How Many New Yorkers Claim To Be Bilingual?

How many New York residents claim to be bilingual? We may have an answer.

Test Prep Insight reports that over 7.5 Million New Yorkers claim to be bilingual. How did they find this answer?

Test Prep Insight commissioned a survey to learn the prevalence of bilingualism and language learning among Americans. The survey of 3,000 people specifically targeted people who said they can speak or understand another language at a basic level. Notably, they excluded those who speak a non-English language at home, such as Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans, to focus on new language acquisition.

Placing among the most bilingual in America are New Yorkers - in fact, they came in 8th place nationally. The survey found that 7,568,967 (38%) New Yorkers say they can nimbly navigate conversations in more than just English.

From the vibrant conversations in Spanish in Washington Heights, to the melodic Italian in Little Italy, and the myriad languages heard in the bustling corridors of the United Nations, New York is a linguist's paradise. In the Big Apple, every neighborhood is a new linguistic adventure, and New Yorkers, ever adaptable, thrive in this polyglot urban jungle."

The survey did find that Rhode Islanders are the top in the country for being bilingual. An impressive 876,488 can exchange pleasantries in a second language as effortlessly as they can discuss the charming attributes of their state.

At the other end of the linguistic leaderboard, Iowans are bringing up the rear. With a mere 6% (that's about 177,000 people) claiming they can parley with non-English speakers, the state's polyglot population is a bit sparse. Then come the Idahoans, 11% of whom can potentially navigate a chat beyond their mother tongue. Mainers aren’t far ahead, with 13% ready to step out of their linguistic comfort zones.

You can read the full results online here.