Languages of Afghanistan


is a multilingual country in which two languages – Dari and Pashto – are both official and most widely spoken.
Dari is the official name of the variety of Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. It is often referred to as the Afghan Persian. Although still widely known as Farsi to its native speakers, the name was officially changed to Dari in 1964 by the Afghan government. Dari has been the preferred language of government for centuries, despite the domination of politics by Pashtuns for whom Pashto is their native language.
According to the CIA World Factbook, Afghan Persian or Dari was spoken by 77% , Pashto by 48%, Uzbek 11%, English 6%, Turkmen 3%, Urdu 3%, Pashayi 1%, Nuristani 1%, Arabic 1%, and Balochi 1%. Data represent the most widely spoken languages; shares sum to more than 100% because there is much bilingualism in the country and because respondents were allowed to select more than one language. The Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi, Pashayi, Nuristani, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them.
Both Pashto and Dari are Indo-European languages from the Iranian languages sub-family. Other regional languages, such as Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, Pashayi and Nuristani, are spoken by minority groups across the country.
Minor languages include: Ashkunu, Kamkata-viri, Vasi-vari, Tregami and Kalasha-ala, Pamiri, Brahui, Arabic, Qizilbash, Aimaq, and Pashai and Kyrgyz, and Punjabi. Linguist Harald Haarmann believes that Afghanistan is home to more than 40 minor languages, with around 200 different dialects.

Overview

The Persian or Dari language functions as the nation's lingua franca and is the native tongue of several of Afghanistan's ethnic groups including the Tajiks, Hazaras and Aimaqs. Pashto is the native tongue of the Pashtuns, the dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan. Due to Afghanistan's multi-ethnic character, multilingualism is a common phenomenon.
The exact figures about the size and composition of the various ethnolinguistic groups are unavailable since no systematic census has been held in Afghanistan in decades. The table below displays the major languages spoken in Afghanistan per sample statistics:
Language2006
2006
2013
2018
Pashto38%6%35%41%
Dari52%26%48%51%
Uzbek7%2%9%8%
Turkmen2%3%3%3%
Balochi0%0%1%1%
Pashayi0%1%1%1%
NuristaniN/AN/A1%1%
Arabic0%2%1%1%
English0%8%5%6%
Urdu0%7%2%3%

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.