The Telugu population in the US has grown by leaps and bounds, from 360,000 in 2016 to 1.23 million in 2024. Telugu is now the 11th most spoken foreign language in the US and is growing faster than others.
California has the most Telugu population, nearly 200,000, followed by Texas with 150,000 and New Jersey with 110,000. States like Illinois, Virginia, and Georgia also have large Telugu communities, with 83,000, 78,000, and 52,000 speakers respectively.
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Each year, around 60,000 to 70,000 Telugu people move to the US, including significant H1B visa holders. This increase shows how the Telugu community is growing, especially in tech and other jobs.
The expanding Telugu-speaking population has not only diversified the cultural fabric of the US but has also bolstered the influence of Telugu cinema.
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1 Million gross collections was considered a huge benchmark a few years ago. Now even smaller budget movies are making over $1 million with positive talk.
Prabhas’ latest film Kalki 2898 AD earned over $5.5 million from premieres and opening day in North America, which is crazy. Early predictions suggest it could earn another $2 million on Friday.
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If this trend continues, then the next SS Rajamouli and Mahesh Babu film could easily earn $8-10 million from just US premieres, thanks to the growing Telugu population in the US.