Punjabi tops Pakistan’s languages as Census 2023 reveals trends

According to the latest population census results published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in Pakistan, with 37% of the population using it as a means of communication.

The second most widely spoken language is Pashto, followed by Sindhi in third place. Nine per cent of the population speaks Urdu, with the largest proportion of Urdu speakers residing in Sindh, followed by the federal capital, Islamabad.

Results from the 2023 census indicate that nationally, around 9.25% of the population speak Urdu, up from 7.08% in 2017.

The largest proportion of Urdu speakers is in Sindh, followed by Islamabad, where 15.72% of the population use Urdu as their main language. The most commonly spoken language remains Punjabi, with 36.98% of the population using it. In Pakistan, Punjabi dominates, spoken by 67% of the population, followed by Islamabad with 50%.

Pashto is the predominant language in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, spoken by 81% of the population, followed by Hindko (9.39%). In Sindh, Sindhi is the most widely spoken language, spoken by 60% of the population, followed by Urdu (22.30%).

In Balochistan, Balochi is the main language, spoken by 39.91% of the population, followed by Pashto (34.30%). In Islamabad, a mixture of Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto is commonly used.