Languages Spoken in Washington, D.C.: Map and Language Data
Language Use Across Washington, D.C.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011–2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, about 103,000 people age 5 and older in Washington, D.C. speak a language other than English at home, representing 17.0% of the District’s population age 5+. Spanish is the most spoken non-English language, with about 50,800 speakers, followed by African languages and French.
Most Spoken Non-English Languages in Washington, D.C.
The most spoken non-English languages in Washington, D.C. are Spanish, African languages, and French. Spanish is spoken at home by about 50,800 people, or roughly 8.4% of the District’s population age 5+.
Key Language Findings for Washington, D.C.
About 103,000 people in Washington, D.C. speak a language other than English at home, representing 17.0% of residents age 5 and older.
The most spoken non-English languages in Washington, D.C. are Spanish, African languages, and French.
Spanish is the most spoken non-English language in Washington, D.C., with about 50,800 speakers, representing roughly 8.4% of residents age 5 and older.
After Spanish, African languages, and French, the next most spoken languages in Washington, D.C. are Chinese, German, and Russian.
About 32,600 residents speak English less than "very well," or 5.4% of residents age 5 and older.
Spanish accounts for about 49% of all residents who speak a language other than English at home.
Language Diversity in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is a single jurisdiction, so the figures on this page describe the District as a whole. Of the 39 language groups the Census Bureau reports in table B16001, 15 are spoken at home by 1,000 or more District residents.
Further down the list are Italian (about 2,000 speakers), Arabic (about 1,900 speakers), Tagalog / Filipino (about 1,800 speakers), Portuguese (about 1,700 speakers), and Hindi (about 1,400 speakers).
English Proficiency and Language Access in Washington, D.C.
Speaking a language other than English at home does not necessarily mean someone has limited English proficiency. Census table B16001 also separates language groups by whether residents report speaking English "very well" or less than "very well," providing additional context for organizations planning language access services. For a broader look at limited English proficiency across the country, explore Boostlingo's LEP State Map.
Plan Language Access Around the Communities You Serve
Boostlingo helps healthcare, government, education, legal, and business organizations connect people with interpreting and translation services across hundreds of languages.
Explore Interpreter ServicesThe share of residents speaking a language other than English at home and the six most spoken non-English languages in the District.
| District | % Other Language | Other-Language Speakers | #1 Language | #2 Language | #3 Language | #4 Language | #5 Language | #6 Language | Population Age 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 103,316 | Spanish 50,782 | African languages 9,787 | French 9,175 | Chinese 5,217 | German 2,713 | Russian 2,144 | 607,051 |
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2011–2015 5-Year Estimates, table B16001, Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over. District-wide estimates come from the same Census table, so every figure on this page can be compared consistently.
The estimates describe languages spoken at home among residents age 5 and older. Census estimates include margins of error, particularly for less common language groups.