More than 6 million people of South Asian origin live in the United States. That is the clearest answer supported by current public data. But there is no single official “South Asian population” number, because the U.S. Census Bureau reports several detailed identities separately rather than placing every South Asian in one combined category.
The latest nationwide figures show the scale of the community. The Census Bureau estimated that about 5.6 million people identified as Asian Indian alone or in combination in 2024. Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Sri Lankan, Bhutanese, Sikh and other South Asian responses add hundreds of thousands more. South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), citing Pew Research Center, uses a conservative benchmark of at least 5.8 million South Asians in the country.
Put together, these sources support describing the U.S. South Asian population as more than 6 million people—and growing. A more exact total depends on which identities and diaspora communities a researcher includes and how multiple responses are handled.
Who is included as South Asian?
South Asia usually includes people with roots in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and the Maldives. Some community organizations also include Afghanistan, Kashmir and members of the wider South Asian diaspora whose families came to the United States through places such as Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, East Africa, the United Kingdom or Canada.
For its detailed Asian population tables, the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) places the following responses under “South Asian”:
- Asian Indian
- Bangladeshi
- Bhutanese
- Nepalese
- Pakistani
- Sikh
- Sri Lankan
- Other South Asian
The Maldives does not appear as its own line in this ACS table and may be included in “Other South Asian.” The Census Bureau places Afghan responses under “Central Asian” in this particular table, although many South Asian advocacy organizations include Afghan Americans in their community definition.
What the latest Census data tells us
The Census Bureau’s 2024 population estimates put the entire Asian alone-or-in-combination population at 26.8 million. Asian Indian was one of the country’s largest detailed Asian groups, at approximately 5.6 million.
The 2024 ACS also shows that the United States had an estimated total population of 340.1 million. This means South Asians account for roughly 2% of all U.S. residents, depending on the definition used.
Indian Americans form the largest share of the South Asian population, but the national total also includes substantial Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepalese communities, as well as smaller but well-established Sri Lankan and Bhutanese populations. These communities are diverse in language, religion, immigration history, income, education and generation.
Why you may see different numbers
Population estimates can differ even when they come from reliable organizations. There are several reasons:
- Different definitions: Some counts include Afghanistan and the broader diaspora; others follow the Census table’s narrower classification.
- “Alone” versus “in combination”: A person may identify only with one Asian group or with that group plus another race or detailed origin.
- Multiple detailed responses: Someone may report more than one South Asian identity. In a table of “groups tallied,” that person can contribute to more than one group line, so simply adding every row may double-count some people.
- Different data years: Older articles may use the 2020 Census or earlier ACS estimates, while newer reports may use 2023 or 2024 data.
- Survey estimates: The ACS is based on a sample and includes margins of error. It is not an exact headcount.
For these reasons, “more than 6 million” is a responsible current summary, while “at least 5.8 million” remains a widely cited conservative estimate.
A large and growing part of America
South Asian Americans live in every region of the United States. Large communities are especially visible in metropolitan areas in New York and New Jersey, California, Texas, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts and Georgia. Their contributions span small business, medicine, technology, education, public service, the arts and many other fields.
The numbers tell only part of the story. “South Asian American” covers many nationalities, languages, faiths and migration experiences. Good demographic reporting should recognize that diversity while making the methodology behind every estimate clear.
Sources and references
- U.S. Census Bureau, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May 2026 (uses 2024 population estimates and ACS data)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 1-Year Table B02018: Asian Alone or in Any Combination by Selected Groups
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 1-Year Table B02015: Asian Alone by Selected Groups
- Maryland State Data Center, United States 2024 ACS 1-Year Profile
- South Asian Americans Leading Together, population benchmark citing Pew Research Center
Data note: Figures were checked in August 2026. ACS estimates are survey-based and subject to margins of error. “Alone or in combination” includes people who reported a group by itself or together with another race or detailed group.
