About 98% of languages spoken in Pakistan are Indo-Iranian (sub-branches: 75% Indo-Aryan and 20% pure Iranian), a branch of Indo-European family of languages. Most languages of Pakistan are written in the Perso-Arabic script, with significant vocabulary derived from Persian as well as those Arabic words found in Persian. As such the pronunciation of all such Arabic words in native languages of Pakistan, follow the Persian model and not that of prestine Arabic of Arabia. Punjabi (Shahmukhi), Saraiki, Sindhi, Pashto, Urdu, Balochi, Kashmiri (Koshur), etc. are the general languages spoken within Pakistan. The majority of Pakistanis belong to various Indo-Aryan-speaking ethnic groups, while a large minority are various Iranic peoples and Dardic language groups. In addition, small groups language isolates such as Burusho and Dravidian Speakers like the Brahui people also live in the country. The major ethnic groups of Pakistan in numerical size include: Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Saraikis, Muhajirs, Balochis, Hindkowans, Chitralis and other smaller groups.
Following are the major languages spoken in Pakistan. The percentage of Pakistanis who are native speakers of that language is also given.
| Language | 2008 estimate | 1998 census | Main areas spoken | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Punjabi | 76,367,360 | 44.17% | 58,433,431 | 44.15% | Punjab | |||
| 2 | Pashto | 26,692,890 | 15.44% | 20,408,621 | 15.42% | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | |||
| 3 | Sindhi | 26,410,910 | 15.35% | 18,661,571 | 14.10% | Sindh | |||
| 4 | Saraiki | 18,019,610 | 10.42% | 13,936,594 | 10.53% | South Punjab | |||
| 5 | Urdu | 13,120,540 | 7.59% | 10,019,576 | 7.57% | Karachi, Sindh | |||
| 6 | Balochi | 6,204,540 | 3.59% | 4,724,871 | 3.57% | Balochistan | |||
| 7 | Others | 8,089,150 | 3.59% | 6,167,515 | 4.66% | ||||
| Total | 172,900,000 | 100% | 132,352,279 | 100% | Pakistan | ||||
Smaller ethnic groups, such as Kashmiris, Hindkowans, Kalash, Burusho, Brahui, Khowar, Shina, Balti and Turwalis are mainly found in the northern parts of the country. The people of the Potohar Plateau in Northern Punjab and Western Azad Kashmir (called Potoharis), were historically distinct from Punjabis because of the difference in language. However, as time has developed and both Punjabi and Potohari have been largely replaced by the national Urdu language - Potoharis are seen as Punjabi by the Punjabi community.
Pakistan's census does not include the registered 1.7 million Afghan refugees from neighbouring Afghanistan, who are mainly found in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) areas, with small numbers in the cities of Karachi and Quetta. Many of them were born inside Pakistan in the last 30 years and are counted as citizens of Afghanistan, and most of them are ethnic Pakhtuns from southeastern Afghanistan. In 1995, there were more than 1.6 million Bengalis, 650,000 Afghans, 200,000 Burmese, 2,320 Iranians and Filipinos and hundreds of Nepalis, Sri Lankans and Indians reported to be living in Karachi.
Famous quotes containing the words ethnic and/or groups:
“Caprice, independence and rebellion, which are opposed to the social order, are essential to the good health of an ethnic group. We shall measure the good health of this group by the number of its delinquents. Nothing is more immobilizing than the spirit of deference.”
—Jean Dubuffet (1901–1985)
“Under weak government, in a wide, thinly populated country, in the struggle against the raw natural environment and with the free play of economic forces, unified social groups become the transmitters of culture.”
—Johan Huizinga (1872–1945)