Igbo
Reference material, with every source named. Our own communities are further down the page.
Endangerment status
Not endangered
Children are still learning this language at home.
Source: Glottolog (glottolog-cldf, master)
ISO 639-3 ibo · ISO 639-1 ig · Glottocode nucl1417
Speakers at home
The census does not count this language separately. It is folded into a broader category, and the figures below are that whole category — not this language. How many of those people speak it is recorded nowhere. Category: Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, or other languages of Western Africa
By state
- New York101,214limited English 28,253
- Texas98,851limited English 13,930
- Maryland67,935limited English 11,185
- New Jersey45,488limited English 7,514
- Georgia44,379limited English 6,874
- California39,641limited English 7,250
- Illinois30,191limited English 7,188
- Virginia26,028limited English 5,115
- Pennsylvania25,703limited English 6,852
- Ohio25,032limited English 6,656
- Massachusetts19,831limited English 4,557
- Minnesota18,218limited English 5,638
- Indiana15,191limited English 3,437
- North Carolina14,764limited English 2,304
- Florida11,617limited English 2,091
- Washington9,152limited English 2,085
- Michigan8,851limited English 1,924
- Connecticut8,239limited English 1,409
- Tennessee7,332limited English 1,994
- Colorado6,647limited English 1,476
- Arizona6,179limited English 1,274
- Delaware5,665limited English 739
- Missouri4,747limited English 788
- Rhode Island4,632limited English 1,740
- South Carolina3,533limited English 795
- Iowa3,492limited English 1,169
- Alabama3,285limited English 418
- Oklahoma3,138limited English 327
- Wisconsin3,123limited English 669
- Kentucky3,082limited English 1,046
- North Dakota2,351limited English 730
- Kansas2,241limited English 390
- Nebraska2,041limited English 487
- Oregon2,020limited English 413
- Louisiana1,888limited English 230
- Nevada1,739limited English 455
- New Mexico1,459limited English 171
- Utah1,187limited English 56
- Arkansas1,082limited English 143
- New Hampshire875limited English 64
- Mississippi791limited English 165
- Maine703limited English 171
- South Dakota622limited English 220
- Vermont595limited English 75
- West Virginia539limited English 58
- Idaho424limited English 152
- Hawaii268limited English 7
- Wyoming181limited English 8
- Alaska82limited English 35
- Montana57limited English 0
By city
- New York City80,795limited English 22,312
- Houston23,811limited English 2,428
- Chicago10,561limited English 3,037
- Columbus9,445limited English 2,019
- Philadelphia8,493limited English 713
- Los Angeles4,663limited English 1,035
- Dallas3,971limited English 387
- Phoenix2,873limited English 306
- Boston2,764limited English 502
- Seattle2,372limited English 1,013
- Charlotte2,162limited English 465
- San Diego1,945limited English 56
- Sacramento1,785limited English 0
- San Jose384limited English 33
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year. The second figure counts people who speak English less than “very well”.
The census publishes this table for every state but for only a handful of cities. A city missing from this list is one it does not publish, not one where nobody speaks the language.
Help record this language 0 / 10
Ten small things, each answerable in under a minute by anyone who speaks the language. You do not need to prepare, and you do not have to do them in order.
- A greetingnone yet
How do you greet someone, and how do they answer?
- Numbersnone yet
Count from one to ten.
- Familynone yet
The words for mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, child.
- Saying goodbyenone yet
How did the oldest person you knew say goodbye?
- Foodnone yet
Name a dish and say how it is made.
- Weather and seasonsnone yet
Describe today’s weather, then name the seasons.
- A place namenone yet
The name of your home place in this language, and what it means.
- A proverbnone yet
A saying that does not translate well. Say it, then explain it.
- A song for a childnone yet
Sing something that was sung to you.
- A storynone yet
A story you were told as a child. Take as long as you need.
Join a community for this language to add a recording
You keep what you record. It stays credited to you, nobody else can change it, and you can delete it at any time.
Communities on CultureMesh
- Igbo speakers in Marylandmembers 1
Notes from people here
Is this right? For most languages the census refuses to count speakers separately, so the figure above is a whole category rather than this language. If you know better, write it down — on this page you are the source.
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CultureMesh, "Igbo" language page (https://culturemesh.com/languages/igbo-52). Endangerment status: Glottolog (glottolog-cldf, master). Speakers at home: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year.