The population who identified as having Arabic-speaking ancestry in the U.S. Census grew by more than 72% between 2000 and 2010. The number of Americans who claim an Arab ancestry has more than doubled since the Census first measured ethnic origins in 1980 and is among the fastest growing Arab diaspora populations in the world.

It is estimated that the nationwide Arab American population, adjusting for under reporting*, is closer to number reported in the below factsheet.

*Research by AAI and Zogby International suggest that the Census Bureau estimate is likely significantly lower than the actual number of Arab Americans in the country. The American Community Survey identifies only a portion of the Arab population through a question on “ancestry” on the census long form. Reasons for the undercount include the placement of and limit of the ancestry question (as distinct from race and ethnicity); the effect of the sample methodology on small, unevenly distributed ethnic groups; high levels of out-marriage among the third and fourth generations; and distrust/misunderstanding of government surveys among recent immigrants.