An estimated 5.2 million people in the United States identified as Indian in 2023, according to estimates published by the U.S. Census Bureau.1 Indian Americans are the second-largest Asian origin population living in the U.S., accounting for approximately 21% of the country’s Asian population.
The Indian population includes people living in the United States who self-identify as Indian. This includes people who trace their or their family’s origins to India, including immigrants from India and those born in the U.S. or elsewhere. It also includes people who identify as Indian alone and no other race or Asian origin – who account for 91% of the population – as well as people who identify as Indian in combination with any other race, ethnicity or Asian origin.
The following facts about the Indian population (unless otherwise noted) are based on people who identify as Indian alone or in combination with other races, ethnicities or Asian origins.2
This fact sheet is a profile of the geographic, social and demographic, and economic characteristics of the Indian population in the U.S. It at times compares the characteristics of Indian Americans with characteristics of the U.S. Asian population overall. These detailed tabulations are based on Pew Research Center analysis of the 2021-23 American Community Survey (ACS). (For more information, refer to the methodology.)
Detailed tables: U.S. Asian population data by origin groups
Population
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 Center analysis of the 2021-23 ACS.3 The Indian population has grown by roughly 3.1 million since 2000, up from 1.8 million – a 174% increase over roughly two decades.
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.
Indian population in the U.S., 2000-2023
U.S. Indian (alone or in combination) population, by nativity
| Year | Total | Immigrant | U.S. born |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1,780,000 | 1,300,000 | 470,000 |
| 2010 | 2,930,000 | 2,060,000 | 870,000 |
| 2019 | 4,420,000 | 3,020,000 | 1,400,000 |
| 2023 | 4,860,000 | 3,210,000 | 1,650,000 |
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of the 2000 decennial census (5%) and the 2008-10, 2017-19 and 2021-23 American Community Surveys (IPUMS).
Note: The population shown includes those who identify as Indian alone or in combination with other races, ethnicities or Asian origins. For a list of Indian in combination groups available in the data, refer to the methodology. All figures are rounded according to rules shown in the methodology.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Time in the U.S. and citizenship status
- Among Indian immigrants, 60% have lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years and 51% are naturalized U.S. citizens.
Language4
- 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 affiliation5
- 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.
Find out more
Explore fact sheets on other Asian origin groups in the U.S.
For detailed information on the data and analysis used for these fact sheets, read the methodology.
This fact sheet was written and compiled by Carolyne Im, research analyst. It is an update of a fact sheet originally published on April 29, 2021, compiled by Abby Budiman, former temporary research associate.
The following individuals provided research and editorial guidance: Mark Hugo Lopez, director of race and ethnicity research; Jens Manuel Krogstad, senior writer and editor; Sahana Mukherjee, associate director of race and ethnicity research; Jeffrey S. Passel, senior demographer; Neil G. Ruiz, head of new research initiatives; and Ziyao Tian, research associate. Research Assistants Alexandra Cahn and Gracie Martinez and Research Associates Luis Noe-Bustamante, Khadijah Edwards and Tian provided research support.
This fact sheet was produced by Sara Atske, digital producer. It was copy edited by David Kent, senior copy editor. John Carlo Mandapat, information graphics designer, provided guidance on charts. The communications and outreach strategy was led by Tanya Arditi, senior communications manager, with support from Talia Price, communications associate.