Home > Portuguese Speakers in Massachusetts

Portuguese is the third most commonly spoken language in Massachusetts (after English and Spanish), accounting for about 2.6% of the total population.


Unofficial sources within our communities estimate that numbers of Portuguese speakers in the state are considerably higher, based on service statistics, school enrollments and other data sources.


  • The latest estimate (2014) shows almost 67,000 people of Brazilian ancestry living in Massachusetts (1% of total state population). Brazilians account for the majority of recent arrivals and tend to be younger adults (median age is 30 years old).
  • There are almost 308,000 people of Portuguese ancestry reported living in Massachusetts, making up 4.6% of the state population. The median age is 39 years old.
  • The latest estimate indicates that roughly 60,000 people of Cabo Verdean ancestry live in Massachusetts (0.9% of the total population), the median age being 41 years old.
Sources: 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Portuguese-speaking countries