KATHMANDU, May 11: The number of people speaking Nepali has increased significantly over the past two decades, with more Nepalis adopting it as a second language, according to official data from the National Statistics Office (NSO).
The 2001 national census showed that 25.2 percent of the population spoke Nepali as a second language. This figure rose to 32.8 percent in 2011 and further to 46.2 percent in the 2021 census—a 21 percentage point rise since 2001.
Madhesh Province has the highest proportion of people speaking Nepali as a second language, while Karnali Province has the lowest, the data shows.
Nepal currently recognizes 124 mother tongues, and speakers from 117 communities report using a second language. Most communities continue to use their ancestral language as their primary or mother tongue.
Chief Statistics Officer Madhu Sudan Burlakoti said the growing number of Nepali speakers reflects its role as a common language among speakers of diverse native tongues. “Nepali acts as a bridge language,” he said. “Its use in workplaces, civil service exams, and other official domains has also contributed to its widespread adoption.”
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When both first and second language usage is taken into account, Nepali is spoken by more than 90 percent of the population in all provinces except Madhesh, where it stands at 76.5 percent. While fewer people now report Nepali as their mother tongue, its use as a second language continues to rise.
“Recent identity-based movements have led to the official recognition of many languages,” Burlakoti told Republica. “However, people continue to retain their ancestral languages, which explains why we documented 124 mother tongues in the latest census.”
Madhesh residents widely use Nepali for communication
All districts in Madhesh Province exhibit high levels of bilingualism and multilingualism. Most speakers of Maithili, Bhojpuri, Bajjika, and other local languages use Nepali to communicate with people from different language backgrounds. Over the past two decades, the number of bilingual speakers in Madhesh has risen sharply. The province now has the highest bilingualism rate at 56 percent, followed by Sudurpaschim Province at 51.9 percent.
Burlakoti attributed Madhesh’s high bilingualism to the practical need to communicate beyond one's mother tongue, particularly in diverse social and economic settings. In contrast, Karnali reports the lowest rate of bilingualism in the country.
Nepali dominates in 359 local units
Out of Nepal’s 753 local units, 359 report that more than half of their population speaks Nepali. In another 70 units, Nepali is also the dominant language. In the remaining 324 local units, other languages are primarily spoken.
Over 100,000 people speak each of 21 languages
For the first time, the 2021 census included a question about ancestral language use. Director of the NSO Binod Sharan Acharya explained that the question aimed to identify the languages spoken by people's ancestors, not their language proficiency. He pointed out that in most cases, the respondents listed that their mother tongues were more widely spoken than their ancestral languages.
“The census found that more than 100,000 people speak each of 21 different languages, which together represent 95 percent of the total population,” Acharya said. “In contrast, the remaining 103 languages are spoken by smaller populations and account for only 5 percent.” He added that while linguistic diversity is high, the demographic spread of these languages is uneven.
Acharya also highlighted that Nepali is most commonly spoken—both as a mother tongue and a second language—in western Gandaki Province, in areas bordering Lumbini Province, and across all districts of Karnali Province.
Wealthier families more likely to speak Nepali
Census data also reveals a correlation between economic status and language use. Members of wealthier households are 2.5 to 3 times more likely to speak Nepali. Among the most affluent, the likelihood of speaking Nepali is even higher. In contrast, illiterate individuals are more likely to use their mother tongue rather than adopt Nepali as a second language.