Hispanic/Latino Health

The U.S. Census Bureau defines “Hispanic or Latino” as “a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.” According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) population estimates, in 2024, more than 68 million Hispanics/Latinos (of any race) lived in the United States, representing about 20.0% of the total U.S. population. In 2024, the ten U.S. states/territories with the largest population of Hispanics/Latinos were Puerto Rico (98.9%), New Mexico (49.1%), California (40.8%), Texas (40.3%), Arizona (32.1%), Nevada (30.6%), Florida (28.7%), New Jersey (23.5%), Colorado (23.2%), and New York (20.2%).

Hispanics/Latinos are the nation’s second-largest racial or ethnic group after non-Hispanic whites. ACS estimates show that Hispanics/Latinos were most represented in the United States by the following Hispanic origin subgroups and their respective estimated populations:

• Mexican – 38,990,058
• Caribbean Hispanic – 11,604,625
• Central American – 7,518,139
• Puerto Rican – 6,110,356
• South American – 5,692,419

According to 2024 ACS estimates, 68.2% of Hispanics/Latinos (of any race) age 5 years and older speak a language other than English at home, with 28.7% reporting they speak English “less than very well.”

According to ACS estimates, in 2024, 74.1% of Hispanics/Latinos (of any race) age 25 years and older had at least a high school diploma, compared to 89.9% of the total U.S. population. 21.5% of Hispanics/Latinos had a bachelor's degree or higher and 7.2% held a graduate or advanced professional degree, compared to 36.8% and 14.7% of the total U.S. population, respectively.

According to 2024 ACS estimates, the median 12-month household income for Hispanic/Latino (of any race) households was $72,574 compared to $81,604 for U.S. households. The unemployment rate for Hispanic/Latinos (5.7%) was higher than that of the total U.S. population (4.6%).

Hispanics/Latinos have the highest uninsured rate of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. According to 2024 ACS estimates, 17.0% of Hispanics/Latinos (of any race) had no health insurance coverage compared to 8.2% of the total U.S. population. 52.4% of Hispanics/Latinos (of any race) had private health insurance coverage, compared to 67.2% of the total U.S. population. 36.8% of Hispanics/Latinos had public health insurance, compared to 36.8% of the total U.S. population.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023, the average estimated life expectancy at birth for Hispanics/Latinos (of any race) was 81.3 years (84.0 years for females and 78.5 years for males), compared to 78.4 years for all races, 85.2 for Asian Americans, 78.4 for Whites, 74.0 for Black/African Americans, and 70.1 for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Although they tend to have higher life expectancies than some other racial and ethnic groups, Hispanic/Latino health is often influenced by factors such as lack of access to preventive care and lack of health insurance. 

In 2023, the five leading causes of death among Hispanics/Latinos (of any race) were cancer, heart disease, unintentional injuries, stroke, and diabetes.