers in Indiana, Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, or other languages of Western Africa come in eighth place. When taken together, they have a population share of just a bit below 0.14 percent.
9. Tagalog
There are approximately 8,516 Tagalog (including Filipino) speakers in the state of Indiana. That gives them a population share of just shy of 0.14 percent.
10. Korean
Rounding out the top ten languages of Indiana is Korean. With around 7,838, they make up an estimated 0.13 percent of the population.
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