Hispanic power and influence is surging: 50% of recent U.S. population growth has come from Hispanics and the U.S. Latino population is expected to double within the next two generations. And today’s significantly-younger, increasingly U.S. born, dynamic Hispanic population is shaping the American mainstream by maintaining strong ties to its cultures of origin, developing an “ambicultural*” personality that is at once entirely American and entirely of one’s culture of origin.

Savvy marketers are taking notice and crafting dual-language communications that speak to both the American spirit and the Latino soul. To better understand these young and vibrant consumers, this fifth report on the Latino consumer in Nielsen’s Diverse Intelligence Series examines the latest trends in Hispanic demographics, consumption and media behaviors, accompanied by a close look at the Latino electorate.

With a record number of Hispanic-Americans eligible to vote this year, its application in politics is obvious—but the same data is equally relevant to marketing and advertising campaigns in any sphere, as a fundamental message of this report concerns the sheer size of the Hispanic population as a percentage of all Americans. 

Language and Age

Today’s younger generations of Hispanics (under age 55) are predominantly bilingual and, with each new generation, more English dominant. Currently, 40.6 million Hispanics over the age of five speak English well, and 96% of Hispanics under 18 are either bilingual or English dominant. In total, 55% of Hispanics are bilingual, while 27% are English dominant and 19% are Spanish dominant.