Languages in Pakistan

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Languages of Pakistan
Dominant mother tongue in the districts of Pakistan as of the Census of Pakistan 2017
Official
NationalUrdu[lower-alpha 3]
RegionalOver 70 regional languages
SignedPakistani Sign Language
Keyboard layout
QWERTY and Urdu keyboard

Pakistan is a linguistically diverse country where over 70 languages serve as mother tongues.[2][3] Most of these languages fall under the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family.[4][5] While Urdu holds the status of national language, it shares official recognition with English and functions as the primary medium for communication across different ethnic communities. Several regional languages also serve as first languages for Pakistan’s various ethnolinguistic groups. The 2023 census records languages with over a million speakers each as Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, Urdu, Balochi, Hindko, Brahui, and the Kohistani languages. The census, however, does not include data from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmi (Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, which may affect the reported figures for Shina and Balti). Approximately 60 local languages have fewer than 10 lakh speakers.[6][7]

List of languages[edit | edit source]

Ethnologue's 2022 edition documents 80 established languages in Pakistan, comprising 68 indigenous and 12 non-indigenous varieties. Language vitality assessments classify four as 'institutional', twenty-four as 'developing', thirty as 'vigorous', fifteen as 'in trouble', and four as 'dying'.[6]

Established languages[6]
Language Province[lower-alpha 4] Language group
Aer Sindh Indo-Aryan
Badeshi Khyber Pakhtunkwa Iranian
Bagri Punjab, Sindh Indo-Aryan
Balochi, Makrani Balochistan Iranian
Balochi, Rakhshani Balochistan Iranian
Balochi, Sulaimani Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh Iranian
Balti Gilgit-Baltistan Sino-Tibetan
Bateri Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Bhaya Sindh Indo-Aryan
Brahui Balochistan, Sindh Dravidian
Burushaski Gilgit-Baltistan Isolate
Chilisso Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Dameli Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Dari Khyber Pakhtunkwa Iranian
Dehwari Balochistan Iranian
Dhatki Sindh Indo-Aryan
Domaaki Gilgit-Baltistan Indo-Aryan
English Federal co-official Germanic
Gawar-Bati Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Gawri Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Ghera Sindh Indo-Aryan
Goaria Sindh Indo-Aryan
Gowro Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Gujarati Sindh Indo-Aryan
Gujari Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan,
Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Punjab		 Indo-Aryan
Gurgula Sindh Indo-Aryan
Haryanvi aka Rangri Sindh, Punjab Indo-Aryan
Hazaragi Balochistan Iranian
Hindko, Northern Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Hindko, Southern Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Punjab Indo-Aryan
Jadgali Balochistan, Sindh Indo-Aryan
Jandavra Sindh Indo-Aryan
Jogi Sindh Indo-Aryan
Kabutra Sindh Indo-Aryan
Kacchi Sindh Indo-Aryan
Kalasha Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Kalkoti Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Kamviri Khyber Pakhtunkwa Iranian
Kashmiri Azad Kashmir Indo-Aryan
Kati Khyber Pakhtunkwa Iranian
Khetrani Balochistan Indo-Aryan
Khowar Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Kyrgyz Chitral, Hunza Turkic
Kohistani, Indus Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Koli, Kachi Sindh Indo-Aryan
Koli, Parkari Sindh Indo-Aryan
Koli, Wadiyari Sindh Indo-Aryan
Kutchi Sindh Indo-Aryan
Kundal Shahi Azad Kashmir Indo-Aryan
Lasi Balochistan Indo-Aryan
Loarki Sindh Indo-Aryan
Mankiyali Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Marwari Punjab, Sindh Indo-Aryan
Mewati Punjab, Sindh Indo-Aryan
Memoni Sindh Indo-Aryan
Oadki Punjab, Sindh Indo-Aryan
Ormuri Khyber Pakhtunkwa Iranian
Pahari-Pothwari Azad Kashmir, Punjab Indo-Aryan
Pakistan Sign Language Throughout Indo-Pakistani Sign Language
Palula Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Pashto, Central Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Punjab Iranian
Pashto, Northern Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Punjab Iranian
Pashto, Southern Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Punjab Iranian
Punjabi Punjab, Sindh Indo-Aryan
Saraiki Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Punjab, Sindh Indo-Aryan
Sarikoli Khyber Pakhtunkwa, Gilgit-Baltistan Iranian
Savi Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Shina Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Shina, Kohistani Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Sindhi Sindh, Balochistan Indo-Aryan
Sindhi Bhil Sindh Indo-Aryan
Torwali Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Urdu Sindh, Punjab, Azad Kashmir , Islamabad Indo-Aryan
Ushojo Khyber Pakhtunkwa Indo-Aryan
Vaghri Sindh Indo-Aryan
Wakhi Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkwa Iranian
Waneci Balochistan Iranian
Waziri Khyber Pakhtunkwa Iranian
Yadgha Khyber Pakhtunkwa Iranian

Statistics[edit | edit source]

Most spoken language in each Pakistani subdivision (tehsil)[note 1]

Languages of Pakistan (2023 census)[9]

  Punjabi (36.98%)
  Pashto (18.15%)
  Sindhi (14.31%)
  Saraiki (12.00%)
  Urdu (9.25%)
  Balochi (3.38%)
  Hindko (2.32%)
  Brahui (1.16%)
  Mewati (0.46%)
  Kohistani (0.43%)
  Kashmiri (0.11%)
  Shina (0.05%)
  Balti (0.02%)
  Kalasha (0.003%)
  Others (1.38%)
Second Largest mother tongue in Pakistan by district
Third Largest mother tongue in Pakistan by district
Census history of major languages
Rank Language 1951 census[lower-alpha 5] 1961 census[lower-alpha 5] 1972 census 1981 census[11] 1998 census[12][13] 2017 census[14] 2023 census[9]
1 Punjabi 67.08% 66.39% ... 48.17% 44.15% 38.78% 36.98%
2 Pashto 8.16% 8.47% ... 13.15% 15.42% 18.24% 18.15%
3 Sindhi 12.85% 12.59% ... 11.77% 14.1% 14.57% 14.31%
4 Saraiki ... ... ... 9.84% 10.53% 12.19% 12.00%
5 Urdu 7.05% 7.57% ... 7.60% 7.57% 7.08% 9.25%
6 Balochi 3.04% 2.49% ... 3.02% 3.57% 3.02% 3.38%
7 Hindko ... ... ... 2.43% ... 2.44% 2.32%
8 Brahui 0.70% 0.93% ... 1.21% ... 1.24% 1.16%
9 Mewati ... ... ... ... ... ... 0.46%
10 Kohistani ... ... ... ... ... ... 0.43%
11 Kashmiri ... ... ... ... ... 0.17% 0.11%
12 Shina ... ... ... ... ... ... 0.05%
13 Balti ... ... ... ... ... ... 0.02%
14 Kalasha ... ... ... ... ... ... 0.003%
15 Others 1.12% 1.56% ... 2.81% 4.66% 2.27% 1.38%

* Saraiki and Hindko were included with Punjabi until the 1981 census.

*Census data for the Pakistani administered territories of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir not available as of 2024.

Official languages[edit | edit source]

Urdu (official language)[edit | edit source]

The proportion of people with Urdu as their mother tongue in each Pakistani District as of the 2023 Pakistani Census

Urdu (اردو) functions as Pakistan's national language (قومی زبان) and serves as the country's lingua franca in big cities. The 2023 census reveals that merely 9.25% of Pakistanis indicated Urdu as their mother tongue. Nevertheless, it enjoys widespread comprehension and usage as a second language throughout Pakistan, while also representing national identity for all Pakistanis.[15][16]

In Pakistan's educational framework, Urdu instruction remains compulsory up to the higher secondary level across both English and Urdu medium school systems. This educational policy has generated millions of Urdu speakers who utilize it as a second language, despite their native tongues being among Pakistan's other languages. As a result, Urdu has absorbed vocabulary from various regional Pakistani languages,[17] while certain Urdu terminologies have also been incorporated into Pakistan's regional languages.[18][19]

English (co-official language)[edit | edit source]

English functions as a co-official language in Pakistan and finds extensive application within the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, alongside limited usage in the officer ranks of Pakistan's armed forces. The nation's Constitution and legal statutes were originally composed in English and are presently undergoing translation into local languages. Additionally, English serves as a medium of instruction in educational institutions including schools, colleges, and universities. English is widely regarded as facilitating social advancement, with its usage increasingly prevalent in upper social strata where it commonly coexists with native Pakistani languages. In 2015, announcements were made regarding initiatives to promote Urdu in official contexts, yet Pakistan's Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal clarified that "Urdu will be a second medium of language and all official business will be bilingual," while also indicating that English would be taught alongside Urdu in educational institutions. [20]

Major regional languages[edit | edit source]

Punjabi[edit | edit source]

The proportion of people with Punjabi as their mother tongue in each Pakistani District as of the 2023 Pakistani Census

Punjabi (پنجابی), written in Shahmukhi, represents an Indo-Aryan language predominantly spoken throughout Pakistan's Punjab province, with the Majhi dialect serving as the prominent variant and being written in the Shahmukhi script. Punjabi emerges as Pakistan's most extensively spoken language, functioning as a mother tongue for approximately 36.98% of Pakistanis. The language maintains significant presence among the overseas Pakistani diaspora, particularly in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Punjabi distinguishes itself within both the Indo-Aryan languages and the broader Indo-European language family through its distinctive employment of lexical tone.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag[21][22][23] which potentially hosts the world's largest Pashtun population.[24] Three principal dialect patterns exist within Pashto classification: the Northern (Peshawar) variety known as Pakhto, and the southern dialect spoken near Quetta.

Endangered languages[edit | edit source]

Map showing some of the minor languages in Pakistan as of 1998.

Other languages spoken by linguistic minorities include those enumerated below, with speaker communities ranging from a few dozen to tens of thousands. Several of these languages face grave risk of extinction, potentially having no speakers remaining.[43] The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation has established five gradations of language endangerment, spanning from "safe" (not endangered) to "extinct":

  • Vulnerable - "most children speak the language, but its usage may be confined to specific domains (e.g., home)"
  • Definitely endangered – "children no longer acquire the language as mother tongue within the household"
  • Severely endangered – "the language is spoken by grandparents and elderly generations; while the parental generation may comprehend it, they do not speak it to children or among themselves"
  • Critically endangered – "the youngest speakers are grandparents and seniors, and they utilize the language partially and infrequently"
  • Extinct – "there are no remaining speakers; included in the Atlas if presumably extinct since the 1950s"

The language endangerment classifications presented below draw from findings in the third edition of the Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010), previously known as the Red Book of Endangered Languages, alongside data from the online edition of the same publication, both issued by UNESCO.

Language Status Comments ISO 639-3
Balti Vulnerable[25] Also spoken in: India bft
Bashkarik Definitely endangered[25]   gwc, xka
Badeshi Critically endangered[25]  Only three speakers remaining as of 2018.[26] bdz
Bateri Definitely endangered[25]   btv
Bhadravahi Definitely endangered[25] Also spoken in: India bhd
Brahui Vulnerable[25] Also spoken in: Afghanistan brh
Burushaski Vulnerable[25]   bsk
Chilisso Severely endangered[25]   clh
Dameli Severely endangered[25]   dml
Domaaki Severely endangered[25]   dmk
Gawar-Bati Definitely endangered[25] Also spoken in: Afghanistan gwt
Gowro Severely endangered[25]   gwf
Jadgali jdg
Kalasha language Severely endangered[25]  Not to be confused with Kalasha-ala kls
Kalkoti Severely endangered[25]    
Kati (Kamkata-viri,
Kata-vari, Kamviri) 		Definitely endangered[25] Also spoken in: Afghanistan bsh, xvi
Khowar Vulnerable[25]   khw
Kundal Shahi Definitely endangered[25] Also spoken in: India  
Kutchi Vulnerable[25] Also spoken in: India kfr
Maiya Vulnerable[25]   mvy
Ormuri Definitely endangered[25] Also spoken in: Afghanistan oru
Phalura Definitely endangered[25]   phl
Purik Vulnerable[25] Also spoken in: India prx
Savi Definitely endangered[25] Also spoken in: Afghanistan sdg
Spiti Vulnerable[25] Also spoken in: India spt
Torwali Definitely endangered[25]   trw
Ushojo Definitely endangered[25]   ush
Wakhi Definitely endangered[25] Also spoken in: China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan wbl
Yidgha Definitely endangered[25]   ydg
Zangskari Definitely endangered[25] Also spoken in: India zau

Other languages[edit | edit source]

Arabic[edit | edit source]

Arabic serves as the religious language for Pakistan's Muslim population. The Holy Quran, Sunnah, Hadith, and Muslim theological studies are conducted in Arabic, accompanied by Urdu translations. Arabic instruction occurs in mosques, schools, colleges, universities, and madrassahs. A significant portion of Pakistan's Muslim demographic has received either formal or informal training in Arabic reading, writing, and pronunciation as part of their religious education. Despite this educational focus, Pakistanis generally do not converse in Arabic.[27] The Constitution of Pakistan references Arabic, specifically Article 31 No. 2, which states: "The State shall endeavour, as respects the Muslims of Pakistan (a) to make the teaching of the Holy Quran and Islamiat compulsory, to encourage and facilitate the learning of Arabic language..."[28] The National Education Policy 2017 stipulates in Article 3.7.4: "Arabic as compulsory part will be integrated in Islamiyat from Middle to Higher Secondary level to enable the students to understand the Holy Quran." Additionally, Article 3.7.6 specifies: "Arabic as elective subject shall be offered properly at Secondary and Higher Secondary level with Arabic literature and grammar in its course to enable the learners to have command in the language." Article 3.7.12 further establishes that "The curriculum in Islamiyat, Arabic and Moral Education of public sector will be adopted by the private institutions to make uniformity in the society."[29]

Persian[edit | edit source]

Persian maintained its status as the official language in the region until the late 19th century, when the British administration enacted legislation to substitute it with indigenous languages. The language possessed an extensive historical presence in the territories comprising modern Pakistan and served as the cultural medium of the erstwhile Mughal Empire, representing a continuous tradition since its introduction by Central Asian Turkic invaders who invaded India,[30] along with the patronage extended by the preceding Turko-Persian Delhi Sultanate. Persian was formally discontinued as an administrative language with the British arrival: in Sindh during 1843 and in Punjab during 1849. Currently, the eastern Dari dialect of Persian is utilized by Afghan refugees and a small segment of the local Balochistani Hazara population. A more substantial number of Pakistani Hazaras communicate using the Hazaragi dialect.[31] In the Madaklasht valley of Chitral, the Madaklashti dialect of Tajik Persian is spoken by descendants of ironmongers from Badakhshan who established residence there during the eighteenth century.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Article: 251 National language". Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  2. ↑ Ashraf, Hina (22 March 2022). "The ambivalent role of Urdu and English in multilingual Pakistan: a Bourdieusian study". Language Policy. 22 (1): 25–48. doi:10.1007/s10993-022-09623-6. ISSN 1573-1863. PMC 8939399. PMID 35340722.
  3. ↑ Ashraf, Muhammad Azeem; Turner, David A.; Laar, Rizwan Ahmed (January 2021). "Multilingual Language Practices in Education in Pakistan: The Conflict Between Policy and Practice". SAGE Open. 11 (1): 215824402110041. doi:10.1177/21582440211004140. ISSN 2158-2440. S2CID 232484396.
  4. ↑ Rengel, Marian (15 December 2003). Pakistan: A Primary Source Cultural Guide. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-8239-4001-1.
  5. ↑ Kachru, Braj B.; Kachru, Yamuna; Sridhar, S. N. (27 March 2008). Language in South Asia. Cambridge University Press. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-139-46550-2.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Eberhard, Simons & Fennig 2022.
  7. ↑ "Endangered Languages Project - Torwali - Challenges to the linguistic diversity of North Pakistan". www.endangeredlanguages.com. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  8. ↑ Statistical Year Book 2020 (PDF). Muzaffarabad: AJ&K Bureau Of Statistics. pp. 131, 140. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Population by Mother Tongue, Sex and Rural/Urban, Census–2023" (PDF). pbs.gov.pk. Pakistan Bureau Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2024.
  10. ↑ "India - Population, Vol-1, Pakistan - Census 1961". censusindia.gov.in. pp. 30–39.
  11. ↑ Division, Population Census Organisation Statistics; Pakistan, Government of; Islamabad (December 1981). 1981 Census Report of Pakistan. Population Census Organisation Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad.
  12. ↑ "POPULATION BY MOTHER TONGUE" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 September 2016.
  13. ↑ Ilahi, Mazhar (2014). "Legislative Drafting in Plain Urdu Language for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan". European Journal of Law Reform (in Nederlands). 16 (3): 597–609. doi:10.5553/EJLR/138723702014016003005. ISSN 1387-2370.
  14. ↑ "TABLE 11 - POPULATION BY MOTHER TONGUE, SEX AND RURAL/ URBAN" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  15. ↑ "PAKISTAN". Official U.S. Marine Corps. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  16. ↑ The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 1992. p. 264.
  17. ↑ Ahmad, Aijazuddin (2009). Geography of the South Asian Subcontinent: A Critical Approach. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 978-81-8069-568-1.
  18. ↑ Hock, Hans Henrich; Bashir, Elena (24 May 2016). The Languages and Linguistics of South Asia: A Comprehensive Guide. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. ISBN 978-3-11-042330-3.
  19. ↑ Raj, Ali (30 April 2017). "The case for Urdu as Pakistan's official language". Herald Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  20. ↑ "Pakistan to replace English with Urdu as official language – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  21. ↑ "In a city of ethnic friction, more tinder". The National. 24 August 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  22. ↑ "Columnists | The Pakhtun in Karachi". Time. 28 August 2010. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  23. ↑ [1] Archived 9 December 2012 at Archive.today, thefridaytimes
  24. ↑ Lieven, Anatol (4 May 2021). "An Afghan Tragedy: The Pashtuns, the Taliban and the State". Survival. 63 (3): 7–36. doi:10.1080/00396338.2021.1930403. ISSN 0039-6338. S2CID 235219004.
  25. ↑ 25.00 25.01 25.02 25.03 25.04 25.05 25.06 25.07 25.08 25.09 25.10 25.11 25.12 25.13 25.14 25.15 25.16 25.17 25.18 25.19 25.20 25.21 25.22 25.23 25.24 25.25 25.26 25.27 25.28 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named UNESCO
  26. ↑ "Badeshi: Only three people speak this 'extinct' language". 26 February 2018.
  27. ↑ Rahman, Tariq (1997). "Language and Ethnicity in Pakistan". Asian Survey. 37 (9): 833–839. doi:10.2307/2645700. ISSN 0004-4687. JSTOR 2645700.
  28. ↑ Constitution of Pakistan: Constitution of Pakistan, 1973 - Article: 31 Islamic way of life Archived 26 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine, 1973, retrieved 28 July 2018
  29. ↑ Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training: National Education Policy 2017 Archived 10 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine, p. 25, retrieved 28 July 2018
  30. ↑ Clinton Bennett; Charles M. Ramsey (1 March 2012). South Asian Sufis: Devotion, Deviation, and Destiny. A&C Black. p. 18. ISBN 978-1-4411-5127-8.
  31. ↑ "Hazaragi (آزرگی)". omniglot.com.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Urdu and English have official status all around the country under the provisions of the Pakistani constitution
  2. ↑ Sindh's official language is Sindhi. It is the only province in the country that has its own official language, alongside the nationally official languages Urdu and English
  3. ↑ Under the provisions of the Pakistani constitution, Urdu has status as the 'national language'[1]
  4. ↑ Excluding large urban centres
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Only include statistics for West Pakistan[10]
  1. ↑ The linguistic breakdown in the four provinces and ICT is as per 2023 census. For Azad Jammu and Kashmir, see the 2020 official survey.[8] For Gilgit Baltistan see Backstrom & Radloff 1992. For Gilgit Baltistan specifically, see also the languages of Gilgit Baltistan.
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