WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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. In 1989, Congress expanded the observance to a month-long 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.

Population

56.6 million
The Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2015, making people of Hispanic origin the nation's largest ethnic or racial minority. Hispanics constituted 17.6 percent of the nation's total population.
Source: Vintage 2015 Population Estimates
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2015/PEPASR6H?slice=hisp~hisp!year~est72015

1.2 million
The number of Hispanics added to the nation's population between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015. This number is nearly half of the approximately 2.5 million people added to the nation's total population during this period.
Source: Vintage 2015 Population Estimates
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2015/PEPASR6H?slice=hisp~hisp!year~est72015

2.2%
The percentage increase in the Hispanic population between 2014 and 2015.
Source: Vintage 2015 Population Estimates
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2015/PEPASR6H?slice=hisp~hisp!year~est72015

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: 2014 National Population Projections, Table 10
www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2014/summarytables.html

63.4%
The percentage of those of Hispanic or Latino origin in the United States who were of Mexican origin in 2015. Another 9.5 percent were Puerto Rican, 3.8 percent Salvadoran, 3.7 percent Cuban, 3.3 percent Dominican and 2.4 percent Guatemalan. The remainder were of some other Central American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origin.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B03001
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B03001

States and Counties

10.7 million
The estimated population for those of Hispanic origin in Texas as of July 1, 2015.
Source: Vintage 2015 Population Estimates
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2015/PEPASR6H/0400000US48?slice=hisp~hisp!year~est72015

9
The number of states with a population of 1 million or more Hispanic residents in 2015 — Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Texas.
Source: Vintage 2015 Population Estimates
http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=PEP_2015_PEPSR6H&prodType=table

54.5%
The percentage of the Hispanic population in the United States that lived in California, Florida and Texas as of July 1, 2015.
Source: Vintage 2015 Population Estimates
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2015/PEPASR6H?slice=hisp~hisp!year~est72015

15.2 million
The Hispanic population of California. This is the largest Hispanic population of any state.
Source: Vintage 2015 Population Estimates
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2015/PEPASR6H?slice=hisp~hisp!year~est72015

4.9 million
Los Angeles County had the largest Hispanic population of any county in 2015.
Source: Vintage 2015 Population Estimates
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2015/PEPSR6H/0500000US06037?slice=Hisp~hisp!Year~est72015

49,000
Harris County in Texas had the largest numeric increase of Hispanics from 2014 to 2015.
Source: Vintage 2015 Population Estimates
http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=PEP_2015_PEPSR6H&prodType=table

Families and Children

16.2 million
The number of Hispanic households in the United States in 2015.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements, Households, Table H-3
www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/households.html  

47.7%
The percentage of Hispanic households that were married-couple households in 2015. Among all households in the United States, 48.2 percent were married-couple households.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements, Table H-3
www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/households.html

57.6%
The percentage of Hispanic married-couple households that had children younger than age 18 present in 2015, whereas for all married-couple households it was 64.3 percent.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements, Table H-3
www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/households.html

66.8%
The percentage of Hispanic parent/child family groups that included two parents in 2015, whereas for all parent/child family groups, it was 69.5 percent.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements, Table FM-2
www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/families.html

46.0%
The percentage of Hispanic married couples with children under age 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

Spanish Language

40 million
The number of U.S. residents age 5 and older who spoke Spanish at home in 2015. This is a 131.2 percent increase since 1990 when it was 17.3 million. Those who hablan español en casa constituted 13.3 percent of U.S. residents age 5 and older. More than half (59 percent of all Spanish speakers and 57.4 percent of Hispanic Spanish speakers) spoke English "very well."
Source: 1990 Decennial Census
https://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-29.pdf
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table DP02
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/DP02    
Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over (Hispanic or Latino),
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B16006 
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B16006   
Language Spoken at Home,
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table S1601
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/S1601

72.9%
The percentage of Hispanics age 5 and older who spoke Spanish at home in 2015.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B16006
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B16006

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance

$45,150
The median income of Hispanic households in 2015.
Source: Income and Poverty in the United States: 2015, Table 1
www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/p60-256.pdf

21.4%
The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2015.
Source: Income and Poverty in the United States: 2015, Table 3
www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/p60-256.pdf

16.2%
The percentage of Hispanics who lacked health insurance in 2015.
Source: Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2015, Table 5
https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2016/demo/p60-257.pdf

Education

66.0%
The percentage of Hispanics age 25 and older that had at least a high school education in 2015.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B15002I
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B15002I

14.8%
The percentage of the Hispanic population age 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher in 2015.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B15002I
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B15002I  

4.7 million
The number of Hispanics age 25 and older who had at least a bachelor's degree in 2015.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B15002I
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B15002I

1.5 million
The number of Hispanics age 25 and older with advanced degrees in 2015 (e.g., master's, professional, doctorate).
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B15002I
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B15002I

17.0%
The percentage of students (both undergraduate and graduate) enrolled in college in 2015 who were Hispanic.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Tables B14007I and B14007
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B14007I 
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B14007   

24.3%
The percentage of elementary and high school students that were Hispanic in 2015.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Tables B14007I and B14007
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B14007 http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B14007I   

Foreign-Born

34.5%
The percentage of the Hispanic population that was foreign-born in 2015.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B05003I
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B05003I

64.3%
The 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: Noncitizens Under Age 35: 2010-2012, American Community Survey Brief
www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/acsbr12-06.pdf

Jobs

67.0%
The percentage of Hispanics or Latinos age 16 and older who were in the civilian labor force in 2015.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table S2301
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/S2301  

20.5%                                                                  
The percentage of civilian employed Hispanics or Latinos age 16 and older who worked in management, business, science and arts occupations in 2015.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B24010I
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B24010I/0100000US   

Voting

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), Population Characteristics, 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, Population Characteristics, Figure 5
www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p20-577.pdf

Serving our Country

1.2 million
The number of Hispanics or Latinos age 18 and older who are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Source: 2015 American Community Survey, Table B21001I
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_1YR/B21001I

Business

3.3 million
Estimated number of Hispanic-owned firms nationally in 2012, up from 2.3 million or 46.3 percent from 2007.
Source: 2012 Survey of Business Owners-Hispanic Owned Firms: 2012
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/SBO/2012/00CSA01  

91.3%
The estimated percentage of the 3.3 million Hispanic-owned firms that had no paid employees. Of all U.S. businesses, 80.4 percent were nonemployer firms.
Source: 2012 Survey of Business Owners- Hispanic Owned Firms: 2012
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/SBO/2012/00CSA01  

$78.7 million
The estimated sales/receipts reported by Hispanic firms owned by women in 2012. Male-owned Hispanic firms reported sales of $359.1 million.
Source: 2012 Survey of Business Owners-Hispanic Owned Firms: 2012
http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/SBO/2012/00CSA01  

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau's Facts for Features series:                                                        

Editor's note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines.

Public Information Office                                         
301-763-3030 / pio@census.gov                               

census.gov
Connect with us on Social media

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161006/428773-INFO

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110428/DC91889LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-census-bureau-facts-for-features-hispanic-heritage-month-2016-300345070.html

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau