Languages
Pashto and Dari are both the official languages of Afghanistan. Dari (Afghan Persian) is the lingua franca, the language resorted to when people of different ethnic groups need to conduct business or otherwise communicate. It is a more widely used language in Afghanistan. On the other hand, the Afghan National Anthem is only in the Pashto language.
Sources before 1996 explained that Pashto is the native tongue of 35-55% of the population and Dari being of 25-50%. Uzbeki and Turkmeni are spoken in certain northern provinces, but mainly among the Uzbek and Turkmen tribes. A fair number of Afghans can also speak English, Urdu, Arabic and other languages. An approximate distribution of languages spoken in the country is shown in the line chart below:
| Language | World Factbook / Library of Congress Country Studies (1992-present estimate) | Ethnologue / World Factbook / Iranica (pre-1992 estimates) |
|---|---|---|
| Persian (officially called Dari) | 50% | 25-50% |
| Pashto | 35% | 35-55% |
| Uzbek | 8.5% | 9% |
| Turkmen | 2.5% | 500,000 speakers |
| 30 others (Balochi, Nuristani, Pashayi, Brahui, Hindko, Pamiri, Kyrgyz, Gujari, etc.) | 4% | 4% |
Based on information from the latest national opinion polls, approximately 76% of the 6,500 people polled stated that they can speak Dari, 49% stated that they can speak Pashto. Uzbeki was spoken or understood by 2-11% and Turkmen by 1-3%. About 4-6% of the respondents could also speak English while 2% stated that they can speak Urdu, 1% said Arabic and 1% Balochi. In the survey "Afghanistan: Where Things Stand" (average numbers from 2005 to 2009), 69% of the interviewed people preferred Dari, while 31% preferred Pashto. Additionally, 45% of the polled people said that they can read Dari, while 36% said that they can read Pashto.
Read more about this topic: Demography Of Afghanistan
Famous quotes containing the word languages:
“People in places many of us never heard of, whose names we can’t pronounce or even spell, are speaking up for themselves. They speak in languages we once classified as “exotic” but whose mastery is now essential for our diplomats and businessmen. But what they say is very much the same the world over. They want a decent standard of living. They want human dignity and a voice in their own futures. They want their children to grow up strong and healthy and free.”
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“The trouble with foreign languages is, you have to think before your speak.”
—Swedish proverb, trans. by Verne Moberg.