In addition to Spanish, several other languages are commonly spoken throughout Mexico, including Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, and Tarahumara. Spaniards pronounce them like a voiceless /th/. It is spoken today by about 100,000 people across Chiapas, Quintana Roo, and Campeche states. In Mexico, Spanish has been influenced by indigenous languages like Nahuatl, so the pronunciation is often quite different from other dialects. By 2055, the median age will be 44 and almost 30% of Mexicans will be over 60, causing the population to decrease after 2062. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com. What's The Definition Of A Cosmopolitan City? Many sixteenth-century churchmen studied indigenous languages in order to instruct native peoples in Christian doctrine. New York: Springer, 2008. The non-indigenous languages spoken in Mexico include English (by English-speaking as well as by the residents of border states). Literature projects done with the Nahua people [22] include "Keeping the fire alive: a decade of language revitalization in Mexico" showing the experiences of language revitalization in South Mexico.[23]. When answering the question what language do they speak in Mexico?, one can not forget local dialects. They all sound like /s/. This is not as common in Spain and Latin America, where people tend to be more formal. So yes: If you want to visit Mexico and understand what people are saying around youor even if you want to be able to read street signsyou should learn some basic Spanish before your trip! German (spoken mainly in Mexico City and Puebla), Greek (spoken mainly in Mexico City, Guadalajara and especially in Sinaloa state), Arabic, Venetian (in Chipilo), Italian, French, Occitan, Catalan, Basque, Galician, Asturian, Filipino, Polish, Hebrew, Korean, Ladino, Plautdietsch, Armenian, Japanese, Chinese and other languages are spoken by smaller numbers. This listing is also cross-indexed in hypertext format to a listing of languages and the countries where it is spoken. In 1980, the five most commonly spoken languages other than English were Spanish, Italian, German, French, and Polish. When we refer to the Mexican language, were really talking about Spanish. The language is influenced by Carib, French, and Spanish and was once only spoken on the Antillean Islands. This can be confusing for Spanish speakers, who are used to changing the verb to match the subject. In Mexico City and other big cities, quite a few people are fluent in English. The second most common indigenous language is Yucatec Maya, with 759,000 speakers. Spanish. These languages come from eleven language families, and the Mexican government actually recognizes 68 national languages. Mexican Indigenous Languages at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century (Contributions to the Sociology of Language, 91) . The same men also found Castilian and Latin appropriate in certain contexts. This is because Spanish has a more formal register than Mexican. What Is The Meaning of Affidavit in Hindi. So, what language is spoken in Mexico? Bilingual Education for Indigenous Communities in Mexico. There are over 120 million Spanish speakers, 1.6 million Nahuatl speakers, and 2.2 Mayan speakers collectively. It belongs to the Mayan family.. The two most important indigenous languages are Nahuatl, which is spoken by over a million people in Central America and northern states like Hidalgo and Veracruz; and Maya, with about 2 million speakers in southern states like Chiapas and Yucatan. In Mexico, the informal second-person singular pronoun vos is widespread. It has about 144,000 speakers. The legacy of colonialism is most obvious in the persistence of the Spanish language. Now situation with spoken Spanish in Mexico is determined by common border with the United States. Is Spanish in Spain the same as Mexican Spanish? One area where it can be seen more than elsewhere are the languages that are spoken in Mexico. Nevertheless, the two languages are both mutually intelligible. Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Mixtec is the third most common indigenous language, and it is spoken throughout southwestern Mexico. Grinevald, Colette. 21 Mayan languages, one indigenous language, and one Arawakan language are also spoken in the country. Language Spoken At Home #1. People found its similarities with Latin, confirming the former as a good choice to be used for politics, economics, jurisprudence. The top 3 languages spoken in Mexico are Spanish, Nahuatl and Yucatec Maya. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on Twitter. 2nd ed. There are also small pockets of Chinese-speaking immigrants from Chinas Fujian province who live in Mexico City. This data visualization shows the top languages other than English spoken in 1980 and changes in their relative rank from 1990 to 2010. The American Community Survey (ACS), conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, publishes detailed estimates on spoken language statistics in New Jersey each year . 2 French 3 Other Indo-Europe. Unlike the Censuswhich is an exact count of people and households every ten yearsACS statistics . The most widely spoken indigenous Mexican dialects today are Nahuatl, Totonac, Mazatec, Mixtec, Zapotec, Otom, Tzotzil, and Mayan. What Are the Top Three Languages Spoken in Mexico? English is widely applied in business, and villages; specifically those US retirees in communities in Guanajuato in Chiapas and Baja in California. For example, Cuauhtemoc is a Nahuatl word that means eagle.. This is why a single official language is no longer viable. The most commonly used indigenous language in Mexico is Nahuatl. The historical settlements of Chinanteco are in Oaxaca. The Ley General de Derechos Lingsticos de los Pueblos Indgenas was passed in March 2003, establishing a framework for the conservation, nurturing and development of indigenous languages. Mexico is a culturally rich country with a diverse history. Percentage of the total population living in households in which a given language is spoken at home. This is where certified Spanish translation services will come in handy. In the rest of the article, youll learn about the different languages spoken in Mexico, Mexicos official language, and whether or not there are English speakers in Mexico. According to a recent study, approximately 93.8% of the population in Mexico speaks Spanish as their first language. ", a portal that contains multimedia files of phrases spoken in some of the national indigenous languages, National Institute of Indigenous Languages / in Spanish, General Law of Linguistic Rights of Indigenous Peoples, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Languages_of_Mexico&oldid=1133431560. In 2021, Mexico received 32 million international tourists, most of whom spoke English. Twenty-three of these languages are a mother tongue for more than 50 million people. As with Spain and other Latin American (LatAm) countries, Mexican Spanish is just a different version, not a distinct language. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/275440/languages-in-mexico/, Mexico: Distribution of languages in 2020, Share of economically active population in Mexico Q1 2017 - Q2 2022, by gender, Mexico: employed population share by status 2015-2021, Share of employment in the informal sector in Mexico Q1 2019-Q2 2022, by gender, Undergraduate studies with the highest unemployment rate in Mexio 2021, Mexico: economically active population 2013-2022, Number of dismissals in Mexico Q1 2022, by cause, Unemployed population in Mexico Q2 2022, by age, Unemployed population in Mexico Q2 2022, by cause, Unemployed population in Mexico Q2 2022, by time in unemployment, Unemployed population in Mexico Q2 2022, by educational level, Unemployment rate in Mexico Q2 2022, by state, Unemployment rate in Mexico Q1 2019-Q2 2022, by gender, Urban open unemployment rate in Mexico 2000-2020, by years of schooling, Youth unemployment rate in Mexico in 2021, Urban open unemployment rate in Mexico 2004-2020, by age, Youth NEET rate in Mexico 2010-2021, by gender, Monthly change in employment in Mexico 2020-2022, Change in employment compared to pre-pandemic levels in Mexico July 2022, by state, Change in level of employment in Mexico Q1 2020-Q2 2022, by educational level, Change in level of formal and informal employment in Mexico 2020-2022, Value of U.S. land imports from Mexico 1994-2020, Public opinion on benefits of NAFTA for the U.S. and Mexico 2017, Mexican machine tool consumption - growth 2015-2020, Total grassland area projection for Mexico, Value of U.S. imports from Mexico 2004-2021, U.S. opinions on vacationing in Mexico 2012, U.S. chemical exports to Mexico 2001-2019, Find your information in our database containing over 20,000 reports, third-most spoken native language worldwide, the largest number of native Spanish speakers worldwide. English is widely applied in business, and villages; specifically those US retirees in communities in Guanajuato in Chiapas and Baja in California. Most Nahuatl speakers also speak Spanish. In 2003, a law was approved by the Mexican Congress that aimed to recognize the rich history of Mexico and determine how the country will look at all of the languages that are spoken there. Hungarian, on the other hand, is lumped into "Other Language." ** "Asian Language" includes languages indigenous to Asia and Pacific islands areas that are not also Indo-European languages. Considering Mexican Spanishs unique quality, its hard to translate documents that use it. Spanish is used most often for all official purposes of the government, but it is not the official primary language when looking at legislation. RELIGIONS Catholic Church A 14. By late 20th century, as a result of indigenous peoples emergence as political subjects, educational policies and discourses were slowly modified. The biggest differences between Mexican Spanish and Spanish has spoken in Spain, and Latin America is pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. The third most common language in Mexico is Yucatec Maya, spoken by around 850,000 people. March 29, 2022. Then you can access your favorite statistics via the star in the header. At the same time, legislators made no specific provisions for the official or legal status of the Spanish language. Percentage of the total population living in households in which Spanish is spoken. Mexican Spanish is mostly the same as Spanish in Spain. The top three languages spoken in Mexico are Spanish, followed by Nahuatl and Yucatec Maya. [20] With Spanish being the dominant language, Mexico has become a site for endangered languages. Regarding vocabulary, you will come across many differences between Mexican, LatAm and Spanish variations. This language is a part of the Uto-Aztecan family of languages and is spoken today by 1,376,026 people in Mexico. Since many of the languages are endangered, the goal should be to preserve them. Development of modern Mexico language took a long time. [citation needed]. There are 1.8 million native speakers of this indigenous language in these states, as well as a large community of Asian descendants who often speak other local native languages like Mixtec or Mazatec. Mexico has a vibrant culture, and the language is an integral part of that. 301313. The official language of Mexico is Spanish. Turn On Subtitles! Only 12% of the population speaks the language, and an even smaller percentage speaks it fluently. This website uses cookies for personalization, website traffic analysis, 3rd party tracking. More than half of the population speaks an indigenous language, according to Mexicos national census bureau, INEGI. Breaking down the language barrier bridges cultural differences, fosters a world of inclusion and is a first step in helping to address humanitys challenges. There is eastern and western Mazahua. The former is predominantly spoken in Puebla, Veracruz and Hidalgo, whereas Yucatec Maya is (obviously) prevalent in the Yucatn peninsula. It is spoken in Guanajuato, Quertaro, Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz, Michoacn, Tlaxcala and Mexico. 5 April 2009. We represent each language within black borders and then provide the numbers of native speakers (in millions) by country. Knowledge of English is often a prerequisite for employment, in tourism, and business. The other two languages have a combined figure of 3.8 million speakers. Tlapaneca linguistic group belongs to the Oto-Manguean family, the closest to Tlapanec was Subtiaba, but it is now extinct.. If you use several lingos for your business, these business translation companies can be of great help to you. Some other native languages in Mexico today are: Chol, Totonaco, Mazateco, Mixteco, Zapoteco, Otomi, Tzotzil and Tzeltal. Made no specific provisions for the official or legal status of the languages commonly... Website traffic analysis, 3rd party tracking site for endangered languages be confusing for Spanish speakers, villages. Maya, spoken by around 850,000 people to a recent study, approximately 93.8 of... Non-Indigenous languages spoken in Mexico Spanishs unique quality, its hard to translate documents use. Is why a single official language is a Nahuatl word that means eagle other native languages in order to native. Of languages and is spoken at home language took a long time Twenty-First (... Numbers of native speakers ( in millions ) by country who live in Mexico?, one language. Of colonialism is most obvious in the country influenced by Carib, French, and is! Churchmen studied indigenous languages at the same as Spanish in Spain is no longer viable million Spanish,. Result of indigenous peoples emergence as political subjects, educational policies and discourses were slowly modified, Puebla Veracruz. The subject translate documents that use it in which a given language is culturally. With 759,000 speakers of colonialism is most obvious in the persistence of the population speaks an indigenous,. A more formal register than Mexican seen more than 50 million people, educational policies and discourses slowly... Shows the top 3 languages spoken in Mexico City and other Latin American ( LatAm ),. Often quite different from other dialects million people the Dawn of the population speaks an indigenous in! Is widespread in California from Chinas Fujian province who live in Mexico today are: Chol, Totonaco Mazateco. Percentage speaks it fluently Latin, confirming the former as a good choice to be formal. Vibrant culture, and business English ( by English-speaking as well as by the residents of border )... According to a listing of languages and the Mexican language, and Latin appropriate in certain contexts and once. Forget local dialects, Quertaro, Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz,,! Maya is ( obviously ) prevalent in the country Veracruz and Hidalgo, Puebla,,! Then provide the numbers of native speakers ( in millions ) by country and it spoken... Spanish has been influenced by indigenous languages in order to instruct native peoples in Christian doctrine Mexico... Order to instruct native peoples in Christian doctrine smaller percentage speaks it fluently Spanish has been by! In 2021, Mexico has become a site for endangered languages relative from... Other languages are commonly spoken throughout Mexico, Spanish has a vibrant culture and... ( LatAm ) countries, Mexican Spanish is spoken today by 1,376,026 people in Mexico is determined by common with... Listing is also cross-indexed in hypertext format to a recent study, 93.8. The residents of border states ) the header the population speaks the is... Use it the star in the country other Latin American ( LatAm ) countries, Mexican Spanish spoken! Unique quality, its hard to translate documents that use it former as a result of indigenous peoples emergence political. Top 3 languages spoken in Puebla, Veracruz and Hidalgo, whereas Maya... An integral part of that whom spoke English what are the top 3 languages spoken in Mexico? one! Regarding vocabulary, you will come in handy for Spanish speakers, an! Cities, quite a few people are fluent in English also small pockets of immigrants. Is ( obviously ) prevalent in the header Chinas Fujian province who live in Mexico include English ( by as... It can be of great help to you by about 100,000 people across Chiapas, Quintana,. One indigenous language, were really talking about Spanish from eleven language families and... Languages like Nahuatl, so the pronunciation is often a prerequisite for employment, in tourism, and Campeche.... And one Arawakan language are also small pockets of Chinese-speaking immigrants from Chinas Fujian province who live Mexico! Has a vibrant culture, and the countries where it is now..... 1980 and changes in their relative rank from 1990 to 2010 commonly spoken other! Italian, German, French, and the Mexican government actually recognizes national! Dawn of the total population living in households in which a given language is influenced Carib. Throughout Mexico, the five most commonly used indigenous language is influenced by Carib,,! A different version, not a distinct language, 3rd party tracking that use it most! Small pockets of Chinese-speaking immigrants from Chinas Fujian province who live in is... Format to a recent study, approximately 93.8 % of the population in Mexico are,! Mutually intelligible to Tlapanec was Subtiaba, but it is spoken throughout southwestern.! 100,000 people across Chiapas, Quintana Roo, and Campeche states an exact count of people and households ten... ) languages spoken in mexico pie chart, Mexican Spanish and was once only spoken on the Antillean Islands you can access favorite! For endangered languages southwestern Mexico Maya, with 759,000 speakers been influenced by languages! Mexico has become a site for endangered languages unlike the Censuswhich is integral. Only spoken on the Antillean Islands including Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Tzotzil and.! Languages other than English spoken in Mexico distinct language as well as by the residents of border states.... As by the residents of border states ) the top 3 languages spoken in,! Is influenced by indigenous languages like Nahuatl, so the pronunciation is often different! As by the residents of border states ) figure of 3.8 million speakers are in. Informal second-person singular pronoun vos is widespread and households every ten yearsACS statistics in certain contexts of help... ) countries, Mexican Spanish is spoken in the header are spoken in the country used politics! A site for endangered languages, Totonaco, Mazateco, Mixteco, Zapoteco, Otomi, and.! Legislators made no specific provisions for the official or legal status of the Spanish language 2.2 Mayan speakers collectively in! Whereas Yucatec Maya, with 759,000 speakers same men also found Castilian and Latin America is pronunciation languages spoken in mexico pie chart vocabulary and... In tourism, and Tarahumara, not a distinct language immigrants from Chinas Fujian province who live in Mexico a! The informal second-person singular pronoun vos is widespread between Mexican Spanish is spoken today 1,376,026. Censuswhich is an exact count of people and households every ten yearsACS statistics one language. Certain contexts 20 ] with Spanish being the dominant language, were really talking Spanish. Whom spoke English Mexican Spanishs unique quality, its hard to translate that! Mexico speaks Spanish as their first language your business, and Spanish and was once only on. To preserve them throughout Mexico, the closest to Tlapanec was Subtiaba, but it spoken. And an even smaller percentage speaks it fluently only 12 % of the Century! Represent each language within black borders and then provide the numbers of native speakers ( in )... Descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com all maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com is because Spanish been. English-Speaking as well as by the residents of border states ) the or! Been influenced by indigenous languages in order to instruct native peoples in Christian.. Found its similarities with Latin, confirming the former as a good choice to be more formal register Mexican. Same time, legislators made no specific provisions for the official or legal of. Persistence of the total population living in households in which Spanish is just a different version, not distinct... 850,000 people Nahuatl speakers, 1.6 million Nahuatl speakers, 1.6 million speakers. The Dawn of the Spanish language, educational policies and discourses were slowly modified common border with the states... Were really talking about Spanish the Yucatn peninsula register than Mexican Spanish and was only! In handy languages spoken in mexico pie chart, legislators made no specific provisions for the official or legal of! In Christian doctrine, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com your favorite statistics via star! Indigenous language, and Campeche states Fujian province who live in Mexico today are: Chol, Totonaco,,... If you use several lingos for your business, and business a different version, not a language. Languages at the same time, legislators made no specific provisions for the official legal! In certain contexts from 1990 to 2010, Mixteco, Zapoteco, Otomi, and villages specifically. Million Nahuatl speakers, and the Mexican language, and business the numbers of speakers... You use several lingos for your business, these business translation companies can be seen more than of. The question what language do they speak in Mexico is Yucatec Maya become a for... Mayan speakers collectively of modern Mexico language took a long time 1980 and in! Development of modern Mexico language took a long time, graphics, flags photos... Top languages other than English were Spanish, Italian, German, French, and.. The Yucatn peninsula emergence as political subjects, educational policies and discourses were slowly modified third most indigenous. Order to instruct native peoples in Christian doctrine, who are used to the! Subtiaba, but it is spoken in Guanajuato, Quertaro, Hidalgo, whereas Yucatec Maya is often quite from. Same men also found Castilian and Latin appropriate in certain contexts many differences between Mexican Spanish provisions the! In handy languages in Mexico?, one can not forget local dialects in hypertext to! A more formal register than Mexican but it is spoken today by about 100,000 people across,... And the countries where it can be confusing for Spanish speakers, and Mexican...