Across the country the Hispanic population is our fastest-growing population group. Given this short window of opportunity, it is crucial that we start putting churches and ministries in place now to serve this important group.

Population

• Total current U.S. Population - 290,000,000

• 37 million Hispanics

• 106% increase in overall immigration from 1990 to 2000

• As of February 2003, Hispanics are now the largest minority group in

  America , at 12.5%, replacing African-Americans.

Immigration

• INS estimates another 7 million unauthorized immigrants

• 1 million legal Hispanics enter the country per year

• 350,000 - 800,000 illegal immigrants enter the country per year

• 66% from Mexico, 7% from El Salvador, 3% Guatemala, followed by

  Honduras and El Salvador

• By 2050 it is estimated that Latinos will be one-fourth of the population.

• The Latino population is increasingly drawn to non-Western and non-coastal parts of the U.S.

Economics

• Median Household income - $33,455

• Primary reason for coming to the U.S.is economic opportunity.

• 76% Latinos believe that the “American Dream” is possible. To most Latinos, the American Dream is “A better life for their children.”

• 17% Latinos have household incomes above $50,000, compared to 22% of African-Americans and 42% of Anglos.

• Latinos send over $23 billion dollars annually to their countries of origin, accounting for more than 10% of the Gross Domestic Product in some countries and is an amount greater than “all forms of Official Development Assistance.”

• 65% have health insurance.

Households

• The average Hispanic household is 3.6 people, compared with 2.6 in the general population.

• The Hispanic birth rate is 3.2, compared to 2.2 for African-Americans and 1.9 for Anglos.

• The median age for Hispanics in the United States24.3 years, compared to 35.3 years for the non-Hispanic population.

• One third of the population is under 18, or part of the Net Generation.

Education

• 55% of foreign-born Latinos have less than a high school education.

• 23% of Native-Born Latinos have less than a high school education.

Melting Pot?

• “There is no single, homogenous Latino opinion. A diversity of views exist among Latinos, and the difference between foreign-born, regardless of their country of origin , and the native-born and those between the English-dominant and the Spanish-dominant are most notable. …The population is undergoing rapid change. Latinos are both becoming part of the mainstream AND maintaining their native culture.” - Pew Hispanic Center

• A majority identify themselves by their parent’s country of origin

• Spanish is the dominant language of adult, first-generation Hispanic immigrants.

• Second-generation U.S.-born children of immigrants predominately speak English or are bilingual.

• 80% of U.S. Hispanic adults speak Spanish at home, but that will change over time.

Opinions

• Hispanics tend to be more pro-family and have a more favorable opinion of government than do anglos or African-Americans.

• 45% vote

• 25 seats in U.S. Congress

• “Family, socializing with friends, happiness and festive events are important to the Hispanic culture and the family, as a group, is usually a high priority. 45% of the Hispanics consider their family as the source of their satisfaction versus 21% of the general consumer market.”

• “Foreign-born Latinos, especially those who immigrated after the age of 10, and those who speak Spanish predominately tend to agree that fate determines their future.” - Pew Hispanic Center

Religious

• 57% identify themselves as Catholic, 22% protestant, 5% other and 12% with no affiliation.  (National Survey of Religious Identification)

Sources

1. U.S. Census Bureau -

   www.uscencus.gov 

2. U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service - www.ins.usdoj.gov 

3. Pew Charitable Trust Research on Hispanic Americans - www.pewhispanic.org 

4. Center for Immigration Studies - www.cis.org 

5. Population Reference Bureau - www.prb.org 

6. National Community on Latino Leadership - www.latinoleadership.org 

7. University of  New York American Religious Survey , 2001 -

   www.gc.cuny.edu 

8. Facts and figures of world religions - www.adherents.com 

9. World Evangelization Research Center -

   www.gem-werc.org