Languages of Pakistan

Languages of Pakistan
Dominant mother tongue in the districts of Pakistan as of the 2017 Pakistani census
Official	Urdu (nationwide) English (nationwide) Sindhi (in Sindh)
National	Urdu
Regional	Over 70 regional languages
Signed	Pakistani Sign Language
Keyboard layout	QWERTY and Urdu keyboard

Pakistan is a multilingual country with over 70 languages spoken as first languages. The majority of Pakistan's languages belong to the Indo-Iranian group of the Indo-European language family.

Urdu is the national language and the lingua franca of Pakistan, and while sharing official status with English, it is the preferred and dominant language used for inter-communication between different ethnic groups. Numerous regional languages are spoken as first languages by Pakistan's various ethnolinguistic groups.

According to the 2023 census, languages with more than a million speakers each include Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, Urdu, Balochi, Hindko, Brahui and the Kohistani languages. The census excludes data from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, therefore Shina and Balti population might not be exact. There are approximately 60 local languages with fewer than a million speakers.

List of languages

The 2022 edition of Ethnologue lists 80 established languages in Pakistan. Of these, 68 are indigenous and 12 are non-indigenous. In terms of their vitality, 4 are classified as 'institutional', 24 are 'developing', 30 are 'vigorous', 15 are 'in trouble', and 4 are 'dying'.

Established languages

Language	Province	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	Nuristani
Kashmiri	Azad Kashmir	Indo-Aryan
Kati	Khyber Pakhtunkwa	Nuristani
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

Most spoken language in each Pakistani subdivision (tehsil)

Languages of Pakistan (2023 census)

1. Punjabi (37.0%)
2. Pashto (18.1%)
3. Sindhi (14.3%)
4. Saraiki (12.0%)
5. Urdu (9.25%)
6. Balochi (3.38%)
7. Hindko (2.32%)
8. Brahui (1.16%)
9. Mewati (0.46%)
10. Kohistani (0.43%)
11. Kashmiri (0.11%)
12. Shina (0.05%)
13. Balti (0.02%)
14. Kalasha (0.00%)
15. 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	1961 census	1972 census	1981 census	1998 census	2017 census	2023 census
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

Urdu (official language)

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

Urdu (اردو) is the national language (قومی زبان) and lingua franca of Pakistan. According to the 2023 census, only about 9.25% of Pakistanis reported it as their first language. However, it is widely spoken and understood as a second language across the country and serves as a symbol of national identity for all the Pakistanis.

Urdu was chosen as a symbol of unity for the new state of Pakistan in 1947, because the linguistic patriotism of South Asian Muslims over Urdu played a significant role in the formation of Pakistan, and it also had already served as a lingua franca among Muslims in north and northwest British India. It is written, spoken and used in all provinces/territories of Pakistan, and together with English as the main languages of instruction, although the people from differing provinces may have different native languages.

Urdu is taught as a compulsory subject up to higher secondary school in both English and Urdu medium school systems, which has produced millions of second-language Urdu speakers among people whose native language is one of the other languages of Pakistan – which in turn has led to the absorption of vocabulary from various regional Pakistani languages, while some Urdu vocabulary has also been assimilated by Pakistan's regional languages.

English (co-official language)

See also: Pakistani English

English is a co-official language of Pakistan and is widely used in the executive, legislative and judicial branches as well as to some extent in the officer ranks of Pakistan's armed forces. Pakistan's Constitution and laws were written in English and are now being re-written in the local languages. It is also widely used in schools, colleges and universities as a medium of instruction. English is seen as the language of upward mobility, and its use is becoming more prevalent in upper social circles, where it is often spoken alongside native Pakistani languages. In 2015, it was announced that there were plans to promote Urdu in official business, but Pakistan's Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal stated, "Urdu will be a second medium of language and all official business will be bilingual." He also went on to say that English would be taught alongside Urdu in schools.

Major regional languages

Punjabi

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

Punjabi (پنجابی) is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in the Punjab province of Pakistan, with the prominent dialect being the Majhi dialect, written in the Shahmukhi script. Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in Pakistan. It is spoken as a first language by 36.98% of Pakistanis. The language is spoken among a significant overseas diaspora, particularly in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Punjabi is unusual among the Indo-Aryan languages and the broader Indo-European language family in its usage of lexical tone. It is also spoken in Indian Punjab but it is official there, unlike in Pakistani Punjab.

Pashtu

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

Pashto (پښتو) is an Iranian language spoken as a first language by more than 18.15% of Pakistanis, mainly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as in ethnic Pashtun communities in northern Balochistan and the cities of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and most notably Karachi, which may have the largest Pashtun population of any city in the world. There are three major dialect patterns within which the various individual dialects may be classified; these are the Pakhto variety of Northern (Peshawar) variety, the southern Pashto spoken in the vicinity of Quetta.

Sindhi

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

Sindhi (سنڌي) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken as a first language by almost 14.31% of Pakistanis, mostly in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The name "Sindhi" is derived from Sindhu, the original name of the Indus River.

Like other languages of this family, Sindhi has passed through Old Indo-Aryan (Sanskrit) and Middle Indo-Aryan (Pali, secondary Prakrits, and Apabhramsha) stages of growth. 20th century Western scholars such as George Abraham Grierson believed that Sindhi descended specifically from the Vrācaḍa dialect of Apabhramsha (described by Markandeya as being spoken in Sindhu-deśa) but later work has shown this to be unlikely. It entered the New Indo-Aryan stage around the 10th century CE.

The six major known dialects of the Sindhi language are Siroli, Vicholi, Lari, Thari, Lasi and Kutchi.

Saraiki

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

Saraiki (سرائیکی) is an Indo Aryan language of the Lahnda group spoken in central and southeastern Pakistan, primarily in the southern part of the province of Punjab. Saraiki is to a high degree mutually intelligible with Standard Punjabi and is coshares with it a large portion of its vocabulary and morphology. At the same time in its phonology it is radically different.

Saraiki is spoken by approximately 26 million people in Pakistan, ranging across southern Punjab, southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and border regions of northern Sindh and eastern Balochistan.

Balochi

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

Balochi (بلۏچی) is an Iranian language spoken as a first language by about 3% of Pakistanis, mostly in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.

Hindko

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

Hindko (ہندکو) is an Indo-Aryan language group of Lahnda spoken in several discontinuous areas in northwestern Pakistan, primarily in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. It is mutually intelligible with Standard Punjabi and Saraiki,The word Hindko, commonly used to refer to a number of Indo-Aryan languages spoken in the neighbourhood of Pashto, likely originally meant "the Indian language" (in contrast to Pashto). An alternative local name for this language group is Hindki.

Brahui

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

Brahui (براہوئی) is a Dravidian language spoken in the central part of Balochistan province of Pakistan. Brahui is spoken mainly in Kalat, Khuzdar, Mastung, Nushki and Surab districts, but also in smaller numbers in neighboring districts, as well as in Afghanistan which borders Balochistan province of Pakistan; however, many members of the ethnic group no longer speak Brahui.

Endangered languages

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

Other languages spoken by linguistic minorities include the languages listed below, with speakers ranging from a few dozen to tens of thousands. A few are highly endangered languages that may soon have no speakers at all. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization defines five levels of language endangerment between "safe" (not endangered) and "extinct":

• Vulnerable - "most children speak the language, but it may be restricted to certain domains (e.g., home)"
• Definitely endangered – "children no longer learn the language as mother tongue in the home"
• Severely endangered – "language is spoken by grandparents and older generations; while the parent generation may understand it, they do not speak it to children or among themselves"
• Critically endangered – "the youngest speakers are grandparents and older, and they speak the language partially and infrequently"
• Extinct – "there are no speakers left; included in the Atlas if presumably extinct since the 1950s"

The list below includes the findings from the third edition of Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010; formerly the Red Book of Endangered Languages), as well as the online edition of the aforementioned publication, both published by UNESCO.

Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3