Growing number of refugees entering the U.S. are Arabic speakers Number of refugees admitted each fiscal year into the U.S, in thousands, by top language groups
With the rise of U.S. refugee arrivals from Middle Eastern and African countries, Arabic has become the most spoken language of incoming refugees. In fiscal 2017, nearly a quarter of refugees entering the U.S. (23%, or more than 12,000 people) spoke Arabic; most of them came from Syria and Iraq.
As the number of Arabic-speaking refugee arrivals has grown in recent years, no other single language has accounted for as high a number of total refugee admissions into the U.S. since 2002.
The rise of Arabic as a leading language of U.S. refugees was preceded by high shares of refugees speaking Somali. In 2004 through 2006, Somali was the leading language of refugees entering the U.S. Overall, between 2002 and 2017, more than 95,000 Somali-speaking refugees entered the U.S.
Growing number of refugees entering the U.S. are Arabic speakers  | Number of refugees admitted each fiscal year into the U.S, in thousands, by top language groups  | Arabic  | Somali  | Nepali  | Karen  | 12 000  | <1 000  | 6, ,000  | 4, 000  | 2,000  | <1 0000  | <1, 000  | <1, 000  | 2002  | 2017  | 2017  | 2002  | 2017  | 2002  | 2017  | 2002  | Note: Fiscal year starts Oct. 1. See AppendixEfor classification ofdetailed languages into broadergroups. Languages besides Arabic Somali  | Nepali and Karen notdisplayed Numbers are roundedto the nea restthousand Refugee  | Source: Pew Research Centeranalysis ofU.S State Department's Refugee Processing Center data (Demographic Profile), accessed Oct. 2,  | 2017  | "U.S Resettles Fewer Refugees Evenas Global Numberof Displaced People Grows  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 