Indian Americans are the second-largest Asian origin population living in the U.S. with an estimated 5.2 million people self-identified as Indian in 2023, accounting for about 21% of the country’s Asian population, according to a new report.
The new Pew Research Center analysis of the 2021-23 American Community Survey (ACS) provides a profile of the geographic, social and demographic, and economic characteristics of the Indian population in the U.S. Broadly speaking they are better educated and earn more than other Asian groups.
About 4.9 million people in the U.S. identify as Indian alone or in combination with other races, ethnicities or Asian origins, according to the Pew analysis. The Indian population has grown by roughly 3.1 million since 2000, up from 1.8 million – a 174% increase over roughly two decades.
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Immigrants made up 66% of the Indian population in the U.S. in 2023, a decrease from 73% in 2000. However, the number of Indian immigrants in the country increased from 1.3 million to 3.2 million people over the same period.
Among Indian immigrants, 60% have lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years and 51% are naturalized U.S. citizens, according to the Pew analysis.
Key findings:
Language
- 84% of Indians ages 5 and older speak English proficiently. This share includes 28% who speak only English at home and 56% who speak another language at home but say they speak English very well. By comparison, 74% of Asian Americans 5 and older are English proficient.
- Among Indians 5 and older, 79% of immigrants are English proficient, compared with 96% of the U.S. born
- Other top languages spoken at home by Indian Americans ages 5 and older include Hindi (18%), Telugu (11%), Gujarathi (10%) and Tamil (7%).
Geography
- 960,000 out of the nation’s Indian population of 4.9 million, or 20%, live in California.
- Other states with large Indian populations are Texas (570,000), New Jersey (440,000), New York (390,000) and Illinois (270,000).
- Metropolitan areas with the largest Indian populations include the New York (710,000), Dallas (270,000) and San Francisco (260,000) metro areas.
Age
- The median age of Indians is 34.2, similar to the median age of Asians overall (34.7).
- The median age of Indian immigrants is 40.9. Some 7% of the Indian immigrant population is under 18 years old, and 13% are 65 and older.
- The median age of U.S.-born Indian Americans is 13.4. Six-in-ten are under 18 and 1% are 65 and older.
Educational attainment
- 77% of Indian Americans ages 25 and older have a bachelor’s (31%) or advanced degree (45%). Among Asians overall, 56% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Among Indians 25 and older, similar shares of immigrants and U.S. born have a bachelor’s degree or higher (77% and 76%, respectively).
Marital status
- 70% of Indian adults are married, compared with 58% of Asian adults overall.
- Among Indians ages 18 and older, 77% of immigrants are married, compared with 35% of the U.S. born.
Fertility
- 6% of Indian females ages 15 to 44 gave birth in the 12 months prior to the survey, similar to the share of Asian females overall (5%).
- Among Indian females 15 to 44, immigrants had a higher fertility rate than the U.S. born (7% vs. 3%).
Income
Median annual household income
- The median annual income of Indian-headed households was $151,200 in 2023. Among Asian-headed households overall, it was $105,600.
- Households with an Indian immigrant household head had a higher median annual income than those with a U.S.-born Indian household head ($156,000 vs. $120,200).
Median annual personal earnings
- The median annual personal earnings of Indian Americans ages 16 and older was $85,300 in 2023, higher than among Asians overall ($52,400).
- Among full-time, year-round workers, Indians had a median of $106,400 and Asians overall had a median of $75,000.
Poverty status
- 6% of Indians in the U.S. are living in poverty, a smaller share than among Asians overall (10%).
- Equal shares of immigrant and U.S.-born Indians live in poverty (6% each).
Homeownership
- The rate of homeownership among Indian-headed households is 62%, equal to the rate for Asian-headed households overall (62%).
- Among Indian-headed households in the U.S., homeownership rates are higher for those with an immigrant household head than those with a U.S.-born household head (63% vs. 54%).
Religious affiliation
- 48% of Indian-alone adults are Hindu. By comparison, 11% of Asian adults overall are Hindu.
- 15% of Indian-alone adults are Christian and 15% are religiously unaffiliated, including those who identify as atheist or agnostic or with no religion in particular.