List by number of native speakers

Ordered by number of speakers as first language. Indian population in 1991 exhibited 19.4% of bilingualism and 7.2% of trilingualism, so that the total percentage of "native languages" is at about 127%.

[edit] More than one million speakers

The 2001 census recorded 29 individual languages as having more than 1 million native speakers (0.1% of total population).

Table: Ordered by number of native speakers

Rank	Language	2001 census[1] (total population 1,004.59 million)		1991 censusIndian Census [2] (total population 838.14 million)		Encarta estimate of total number of speakers worldwide (2007) [2]
		Speakers	Percentage	Speakers	Percentage	Speakers
1	Hindi[3]	422,048,642	41.03%▲	337,272,114[4]	40.0%	336 M
2	Bengali	83,369,769	8.11%▼	69,595,738	8.30%	207 M
3	Telugu	74,002,856	7.37%▼	66,017,615	7.87%	69.7 M
4	Marathi	71,936,894	6.99% ▼	62,481,681	7.45%	68.0 M
5	Tamil	60,793,814	5.91%▼	53,006,368	6.32%	66.0 M
6	Urdu	51,536,111	5.01%▼	43,406,932	5.18%	60.3 M
7	Gujarati	46,091,617	4.48%▼	40,673,814	4.85%	46.1 M
8	Kannada	37,924,011	3.69%▼	32,753,676	3.91%	40.3 M
9	Malayalam	33,066,392	3.21%▼	30,377,176	3.62%	35.7 M
10	Oriya	33,017,446	3.21%▼	28,061,313	3.35%	32.3 M
11	Punjabi	29,102,477	2.83%▲	23,378,744	2.79%	57.1 M
12	Assamese	13,168,484	1.28%▲	13,079,696	1.56%	15.4 M
14	Maithili[5]	12,179,122	1.18%
15	Bhili/Bhilodi	9,582,957	0.95%▲	5,572,308	0.665%
16	Santali	6,469,600	0.64%▲	5,216,325	0.622%
17	Kashmiri	5,527,698
18	Gondi	2,713,790	0.27%▲	2,124,852	0.253%
19	Sindhi	2,535,485	0.25%▬	2,122,848	0.248%
20	Konkani	2,489,015	0.24%▲	1,760,607	0.210%
21	Dogri	2,282,589[dubious – discuss][6]	0.22%
22	Khandeshi	2,075,258	0.21%
23	Kurukh	1,751,489	0.17%	1,426,618	0.170%
24	Tulu	1,722,768	0.17%	1,552,259	0.185%
25	Meitei/Manipuri	1,466,705*	0.14%	1,270,216	0.151%
26	Bodo	1,350,478	0.13%	1,221,881	0.146%
27	Khasi	1,128,575	0.112%
28	Mundari	1,061,352	0.105%
29	Ho	1,042,724	0.103%

* Excludes figures of Paomata, Mao-Maram and Purul sub-divisions of Senapati district of Manipur for 2001.
** The percentage of speakers of each language for 2001 has been worked out on the total population of India excluding the population of Mao-Maram, Paomata and Purul subdivisions of Senapati district of Manipur due to cancellation of census results.

[edit] 100,000 to one million speakers

30	Kui	916,222
31	Garo	889,479
32	Kokborok	854,023
33	Mizo	674,756
34	Halabi	593,43
35	Korku	574,481
36	Munda	469,357
37	Mishing	390,583	0.047%
38	Karbi/Mikir	366,229	0.044%
39	Saurashtra	310,000	0.037%
40	Savara	273,168	0.033%
41	Koya	270,994	0.032%
42	Kharia	225,556	0.027%
43	Khond/Kondh	220,783	0.026%
44	English	178,598	0.021%
45	Nishi	173,791	0.021%
46	Ao	172,449	0.021%
47	Sema	166,157	0.020%
48	Kisan	162,088	0.019%
49	Adi	158,409	0.019%
50	Rabha	139,365	0.017%
51	Konyak	137,722	0.016%
52	Malto	108,148	0.013%
53	Thado	107,992	0.013%
54	Tangkhul	101,841	0.012%

[edit] 10,000 to 100,000 speakers

		1991 census	SIL estimate
55	Kolami	98,281 (0.012%)	115,000 (1997) Northwestern: 50,000; Southeastern: 10,000
56	Angami	97,631 (0.012%)	109,000 (1997)
57	Kodagu	97,011 (0.012%)	122,000
58	Dogri	89,681 (0.011%)	(Pakistan+India: 2.1 million)
59	Dimasa	88,543 (0.011%)	106,000
60	Lotha	85,802 (0.010%)	80,000
61	Mao	77,810 (0.009%)	81,000
62	Tibetan	69,146 (0.008%)	124,280 (1994)
63	Kabui (Rongmei)	68,925 (0.008%)	59,000 (1997)
64	Phom	65,350 (0.008%)	34,000 (1997)

The following are SIL Ethnologue estimates:

	estimated native speakers
Gaddi	120,000
Pardhi	119,700
Pardhan	116,919
Churahi	110,552
Sauria Paharia	110,000
Kullu	109,000
Dhanwar	104,195
Bhattiyali	102,252
Ladakhi	102,000
Dungra Bhil	100,000
Adiwasi Garasia	100,000
Rajput Garasia	100,000
Noiri	100,000
Jaunsari	97,000
Pnar	84,000
Andh	80,000
Mara	79,000 (India: 47,000 Myanmar:32,000)
Mawchi	76,000
Bishnupriya	75,000
Duruwa	75,000
Lodhi:	75,000
Bhadrawahi	69,000
Eastern Magar	67,691
Balti	67,000
Korwa	66,000
Mahali	66,000
Rana Tharu	64,000
Paniya	63,827
Rathwi Bareli	63,700
Rawang	60,536
Sansi	60,000
Kachari	59,000
Bazigar	58,236
Agariya	55,757
Kanjari	55,386
Mal Paharia	51,000
Poumei Naga	51,000
Bodo Parja	50,000
Hmar	50,000
Juang	50,000
Desiya Oriya	50,000
Kinnauri	48,778
Moinba	46,000
Paite Chin	45,000
Tase Naga	45,000
Wancho Naga	45,000
Braj Bhasha	44,000
Buksa	43,000
Sangtam Naga	39,000
Lepcha	38,000
Kudmali	37,000
Yimchungru Naga	37,000
Gowli	35,000
Jennu Kurumba	35,000
Nocte Naga	35,000
Khirwar	34,251
Betta Kurumba	32,000
Chang Naga	31,000
Dangaura Tharu	31,000
Gadaba	31,000 (Pottangi Ollar: 15,000; Bodo: 8,000; Mudhili: 8,000)
Zeme Naga	30,800
Naga Pidgin	30,000
Car Nicobarese	30,000
Kurichiya	29,375
Mzieme Naga	29,000
Chenchu	28,754
Sikkimese	28,600
Limbu	28,000
Majhwar	27,958
Vaiphei	27,791
Ravula	27,413
Western Panjabi	27,386
Deori	26,900
Khoibu Naga	25,600
Falam Chin	25,367
Kanikkaran	25,000
Khiamniungan Naga	25,000
Maram Naga	25,000
Tutsa Naga	25,000
Sirmauri	25,000
Arakanese	24,000
Chokri Naga	24,000
Sholaga	24,000
Thangal Naga	23,600
Kamar	23,456
Apatani	23,000
Koch	23,000
Khezha Naga	23,000
Tiwa	23,000
Southern Rengma Naga	21,000
Shina	21,000
Gowlan	20,179
Kumarbhag Paharia	20,179
Savara	20,179
Matu Chin	20,000
Liangmai Naga	20,000
Ooty, Nilgiris	20,000
Sakechep	20,000
Seraiki	20,000
Sherpa	20,000
Toto	20,000
Khowar	19,200
Biete	19,000
Hajong	19,000
Reli	19,000
Manna-Dora	18,964
Hrangkhol	18,665
Bhunjia	18,601
Persian	18,000
Mukha-Dora	17,456
Maring Naga	17,361
Pangwali	17,000
Asuri	16,596
Dhatki	16,400
Malaryan	16,068
Malavedan	15,241
Gangte	15,100
Konda-Dora	15,000
Korra Koraga	15,000
Mudu Koraga	15,000
Kalto (Nahali)	15,000
Northern Pashto	15,000
Ullatan	14,846
Eastern Tamang	14,000
Anal	13,853
Northern Rengma Naga	13,000
Pochuri Naga	13,000
Western Muria	12,898
Muthuvan	12,219
Zangskari	12,006
Mirgan	12,000
War	12,000
Kaikadi	11,846
Idu-Mishmi	11,041
Pattani	11,000
Changthang	10,089
Degaru	10,089
Eastern Muria	10,089
Far Western Muria	10,089
Andaman Creole Hindi	10,000
Palya Bareli	10,000
Birhor	10,000
Lamkang	10,000
Inpui Naga	10,000
Spiti Bhoti	10,000
Vaagri Booli	10,000