Language is a major feature of human existence because it helps humans to communicate with each other and develop relationships between them.
We all know that India is the seventh largest country in the world by region as well as the second most populous country in the world. There is a population of more than 1.2 billion people, many religions are prevalent here.
India consists of different languages and cultures and people speaking different languages are scattered in different parts of the country.
According to the census analysis, there are 121 languages which are spoken by 10,000 or more people in India, whose population is 121 crores.
According to the latest census analysis, more than 9,500 languages are spoken in India as mother tongue. Let us study about the 10 most spoken languages in India according to the 2011 language census through this article.
However, the population still faces challenges such as malnutrition, corruption, poverty, and inadequate health care. India is home to several major languages, the most notable of which are given below.
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Hindi - 52.83 crore speakers
Hindi is the most spoken language in India. It is one of the official languages of the country. According to the data of Indian languages based on the 2011 census, the number of people speaking Hindi as mother tongue has increased in 2011 as compared to the 2001 census.
Bengali - 9.72 crore speakers
The second most spoken language in India is Bengali, which is spoken by 9.72 crore citizens i.e. 8.03 percent of the total population.
Marathi - 8.30 crore speakers
A total of 8.30 crore people speak Marathi in the country, which is 6.86 percent of the total population.
Telugu - 8.11 crore speakers
Telugu is a Dravidian language which is widely spoken in India in many states of the country. The language is also spoken in many countries including the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
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Tamil - 6.90 crore speakers
The Tamil language has its roots with the Dravidian language. Although it is the official language of both Singapore and Sri Lanka, it is also a widely spoken language in India. Most of the Tamil language is spoken in southern India near the coast of Sri Lanka.
Gujarati - 5.54 crore speakers
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by 5.54 crore people in India. It is the official language of Gujarat, a state located in north-western India. Let us tell you that Gujarati language has evolved from Sanskrit.
Urdu - 5.07 crore speakers
There are about 5.07 crore Urdu speakers in India. Urdu is also one of the official languages of the country. Urdu is listed as an official language in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana and Jharkhand.
Kannada - 4.37 crore speakers
Like Tamil, Kannada is also a Dravidian language. It is spoken by 4.37 crore people in India. Do you know that Kannada is one of the oldest living languages in the world.
Odia - 3.75 crore speakers
Odia is the official language of India and most of the speakers are centered in the state of Odisha. This language is spoken by 3.75 crore speakers across the country.
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Malayalam - 3.48 crore speakers
An estimated number of 3.48 crore speakers in India speak Malayalam, which is spoken in the states of Kerala, Puducherry and Lakshadweep. The roots of this language are also from the Dravidian languages.
English language - 2,59,678 speakers
Along with Hindi, the English language is one of the official languages of the federal government of India. In some states of India like Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, English is an official language.
Due to the wide variety of languages in India, communication between speakers is not hindered as most Indians are multi-lingual. Most Indians can speak English, Hindi and a mother tongue.
English is no longer considered a foreign language as it is popular as the most common mode of communication among people in the south and north of India.
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