Languages spoken in Peru
South America · Capital: Lima · Population 32.6 million
In Peru, three languages have official status: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Spanish is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 73% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 23.8 million people. After Spanish, the most widely spoken are Quechua at 15% and Aymara at 1.6%. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family. Spanish is also spoken in all five of its neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Peru, and their shares add up to 89.6% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.9 of them.
What languages are spoken in Peru?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpanishIndo-European | 73% | Official | 23.8 million |
| Quechua | 15% | Official | 4.9 million |
| Aymara | 1.6% | Official | 521,603 |
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 Peru?
In Peru, three languages have official status: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Spanish is spoken by an estimated 73% of the population, or roughly 23.8 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 Spanish in Peru?
An estimated 73% of Peru's 32.6 million people speak Spanish, which works out at roughly 23.8 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 Peru
- Capital
- Lima
- Population
- 32.6 million
- Continent
- South America
- Area
- 1,285,216 km²
- Currency
- PEN
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- PE / PER / 604
Which countries border Peru?
Peru shares a land border with five countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. Spanish, the most widely spoken language in Peru, is also spoken in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and 1 others.
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.