Face painting to celebrate Dia de los Muertos at Olvera Street. Los Angeles Almanac Photo.
Also see: Hispanic Origin by City and Community
and Racial/Ethnic Population for Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County has, by far, the largest Hispanic and Latino population of any county in the United States, more than twice that of second-ranked Harris County, Texas. Most of this population is ethnically Mexican (75 percent), however, Los Angeles County is also home to the largest Central American population in the U.S., including the largest Guatemalan, Costa Rican and Salvadoran ethnic populations in the U.S.
| Ethnic Origin | 2010 Census | 2018 Census Estimates* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Percent | Population | Percent | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,687,889 | 100.00% | 4,893,603 | 48.46%† |
| Mexican | 3,510,677 | 74.89% | 3,716,024 | 75.94% |
| Puerto Rican | 44,609 | 0.95% | 45,178 | 0.92% |
| Cuban | 41,350 | 0.88% | 40,402 | 0.83% |
| Dominican Republic | 3,609 | 0.08% | 5,859 | 0.12% |
| Ethnic Origin | 2010 Census | 2018 Census Estimates* | ||
| Population | Percent | Population | Percent | |
| Central American | 675,832 | 14.42% | 813,030 | 16.61% |
| Costa Rican | 9,365 | 0.20% | 10,204 | 0.21% |
| Guatemalan | 214,939 | 4.58% | 270,589 | 5.53% |
| Honduran | 42,901 | 0.92% | 48,887 | 1.00% |
| Nicaraguan | 37,205 | 0.79% | 41,568 | 0.85% |
| Panamanian | 5,402 | 0.12% | 5,070 | 0.10% |
| Salvadoran | 358,825 | 7.65% | 427,674 | 8.74% |
| Other Central American | 7,195 | 0.15% | 9,038 | 0.18% |
| Ethnic Origin | 2010 Census | 2018 Census Estimates* | ||
| Population | Percent | Population | Percent | |
| South American | 118,776 | 2.53% | 128,440 | 2.62% |
| Argentinean | 19,540 | 0.42% | 19,249 | 0.39% |
| Bolivian | 4,857 | 0.10% | 5,416 | 0.11% |
| Chilean | 8,573 | 0.18% | 8,658 | 0.18% |
| Colombian | 25,272 | 0.54% | 29,295 | 0.60% |
| Ecuadorian | 19,588 | 0.42% | 20,700 | 0.42% |
| Paraguayan | 413 | 0.01% | 431 | 0.01% |
| Peruvian | 34,135 | 0.73% | 37,322 | 0.76% |
| Uruguayan | 1,628 | 0.03% | 1,394 | 0.03% |
| Venezuelan | 3,279 | 0.07% | 4,509 | 0.09% |
| Other South American | 1,491 | 0.03% | 1,466 | 0.03% |
| Ethnic Origin | 2010 Census | 2018 Census Estimates* | ||
| Population | Percent | Population | Percent | |
| Other Hispanic or Latino | 293,036 | 6.25% | 144,670 | 2.96% |
| Spaniard | 30,356 | 0.65% | 31,312 | 0.64% |
| Spanish | 20,575 | 0.44% | 18,590 | 0.38% |
| Spanish American | 1,091 | 0.02% | 429 | 0.01% |
| All other Hispanic or Latino | 241,014 | 5.14% | 94,339 | 1.93% |
* 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
† The Hispanic or Latino population is estimated to be 48.46% of the county's total population.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
It is reported that a late 19th Century editorial in the Los Angeles Times predicted that the "Mexican" population in Los Angeles would disappear by the early part of the 20th Century.
Also see: Hispanic or Latino Ethnic Origin - Los Angeles County.
