Portuguese is the third most-spoken language in Utah
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Portuguese, Chinese and German are the three most commonly spoken languages in Utah, other than English and Spanish, per new census data.
Why it matters: The myriad languages spoken across the state reflect the settlement and colonization of centuries long past, as well as more modern immigration patterns.
By the numbers: Just over 13,800 people speak Portuguese in Utah, followed by 9,100 Chinese speakers and 8,500 German speakers, per the census data.
- That is a fraction of the 310,300 Spanish speakers in the Beehive State.
- The survey data represents the languages spoken at home from 2017 to 2021 among people five years and older in the U.S.
The intrigue: Portuguese is prevalent in Utah in part because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has ties to Brazil.
- The South American country is home to 1.5 million church members, according to church statistics. As of 2022, about 7,700 foreign-born residents of Utah hailed from Brazil, according to KSL.com.
- Portuguese is the top language after English and Spanish in four other states: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Between the lines: Nationally, many multilingual people speak one language at home with family, but use English at work, school and elsewhere.
- Just over 60% of people who speak a language other than English at home also say they speak English "very well," per the census data.
Zoom out: Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese are the three most common languages spoken in the U.S. after English and Spanish, per the census data.
- Native American and Indigenous languages remain the most popular non-English or Spanish language in four states, although many such languages are considered endangered.
- Native North American language use fell 6% over the last eight years, according to the census data.