Languages spoken in Pakistan
Asia · Capital: Islamabad · Population 252.4 million
In Pakistan, two languages have official status: Urdu and English. Urdu is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 95% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 239.7 million people. After Urdu, the most widely spoken are Punjabi at 70% and Western Panjabi at 40%. Urdu belongs to the Indo-European language family. Urdu is also spoken in one of its four neighbours: India. In total, 12 languages are recorded in Pakistan, and their shares add up to 269.8% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 2.7 of them.
What languages are spoken in Pakistan?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| UrduIndo-European | 95% | Official | 239.7 million |
| PunjabiIndo-European | 70% | Spoken | 176.7 million |
| Western Panjabi | 40% | Spoken | 100.9 million |
| PashtoIndo-European | 16% | Spoken | 40.4 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 15% | Official | 37.9 million |
| SindhiIndo-European | 15% | Spoken | 37.9 million |
| SaraikiIndo-European | 12% | Spoken | 30.3 million |
| Baluchi | 2.6% | Spoken | 6.6 million |
| Northern HindkoIndo-European | 1.7% | Spoken | 4.3 million |
| Brahui | 1.3% | Spoken | 3.3 million |
| PersianIndo-European | 0.7% | Spoken | 1.7 million |
| Western Balochi | 0.6% | Spoken | 1.4 million |
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 Pakistan?
In Pakistan, two languages have official status: Urdu and English. Urdu is spoken by an estimated 95% of the population, or roughly 239.7 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 Urdu in Pakistan?
An estimated 95% of Pakistan's 252.4 million people speak Urdu, which works out at roughly 239.7 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 Pakistan
- Capital
- Islamabad
- Population
- 252.4 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 881,912 km²
- Currency
- PKR
- Languages recorded
- 12
- Land borders
- 4
- ISO codes
- PK / PAK / 586
Which countries border Pakistan?
Pakistan shares a land border with four countries: Afghanistan, China, India, and Iran. Urdu, the most widely spoken language in Pakistan, 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.