What Language Do They Speak in Pakistan?

Official languages of Pakistan Urdu, English

Facts last checked 9 October 2026.

Pakistan has 2 official languages: Urdu, English.

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Languages of Pakistan at a glance

Official languages	Urdu, English
Number of official languages	2
Countries on this site where Urdu is official	1
People (demonym)	Pakistani
Capital	Islamabad
Internet domain	.pk

Languages of neighbouring countries

Afghanistan	Dari, Pashto, Turkmen
China	Chinese
India	Hindi, English, Tamil
Iran	Persian (Farsi)

Pakistan in context

Pakistan covers 796,095 km², making it the 35th largest of the 196 countries on this site.
Its population density of about 303 people per km² ranks 30th of 196 (1st = most crowded).
It shares a land border with 4 countries: Afghanistan, China, India, Iran.
With 241,499,431 people, Pakistan holds about 12.0% of the population of Southern Asia.
With 2 official languages, Pakistan has more than most countries on this site.
Traffic drives on the left, and calendars start the week on Monday.
Pakistan is a member state of the United Nations.

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Useful phrases for visitors to Pakistan

Everyday Urdu phrases you will hear and use in Pakistan:

English	Urdu
Hello	السلام علیکم (assalam alaikum)
Thank you	شکریہ (shukriya)
Please	مہربانی (meherbani)
Goodbye	خدا حافظ (khuda hafiz)
Yes	جی ہاں (ji haan)
No	نہیں (nahin)

Spellings can vary by region, and some languages use different forms for formal or informal speech. Even a simple greeting in the local language is usually appreciated.

Languages in Pakistan — FAQ