An estimated 5.5 million people in the United States identified as Chinese in 2023, according to estimates published by the U.S. Census Bureau.1 Chinese Americans are the largest Asian origin population living in the U.S., accounting for approximately 22% of the country’s Asian population.
In this fact sheet, the Chinese population includes people living in the United States who self-identify as Chinese. This includes people who trace their or their family’s origins to China, including immigrants from China and those born in the U.S. or elsewhere. It also includes people who identify as Chinese alone and no other race or Asian origin – who account for 77% of the population – as well as people who identify as Chinese in combination with any other race, ethnicity or Asian origin.
The following facts about the Chinese population (unless otherwise noted) are based on people who identify as Chinese 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 Chinese population in the U.S. It at times compares the characteristics of Chinese 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 5 million people in the U.S. identified as Chinese alone or in combination with other races, ethnicities or Asian origins, according to Center analysis of the 2021-23 ACS.3 The Chinese population has grown by roughly 2.5 million since 2000, up from 2.6 million – a 95% increase over roughly two decades.
Immigrants made up 58% of the Chinese population in the U.S. in 2023, a decrease from 66% in 2000. However, the number of Chinese immigrants in the country increased from 1.7 million to 2.9 million people over the same period.
Chinese population in the U.S., 2000-2023
U.S. Chinese (alone or in combination) population, by nativity
| Year | Total | Immigrant | U.S. born |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2,580,000 | 1,700,000 | 880,000 |
| 2010 | 3,800,000 | 2,400,000 | 1,400,000 |
| 2019 | 4,910,000 | 3,020,000 | 1,890,000 |
| 2023 | 5,040,000 | 2,930,000 | 2,100,000 |
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: “Chinese” includes those who identify as Chinese alone or in combination with other races, ethnicities or Asian origins. It does not include those who identify as Taiwanese alone. For a list of Chinese 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 Chinese immigrants, 72% have lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years and 60% are naturalized U.S. citizens.
Language4
- 64% of Chinese ages 5 and older speak English proficiently. This share includes 31% who speak only English at home and 33% 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 Chinese 5 and older, 46% of immigrants are English proficient, compared with 92% of the U.S. born.
- Other top languages spoken at home by Chinese Americans ages 5 and older include Chinese (41%), Mandarin (13%), Cantonese (11%) and Vietnamese (1%).
Geography
- 1.8 million out of the nation’s Chinese population of 5 million, or 35%, live in California.
- Other states with large Chinese populations are New York (760,000), Texas (260,000), Washington (210,000) and Massachusetts (195,000).
- Metropolitan areas with the largest Chinese populations include the New York (840,000), Los Angeles (630,000) and San Francisco (550,000) metro areas.
Age
- The median age of Chinese Americans is 36.6, similar to the median age of Asians overall (34.7).
- The median age of Chinese immigrants is 48.5. Some 4% of the Chinese immigrant population is under 18 years old, and 22% are 65 and older.
- The median age of U.S.-born Chinese Americans is 20.5. Some 42% are under 18 and 6% are 65 and older.
Educational attainment
- 58% of Chinese Americans ages 25 and older have a bachelor’s (28%) or advanced degree (30%). Among Asians overall, 56% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Chinese immigrants 25 and older are less likely to have a bachelor’s degree or higher than those born in the U.S. (54% vs. 70%).
Marital status
- 58% of Chinese adults are married, compared with 58% of Asian adults overall.
- Among Chinese ages 18 and older, 66% of immigrants are married, compared with 38% of the U.S. born.
Fertility
- 5% of Chinese females ages 15 to 44 gave birth in the 12 months prior to the survey, equal to the share of Asian females overall (5%).
- Among Chinese females 15 to 44, immigrants and those born in the U.S. had similar fertility rates (5% and 4%, respectively).
Income
Median annual household income
- The median annual income of Chinese-headed households was $102,800 in 2023. Among Asian-headed households overall, it was $105,600.
- Households with a Chinese immigrant household head had a lower median annual income than those with a U.S.-born Chinese household head ($95,000 vs. $120,400).
Median annual personal earnings
- The median annual personal earnings of Chinese Americans ages 16 and older was $57,200 in 2023, higher than among Asians overall ($52,400).
- Among full-time, year-round workers, Chinese Americans had a median of $84,000 and Asians overall had a median of $75,000.
Poverty status
- 12% of Chinese in the U.S. are living in poverty, similar to the share of Asians overall (10%).
- 14% of Chinese immigrants live in poverty, compared with 9% of U.S.-born Chinese Americans.
Homeownership
- The rate of homeownership among Chinese-headed households is 66%, higher than the rate for Asian-headed households overall (62%).
- Among Chinese-headed households in the U.S., the homeownership rate is higher for those with an immigrant household head than those with a U.S.-born household head (67% vs. 63%).
Religious affiliation5
- 57% of Chinese-alone adults are religiously unaffiliated, which includes those who say they are atheist or agnostic or do not identify with any religion in particular. By comparison, 32% of Asian adults overall are religiously unaffiliated.
- 22% of Chinese-alone adults are Christian and 12% are Buddhist.
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.
Find related reports online at www.pewresearch.org/AsianAmericans.