Languages of Iran

Found in: Languages of Iran

This article deals with the languages found in Iran. The Iranian languages article deals with the linguistic branch of the Indo-European languages family

Introduction

The actual population of Iran, based on a census carried out in 2006, is 70,472,846 people.

Different publications have reported different statistics for the languages of Iran; however, it is important to point out that these studies are not based on any official census and that statistics presented by different sources vary significantly. These publications provide neither the sources used nor any indications of the methodologies used to draw their conclusions.

Britannica's estimate of Irans ethnic composition (2000) states Persian 34.9%; Azerbaijani 15.9%; Kurd 13.0%; Luri 7.2%; Gilaki 5.1%; Mazandarani 5.1%; Afghan 2.8%; Arab 2.5%; other 13.5%.

A second source, Ethnologue, has a different statistics for the languages spoken in Iran (see Ethnologue below).

There are dozens of languages spoken in Iran. The following are the languages with the greatest number of speakers :

Persian, Luri, Gilaki and Mazandarani 58%

Azeri and other Turkic languages 26%

Kurdish 9%

Balochi 1%

Arabic 1%

Other language which comprise the remaining 5%, include Armenian, Assyrian and Brahui, etc.

Total population 71,800,000(2008 est.)

An extensive list of languages in Iran

The following list details the languages spoken in Iran and lists the total number of speakers for each language: although the site is controversial due its wide variation from its 1996 edition as well as the fact that it does not provide sources for their statistics.[http://politic.iran-emrooz.net/index.php?/politic/more/13089/ A sample letter to ethnologue about how they arrived at their Azeri population and the response of its editor: Dear Mazdak,

Sorry we cannot help you further with this question. This information was posted by a previous editor, and it probably came from his personal communication with someone else, and was therefore not documented. Regards, Conrad Hurd accessed March 21, 2007

Aimaq 170,000

Alviri-Vidari (unknown)

Gulf Arabic 200,000

Mesopotamian Arabic 1,200,000

Armenian 170,800

Ashtiani 21,099

Assyrian, Neo-Aramaic 10,00 - 20,000

Azerbaijani language 23,500,000

Bakhtiari 1,000,000

Balochi, southern 405,000

Balochi, western 451,000

Bashkardi 7,033

Brahui 10,000

Dari, Zoroastrian 8,000 to 15,000

Dezfuli (unknown)

Domari 1,338,271

Dzhidi (unknown)

Eshtehardi (unknown)

Fars, northwestern (small numbers)

Fars, southwestern (unknown)

Persian, western 22,5000,000

Persian, Eastern 1,000,000

Gazi 7,033

Georgian 50,000

Gilaki 1,265,000

Gozarkhani (unknown)

Harzani 28,132

Hawrami 22,948

Hazaragi 283,000

Jadgali (unknown)

Kabatei (unknown)

Kajali (unknown)

Karingari 17,583

Kazakh 3,000

Khalaj 42,107

Kho'ini (unknown)

Khorosani Turkish 400,000

Khunsari 21,099

Khoresh e-Rostam (unknown)

Koroshi (160-200)

Kurdish, central 1,250,000

Kurdish, northern 350,000

Kurdish, southern 3,000,000

Laki 1,000,000

Lasgerdi (unknown)

Luri, northern 1,500,000

Luri, southern 875,000

Mandaic 500

Mazanderani 3,265,000

Natanzi 7,033

Nayini 7,033

Parsi-Dari 350,000

Pashto, southern 113,000

Qashqa'i 1,500,000

Razajerdi (unknown)

Romani, Balkan (unknown)

Rudbari (unknown)

Salchuq (unknown)

Sangisari (unknown)

Semnani 21,099

Senaya 60

Shahmizardi (unknown)

Shahrudi (unknown)

Sivandi 7,033

Soi 7,033

Sorkhei (unknown)

Takestani 220,000

Talysh 112,000

Taromi, upper (unknown)

Tat, muslim 7,000

Turkmen 2,000,000

Vafsi 18,000

Important note:

Total sum: 72,423,703

Population: 67,503,205

Discrepancy: 4,920,498 The sum of the above figures is almost 5 million more than the population despite the fact that the numbers of people who speak certain languages are still unknown according to this list..