ISLAMABAD: According to the Pakistan Department of Language Statistics and Research, more than 70 indigenous languages are spoken by 240 million people across Pakistan. While some number in the millions, others are on the brink of extinction with numbers of less than a thousand speakers.
Punjabi
Punjabi is the most widely spoken native language in Pakistan, with approximately 83 million speakers. This number accounts for about 44% of the total population.
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It is mainly spoken in the province of Punjab, serving as an important part of the region’s cultural identity. It also has a rich literary tradition, with a strong presence in local music and arts.
Pashto
Pashto follows closely behind with 50 million speakers, about 18% of the population. It is mainly spoken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of Balochistan.
The Indo-Iranian language has a strong oral tradition, with poetry and storytelling central to the cultural practices of the Pashtun community.
Sindhi language
About 30 million people speak Sindhi, about 15% of the population. This language is mainly spoken in the province of Sindh.
The Sindhi language plays an important role in local culture and heritage, with Sindhi literature having a long and rich history.
Urdu
Although recognized as the national and co-official language of Pakistan, Urdu is the first language of approximately 70 million people. It only accounts for about 8% of the population.
While it serves as a lingua franca among different ethnic groups, Urdu is widely used in education, media, and government.
balochi
Despite being a provincial language, Balochi is only spoken by about 7 million people as their first language. It accounts for about 3% of the country’s total population.
The language is mainly spoken in Balochistan, where it is an essential aspect of local identity. And although Balochi literature is less rich than other languages, it is gaining recognition and appreciation.
Saraiki
Saraiki is spoken by about 10% of the country’s population – about 26 million speakers. It is mainly spoken in southern Punjab and has distinct cultural and literary traditions.
Although there is great controversy over its status as a separate language, Saraiki speakers often emphasize their unique identity within the broader Punjabi culture.
Hindko
With an estimated three million speakers, Hindko makes up about 1.5% of the population. It is spoken in the regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Punjab, where it has a rich oral tradition and ongoing efforts to promote its literary heritage.
Shina
Shina is the most widely spoken language in Gilgit-Baltistan, mainly spoken in Gilgit district and neighboring areas. Its speakers average around 300,000.
Other languages spoken in Gilgit-Baltistan include Balti with about 200,000 speakers in Skardu district, Khowar with 100,000 native speakers in Chitral and Ghizer districts, and Burushaski with fewer than 90,000 speakers in the Hunza valley and Nagar.
Least spoken language
Among the least spoken languages in Pakistan is Brahui with less than a million speakers. This language is spoken mainly in Balochistan. Unlike the Indo-Aryan languages that dominate the region, Brahui is a Dravidian language.
Gawar-Bati and Wakhi in Gilgit-Baltistan also have fewer than 30,000 speakers. The former is spoken mainly in the Gupis region, while the latter has speakers scattered throughout the Hunza region.
Badeshi is perhaps the least spoken language in Pakistan, with only three reported speakers. This language comes from a remote valley in northern Pakistan, covered in snow most of the year.
Language family
This country of 240 million people is home to many language families, of which the Indo-Aryan languages are the most dominant. This includes Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Saraiki and Hindko.
The Iranian language family then followed, with Pashto and Balochi belonging to the group.
Most of the languages spoken in Gilgit-Baltistan are of Tibeto-Burman origin. These languages are part of the larger Sino-Tibetan language family.
Despite ruling South Asia for nearly eight centuries, there are only two Turkic languages spoken natively in Pakistan: cand Turkmen. They are very limited to extremely remote communities bordering China and Afghanistan.
Although primarily associated with southern India, Pakistan has a small group of Dravidian languages. Only Brahui is a native language in Pakistan, with a small presence of other Dravidian languages limited to immigrant communities.