Portuguese is the third most-spoken language in Utah
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.
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