What languages are spoken most in New Jersey? The first couple are pretty easy to figure out. English, followed by Spanish are the first two most spoken in the Garden State.

But, what language comes in at #3? That one is not so obvious.

English and Spanish Are the Most Commonly Spoken in America

English or Spanish is spoken by 91.6% of the American population, but the third most popular language varies from state to state. In 13 states, German is the third most-spoken language, which is more than any other language. But German isn't the third most-spoken in New Jersey.

If you are guessing French, Chinese, or Arabic, they all factor in the top ten languages nationally, but not in New Jersey.

What is the Third Most-Spoken Language in New Jersey?

It's the official language of Brazil, Angola, Cabo Verde, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and scores of other countries. It is the fifth most spoken language in the world. That's right...Portuguese.

Oh, Yeah, they also speak it in Portugal. But here's the thing. Portuguese is among the 10 most spoken languages in the world, but only 5 percent of its speakers live in Portugal.

Portuguese is New Jersey's Third Most-Spoken Language?

It was a surprise to me, too, but, according to NJ Spotlight News, there has been a sizable increase in the number of Portuguese speakers in New Jersey over the last decade or two.

Portuguese’s third-place finish represents a sizable increase in the number of people speaking it. Working with 2018 census data, the state ranked it as the seventh most-common language used at home.

What Are the Other Most-Common Languages Spoken in NJ?

After Portuguese, the following languages are commonly spoken in the Garden State: Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Korean, Gujarati, Arabic, Polish, Haitian, Russian, Hindi, Tagalog, Italian, Vietnamese, Urdu, and French.