<P> The Spanish language in the United States has forty - five million Hispanic and Latino Americans that speak Spanish as their first , second or heritage language , and there are six million Spanish language students in the United States , making it the second most spoken language of the United States . With over 50 million native speakers and second language speakers , the United States now has the second largest Spanish - speaking population in the world after Mexico , although it is not an official language of the country . Spanish is the most studied foreign language in United States schools and is spoken as a native tongue by 41 million people , plus an additional 11 million fluent second - language speakers . About half of all American Spanish speakers also assessed themselves as speaking English `` very well '' in the 2000 U.S. Census . The United States is among the Spanish - speaking countries that has its own Academy of the Spanish Language . </P>
<P> The Spanish language in the United States has forty - five million Hispanic and Latino Americans that speak Spanish as their first , second or heritage language , and there are six million Spanish language students in the United States , making it the second most spoken language of the United States . With over 50 million native speakers and second language speakers , the United States now has the second largest Spanish - speaking population in the world after Mexico , although it is not an official language of the country . Spanish is the most studied foreign language in United States schools and is spoken as a native tongue by 41 million people , plus an additional 11 million fluent second - language speakers . About half of all American Spanish speakers also assessed themselves as speaking English `` very well '' in the 2000 U.S. Census . The United States is among the Spanish - speaking countries that has its own Academy of the Spanish Language . </P>
what is the population of spanish speakers in the u.s
what is the population of spanish speakers in the u.s
over 50 million
over 50 million