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|- | Turkmen || 2% || 3% || 3% || 3% |- | Balochi || 0% || 0% || 1% || 1% |- | Pashayi || 0% || 1% || 1% || 1% |- | Nuristani || N/A || N/A || 1% || 1% |- | Arabic || 0% || 2% || 1% || 1% |- | English || 0% || 8% || 5% || 6% |- | Urdu || 0% || 7% || 2% || 3% |}

Statistics vary considerably from source to source, the amount of total Dari (L1+L2) speakers tends to be the most consistent (77-80%). Between sources the amount of L1 speakers of Pashto and Dari vary considerably. With Encyclopedia Britannica estimating that roughly 1/2 of the population of Afghanistan speaks Dari natively, and "more than" 2/5 of Afghanistan speaking Pashto natively. While estimating a lower amount of native Pashto speakers then other sources, Britannica estimates that roughly 20% of the population spoke Pashto as a second language (an estimate higher that most other sources). Britannica also notes that many Pashtuns (particularly in urban areas) speak Dari as their first language, so the quantity of first language speakers is not a reliable indication of ethnicity. Other sources may give higher estimates for L1 Pashto speakers but lower estimates for L2 speakers, and may give varying estimates for Dari depending on whether regional varieties of Dari such as Hazaragi and Aimaq are counted as languages or dialects. Encyclopedia Iranica estimates that 50-55% of Afghanistan speaks Pashto as their native language, but estimates few second language speakers (no estimate was given, only that the amount of L2 speakers was "less than 10%"). Iranica also estimated 25% of Afghanistan natively speaking Dari but also categorized varieties of Persian spoken in central Afghanistan as different languages as Dari, and gave no estimates to the percentage of non-Dari Persian speakers. Iranica also made no reference to how many ethnic Pashtuns spoke Dari as their first language.

A sizeable population in Afghanistan, especially in Kabul, can also speak and understand Hindustani due to the popularity and influence of Bollywood films and songs in the region.

Language policy

The official languages of the country are Dari and Pashto, as established by the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan. Dari is the most widely spoken language of Afghanistan's official languages and acts as a lingua franca for the country. In 1980, other regional languages were granted official status in the regions where they are the language of the majority. This policy was codified in the 2004 Afghan Constitution, which established Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, Pashayi, Nuristani and Pamiri as a third official language in areas where they are spoken by a majority of the population.

Language families

Since Afghanistan is predominantly located on the Iranian plateau, the majority of spoken languages belong to the family of Iranic languages. Turkic languages are spoken sparsely at the northern intersection of the plateau with Central Asia. Similarly, Nuristani languages and Dravidian languages are spoken sparsely at some regions where the plateau intersects with the Indian subcontinent.

Endangered languages

Until 2004, Dari and Pashto were the only languages promoted by the government. Though policy has since changed, it has still harmed many minority languages of the country. The table below shows endangered languages spoken in Afghanistan that are recognized by UNESCO. UNESCO recognizes 23 endangered languages in Afghanistan, 12 of which are exclusively spoken in Afghanistan and one having gone extinct after UNESCO's survey.

• ^(i) lit. "verge of death" Language has so few speakers, it is unlikely to survive unless immediate action is taken to preserve it
• ^(ii) Moghol is the only language in its branch
• ^(iii) Possibly Extinct
• ^(iv) Language has died or gone extinct in Afghanistan, but survives elsewhere.

See also

• Afghan Turkmens
• Demographics of Afghanistan
• Ethnic groups in Afghanistan
• Turkic people in Afghanistan

References

1. "Languages of Afghanistan". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
2. "AFGHANISTAN v. Languages". Encyclopedia Iranica. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
3. Hakala, Walter N. (2012). "Languages as a Key to Understanding Afghanistan's Cultures" (PDF). National Geographic. Retrieved 13 March 2018. In the 1980s and '90s, at least three million Afghans--mostly Pashtun--fled to Pakistan, where a substantial number spent several years being exposed to Hindi- and Urdu-language media, especially Bollywood films and songs, and being educated in Urdu-language schools, both of which contributed to the decline of Dari, even among urban Pashtuns.
4. Krishnamurthy, Rajeshwari (28 June 2013). "Kabul Diary: Discovering the Indian connection". Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations. Retrieved 13 March 2018. Most Afghans in Kabul understand and/or speak Hindi, thanks to the popularity of Indian cinema in the country.
5. "AFGHANISTAN v. Languages". Ch. M. Kieffer. Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 2012-04-08. A. Official languages. Paṧtō (1) is the native tongue of 50 to 55 percent of Afghans... Persian (2) is the language most spoken in Afghanistan. The native tongue of twenty five percent of the population, it is split into numerous dialects.
6. "What Languages are Spoken in Afghanistan?". 2004. Retrieved June 13, 2012. Pashto and Dari are the official languages of the state. are – in addition to Pashto and Dari – the third official language in areas where the majority speaks them
7. "Afghanistan: Country data and statistics".
8. Evans, Lisa (2011-04-15). "Endangered languages: the full list". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
9. unesdoc.unesco.org https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000187026. Retrieved 2022-09-05. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
10. "Tirahi". Ethnologue.

Footnotes

Further reading

• Language Policy and Language Conflict in Afghanistan and Its Neighbors: The Changing Politics of Language Choice

External links

• Distribution of languages map from Columbia University
• Linguistic map of Afghanistan

• Languages of Afghanistan