Pakistan is a country rich in linguistic diversity, with people speaking many different languages across its provinces and regions. According to the 2023 Census, over 240 million Pakistanis communicate in various mother tongues that reflect the country’s cultural heritage and regional identities. Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in Pakistan, it is spoken by about 37% of the population, followed by Pushto and Sindhi.
However, the linguistic landscape varies greatly from province to province. While Punjabi dominates in Punjab and Sindh has Sindhi as its primary language, Pushto is the main language in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan shows a more balanced mix of Balochi and Pushto speakers. This linguistic diversity is one of Pakistan’s defining characteristics, showcasing how different communities maintain their unique identities while being part of one nation.
Most Spoken Languages in Pakistan
The following tables present the top 10 most spoken languages at the national level and in each province, offering insights into Pakistan’s multilingual society. This data is based on 2023 National Census of Pakistan.
Pakistan (National Level)
| Rank | Language | Number of Speakers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjabi | 88,915,544 | 36.98% |
| 2 | Pushto | 43,633,946 | 18.15% |
| 3 | Sindhi | 34,401,564 | 14.31% |
| 4 | Saraiki | 28,849,579 | 12.00% |
| 5 | Urdu | 22,249,307 | 9.25% |
| 6 | Balochi | 8,117,795 | 3.38% |
| 7 | Hindko | 5,590,559 | 2.32% |
| 8 | Brahvi | 2,778,670 | 1.16% |
| 9 | Mewati | 1,094,219 | 0.46% |
| 10 | Kohistani | 1,039,007 | 0.43% |
Pakistan Total population: 241,499,431
Most Spoken Languages in Punjab
| Rank | Language | Number of Speakers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjabi | 85,309,591 | 67.00% |
| 2 | Saraiki | 26,282,637 | 20.64% |
| 3 | Urdu | 9,143,466 | 7.18% |
| 4 | Pushto | 2,387,378 | 1.87% |
| 5 | Balochi | 1,063,324 | 0.84% |
| 6 | Mewati | 1,035,687 | 0.81% |
| 7 | Hindko | 779,667 | 0.61% |
| 8 | Sindhi | 352,686 | 0.28% |
| 9 | Kashmiri | 155,088 | 0.12% |
| 10 | Kohistani | 21910 | – |
Most Spoken Languages in Sindh
| Rank | Language | Number of Speakers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sindhi | 33,462,299 | 60.14% |
| 2 | Urdu | 12,409,745 | 22.30% |
| 3 | Pushto | 2,955,893 | 5.31% |
| 4 | Punjabi | 2,265,471 | 4.07% |
| 5 | Balochi | 1,208,147 | 2.17% |
| 6 | Saraiki | 913,418 | 1.64% |
| 7 | Hindko | 830,581 | 1.49% |
| 8 | Brahvi | 265,769 | 0.48% |
| 9 | Mewati | 57,059 | 0.10% |
| 10 | Kashmiri | 53,249 | – |
Most Spoken Languages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
| Rank | Language | Number of Speakers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pushto | 32,919,592 | 81.00% |
| 2 | Hindko | 3,815,327 | 9.39% |
| 3 | Saraiki | 1,288,200 | 3.17% |
| 4 | Urdu | 259,925 | 0.64% |
| 5 | Punjabi | 99,485 | 0.24% |
| 6 | Shina | 70,140 | 0.17% |
| 7 | Balochi | 30,636 | 0.08% |
| 8 | Sindhi | 10,019 | 0.02% |
| 9 | Kashmiri | 6,471 | 0.02% |
| 10 | Kalasha | 5,632 | – |
Most Spoken Languages in Balochistan
| Rank | Language | Number of Speakers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Balochi | 5,811,185 | 39.91% |
| 2 | Pushto | 4,955,245 | 34.03% |
| 3 | Brahvi | 2,507,157 | 17.22% |
| 4 | Sindhi | 555,198 | 3.81% |
| 5 | Saraiki | 319,054 | 2.19% |
| 6 | Others | 215,405 | 1.48% |
| 7 | Punjabi | 86,457 | 0.59% |
| 8 | Urdu | 77,249 | 0.53% |
| 9 | Hindko | 24,204 | 0.17% |
| 10 | Kashmiri | 7,352 | 0.05% |
Most Spoken Languages in Islamabad Capital Territory
| Rank | Language | Number of Speakers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjabi | 1,154,540 | 50.57% |
| 2 | Pushto | 415,838 | 18.21% |
| 3 | Urdu | 358,922 | 15.72% |
| 4 | Hindko | 140,780 | 6.17% |
| 5 | Others | 64,734 | 2.84% |
| 6 | Kashmiri | 51,920 | 2.27% |
| 7 | Saraiki | 46,270 | 2.03% |
| 8 | Sindhi | 21,362 | 0.94% |
| 9 | Balti | 10,315 | 0.45% |
| 10 | Shina | 7,099 | 0.31% |
FAQs About Most Spoken Languages in Pakistan
1. What is the most spoken language in Pakistan?
Punjabi is the most spoken language in Pakistan, with approximately 88.9 million speakers, representing 37% of the total population.
2. How many people speak Urdu in Pakistan?
About 22.2 million people speak Urdu as their mother tongue, which is approximately 9.25% of Pakistan’s population.
3. Is Urdu the national language of Pakistan?
Yes, Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, but it is not the mother tongue of the majority. Most Pakistanis speak regional languages at home.
4. What are the top 5 languages spoken in Pakistan?
The top 5 languages are: Punjabi (37%), Pushto (18%), Sindhi (14%), Saraiki (12%), and Urdu (9%).
5. Which language is most spoken in Punjab?
Punjabi is the dominant language in Punjab province, spoken by 67% of the population, followed by Saraiki at 21%.
6. What is the main language of Sindh province?
Sindhi is the main language of Sindh province, spoken by 60% of the population. Urdu is the second most common at 22%.
7. Which language dominates in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?
Pushto is overwhelmingly dominant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, spoken by 81% of the population.
8. What languages are spoken in Balochistan?
Balochistan has three major languages: Balochi (40%), Pushto (34%), and Brahvi (17%), making it the most linguistically diverse province.
9. How many languages are spoken in Pakistan?
Pakistan has over 70 languages, but the Census 2023 tracks around 15 major languages along with an “Others” category for smaller languages.
10. What is the difference between Punjabi and Saraiki?
While both are related languages, Saraiki is spoken primarily in southern Punjab and has distinct vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural identity. Saraiki speakers number about 28.8 million.
11. Which language is spoken in Islamabad?
Islamabad, being the capital, is multilingual. Punjabi is most common (51%), followed by Pushto (18%) and Urdu (16%).
12. What is Hindko and where is it spoken?
Hindko is spoken by 5.6 million people nationally, primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (particularly Hazara division) and northern Punjab.
13. How many people speak Balochi?
Approximately 8.1 million people speak Balochi as their mother tongue, mainly concentrated in Balochistan province.
14. What is Brahvi language?
Brahvi is a Dravidian language spoken by 2.8 million people, primarily in Balochistan. It is unique as the only Dravidian language spoken in Pakistan.
15. Are smaller languages dying out in Pakistan?
While major languages dominate, smaller languages like Kalasha, Shina, Balti, and Kohistani continue to be spoken by their communities, though some face challenges in preservation. The census shows speakers ranging from a few thousand to over 100,000 for these languages.
Source: Pakistan Census 2023 – Population by Mother Tongue