Portuguese Ancestry in United States
Portuguese Americans are Americans who have full or partial Portuguese ancestry. People of Portuguese ancestry form an important group in several countries in North and South America. They are estimated around 2 million in North America and 14 million in South America.
In the United States census of 2020, 1.4 million people self-identified as being fully or partly of Portuguese ancestry. According to the United States Ancestry Census 2020, there were 1,363,964 (0.42% of the U.S. population) people of Portuguese descent in the U.S.
also read about the Portuguese population in Canada
Top US States by Portuguese population
Population wise California (333,211) has the largest number of people with Portuguese Ancestry followed by Massachusetts (272,918), Florida (89,144), Rhode Island(84,646), and New Jersey (78,295).
Percentage-wise top US states with Portuguese Ancestry are Rhode Island (8.00%), Massachusetts (3.97%), Hawaii (3.38%), New Hampshire(1.45%), and Connecticut (1.31%).
List of States by Portuguese Ancestry Population
| # | States | Estimated Pop. | Percent |
| 1 | Alabama | 4,649 | 0.10% |
| 2 | Alaska | 1,674 | 0.23% |
| 3 | Arizona | 16,180 | 0.23% |
| 4 | Arkansas | 3,122 | 0.10% |
| 5 | California | 333,211 | 0.85% |
| 6 | Colorado | 14,337 | 0.25% |
| 7 | Connecticut | 46,705 | 1.31% |
| 8 | Delaware | 1,253 | 0.13% |
| 9 | District of Columbia | 1,449 | 0.21% |
| 10 | Florida | 89,144 | 0.42% |
| 11 | Georgia | 15,761 | 0.15% |
| 12 | Hawaii | 48,005 | 3.38% |
| 13 | Idaho | 7,027 | 0.40% |
| 14 | Illinois | 10,086 | 0.08% |
| 15 | Indiana | 4,768 | 0.07% |
| 16 | Iowa | 2,082 | 0.07% |
| 17 | Kansas | 2,643 | 0.09% |
| 18 | Kentucky | 3,970 | 0.09% |
| 19 | Louisiana | 3,836 | 0.08% |
| 20 | Maine | 7,541 | 0.56% |
| 21 | Maryland | 11,829 | 0.20% |
| 22 | Massachusetts | 272,918 | 3.97% |
| 23 | Michigan | 6,754 | 0.07% |
| 24 | Minnesota | 3,666 | 0.07% |
| 25 | Mississippi | 1,357 | 0.05% |
| 26 | Missouri | 5,867 | 0.10% |
| 27 | Montana | 1,858 | 0.18% |
| 28 | Nebraska | 1,294 | 0.07% |
| 29 | Nevada | 17,819 | 0.59% |
| 30 | New Hampshire | 19,653 | 1.45% |
| 31 | New Jersey | 78,295 | 0.88% |
| 32 | New Mexico | 3,984 | 0.19% |
| 33 | New York | 52,850 | 0.27% |
| 34 | North Carolina | 17,174 | 0.17% |
| 35 | North Dakota | 711 | 0.09% |
| 36 | Ohio | 9,369 | 0.08% |
| 37 | Oklahoma | 5,351 | 0.14% |
| 38 | Oregon | 19,121 | 0.46% |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | 21,968 | 0.17% |
| 40 | Rhode Island | 84,646 | 8.00% |
| 41 | South Carolina | 8,889 | 0.17% |
| 42 | South Dakota | 661 | 0.08% |
| 43 | Tennessee | 6,167 | 0.09% |
| 44 | Texas | 36,655 | 0.13% |
| 45 | Utah | 5,909 | 0.19% |
| 46 | Vermont | 2,716 | 0.44% |
| 47 | Virginia | 17,404 | 0.20% |
| 48 | Washington | 25,814 | 0.34% |
| 49 | West Virginia | 999 | 0.06% |
| 50 | Wisconsin | 3,386 | 0.06% |
| 51 | Wyoming | 1,437 | 0.25% |
Source: US Census 2020
read about race and ethnicity in the United States
Top U.S metropolitan areas by Portuguese population
Providence Metro area with 208,330 people of Portuguese ancestry, has the largest population of Portuguese Americans. It’s followed by New York (102,064) and the Boston metro area (92,522).
Top Metro Areas by Portuguese Population
| # | Metro Area | Population | Percentage |
| 1 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 208,330 | 12.43% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 102,064 | 0.52% |
| 3 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 92,522 | 1.89% |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 46,729 | 1.01% |
| 5 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 32,284 | 0.25% |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 31,266 | 1.30% |
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | 28,591 | 0.47% |
| 8 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 23,640 | 1.21% |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 17,997 | 0.55% |
| 10 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 16,504 | 0.26% |
| 11 | Worcester, MA-CT | 15,516 | 1.59% |
| 12 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 15,411 | 0.20% |
| 13 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 15,250 | 0.38% |
| 14 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 13,484 | 0.50% |
| 15 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 13,240 | 0.28% |
| 16 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 13,236 | 0.41% |
| 17 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 12,606 | 0.25% |
| 18 | New Haven-Milford, CT | 12,333 | 1.43% |
| 19 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 11,923 | 0.17% |
| 20 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | 11,839 | 1.23% |
Source: US Census Estimates 2021
Also, read about Top US Cities by Population
Portuguese Ancestry: Countries in the Americas
People of Portuguese ancestry form an important group in several countries in North and South America. They are estimated around 2 million in North America and 14 million in South America. It forms an important minority Group in Canada, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Jamaica, and Argentina.
Let’s have a look at countries having significant Portuguese ancestry
| Portuguese in North America | Estimated Population | % of country |
| United States | 1,363,964 | 0.42% |
| Canada | 482,610 | 1.30% |
| Bermuda | 16,250 | 25% |
| Jamaica | 6,000 | 0.22% |
| Saint Barthélemy | 3,300 | 33% |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 753 | 0.75% |
| Portuguese in South America | Population | % of country |
| Brazil | 10,800,000 | 5% |
| Venezuela | 1,300,000 | 4.53% |
| Peru | 1,150,000 | 3.48% |
| Chile | 200,000 | 1% |
| Argentina | 40,100 | 0.09% |
| Uruguay | 13,000 | 0.37% |
| Guyana | 2,000 | 0.27% |
Portuguese Canadians
Portuguese Canadians are Canadians who have full or partial Portuguese ancestry. Portuguese Canadians account for about 1.40% of the total population of Canada. According to the Canadian Census 2020, there were 482,610 people of Russian descent in Canada.
read in detail about Portuguese population in Canada
Portuguese Brazilians
Portuguese Brazilians are Brazilians who have full or partial Portuguese ancestry. Portuguese Brazilians account for about 5% of the total population of Brazil.
Portuguese constitute the 2nd biggest group of foreigners living in the country (the largest being the Bolivians), with an estimated 380,000 Portuguese immigrants currently living in Brazil. According to Portuguese law, any Brazilian who has at least one Portuguese parent or grandparent is eligible to obtain Portuguese citizenship (with some restrictions, especially for grandchildren). Five million Brazilians (2.5% of the population) fall under this category. Many more people are of Portuguese descent however
There are no reliable figures for how many Brazilians descend from the Portuguese. As per the estimates, there were 10 million people of Portuguese descent in Brazil.
Regions with significant Portuguese populations are all of Brazil, predominantly in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo
Portuguese Venezuelans
Portuguese Venezuelans are Portuguese-born citizens with Venezuelan citizenship or Venezuelan-born citizens of Portuguese ancestry or citizenship. Portuguese Venezuelans account for about 5% of the total population of Venezuela.
Portuguese are among the largest ethnic groups in the country. Venezuela has the second largest Portuguese diaspora in America, after Brazil. As per the estimates, there were 1.3 million people of Portuguese descent in Venezuela.
Regions with significant Portuguese populations are Caracas, Valencia, and Maracaibo, also Barquisimeto,
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