Languages spoken in Nepal
Asia · Capital: Kathmandu · Population 31.1 million
The official language of Nepal is Nepali. An estimated 44% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 13.7 million people. After Nepali, the most widely spoken are Maithili at 11% and Bhojpuri at 6.8%. Nepali belongs to the Indo-European language family. Nepali is also spoken in one of its two neighbours: India. In total, six languages are recorded in Nepal, and their shares add up to 70.3% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.7 of them.
What languages are spoken in Nepal?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| NepaliIndo-European | 44% | Official | 13.7 million |
| MaithiliIndo-European | 11% | Spoken | 3.4 million |
| BhojpuriIndo-European | 6.8% | Spoken | 2.1 million |
| Newari | 3.3% | Spoken | 1 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 3% | Spoken | 933,672 |
| Awadhi | 2.2% | Spoken | 684,693 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Nepal?
The official language of Nepal is Nepali. Nepali is spoken by an estimated 44% of the population, or roughly 13.7 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak Nepali in Nepal?
An estimated 44% of Nepal's 31.1 million people speak Nepali, which works out at roughly 13.7 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Nepal
- Capital
- Kathmandu
- Population
- 31.1 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 147,181 km²
- Currency
- NPR
- Languages recorded
- 6
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- NP / NPL / 524
Which countries border Nepal?
Nepal shares a land border with two countries: China and India. Nepali, the most widely spoken language in Nepal, is also spoken in India.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.