United States: African and Caribbean population
As of 2020, an estimated 2.80 million people of African heritage (0.8% of the population) and 2.60 million of Caribbean heritage (0.8%) live in the United States, based on official national statistics.
How this is counted
US Census 2020 detailed race data (DHC-A file). 'Sub-Saharan African alone or in any combination' = 2,800,000 (includes Nigerian 604,077; Ethiopian 325,214; Somali 221,043; Ghanaian 172,558 and others). 'Caribbean alone or in any combination' = 2,600,000 (includes Jamaican ~1,000,000; Haitian ~1,000,000; Trinidadian and Tobagonian 194,364; West Indian 119,806 and others). These are detailed write-in responses within the Black or African American race category; they exclude the 22.1 million who reported 'African American' without a specific origin. Figures are rounded to nearest 100,000 from press release; alone-only counts are 2,300,000 (Sub-Saharan) and 2,100,000 (Caribbean).
Source: United States official statistics.
Common questions
How many people of African descent live in the United States?
As of 2020, an estimated 2.80 million people of African heritage live in the United States (0.8% of the population), based on official national statistics.
How many Caribbean people live in the United States?
As of 2020, an estimated 2.60 million people of Caribbean heritage live in the United States (0.8%).