Editing Punjabi language (section)

== Geographic distribution ==
Punjabi is the most widely spoken language in [[Pakistan]], the eleventh-most widely spoken in [[India]], and also present in the Punjabi diaspora in various countries.{{Pie chart|caption=Approximate distribution of native Punjabi speakers (inc. [[Lahnda|Lahndic dialects]]) (assuming a rounded total of 157 million) worldwide.|value1=78.6|label1=[[Pakistan]] (inc. all [[Provinces of Pakistan|Pakistani provinces]])|color1=#006a4e|value2=19.8|label2=[[India]] (inc. all [[States of India|Indian states]])|color2=#ffc000|value3=1.6|label3=Other Countries|color3=#FF671F}}

=== Pakistan ===
Punjabi is the most widely spoken language [[Languages of Pakistan|in Pakistan]], being the native language of 88.9 million people, or approximately 37% of the country's population.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Census history of Punjabi speakers in Pakistan<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/index.html |title=Population Census Organization |access-date=17 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090926230905/http://www.statpak.gov.pk/depts/pco/index.html |archive-date=26 September 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| title = CCI defers approval of census results until elections| url = https://www.dawn.com/news/1410447| date = 21 March 2021| website = Dawn| access-date = 10 March 2021| archive-date = 20 June 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200620161758/https://www.dawn.com/news/1410447/cci-defers-approval-of-census-results-until-elections| url-status = live}} The figure of 80.54 million is calculated from the reported 38.78% for the speakers of Punjabi and the 207.685 million total population of Pakistan.</ref>
|-
! Year || Population of Pakistan || Percentage || Punjabi speakers
|-
| 1951 || 33,740,167 || 57.08% || 22,632,905
|-
| 1961 || 42,880,378 || 56.39% || 28,468,282
|-
| 1972 || 65,309,340 || 56.11% || 43,176,004
|-
| 1981 || 84,253,644 || 48.17% || 40,584,980
|-
| 1998 || 132,352,279 || 44.15% || 58,433,431
|-
| 2017 || 207,685,000 || 38.78% || 80,540,000
|-
|2023
|240,458,089
|36.98%
|88,915,544
|}

Beginning with the 1981 and 2017 censuses respectively, speakers of the [[Lahnda|Western Punjabi]]'s [[Saraiki language|Saraiki]] and [[Hindko]] varieties were no longer included in the total numbers for Punjabi, which explains the apparent decrease. [[Pahari-Pothwari|Pothwari]] speakers however are included in the total numbers for Punjabi.<ref name="The Times of India-2008" />

=== India ===
{{See also|List of states and union territories of India by Punjabi speakers}}
[[File:Jalianwalabag.JPG|thumb|"[[Jallianwala Bagh]]" written in Hindi, Punjabi, and English in [[Amritsar]], India.]]
Punjabi is the official language of the Indian state of [[Punjab]], and has the status of an additional official language in [[Haryana]] and Delhi. Some of its major urban centres in northern India are [[Amritsar]], [[Ludhiana]], [[Chandigarh]], [[Jalandhar]], [[Ambala]], [[Patiala]], [[Bathinda]], [[Hoshiarpur]], [[Firozpur]] and [[Delhi]].
[[File:Punjabi_in_india.png|center|thumb|Punjabi in India]]
In the 2011 census of India, {{sigfig|31.144095|4}} million reported their language as Punjabi. The census publications group this with speakers of related "mother tongues" like [[Bagri language|Bagri]] and [[Bhateali language|Bhateali]] to arrive at the figure of {{sigfig|33.124726|4}} million.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language-2011/Statement-1.pdf| title = Statement 1 : Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues – 2011| access-date = 21 March 2021| archive-date = 1 February 2022| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220201042328/https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language-2011/Statement-1.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Census history of Punjabi speakers in India<ref>{{cite web |title=Growth of Scheduled Languages-1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001 |url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement7.aspx |website=Census of India |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |access-date=22 February 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220040137/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/Statement7.aspx |archive-date=20 February 2015 }}</ref>

|-
! Year || Population of India || Punjabi speakers in India || Percentage
|-
| 1971 || 548,159,652 || 14,108,443 || 2.57%
|-
| 1981 || 665,287,849 || 19,611,199 || 2.95%
|-
| 1991 || 838,583,988 || 23,378,744 || 2.79%
|-
| 2001 || 1,028,610,328 || 29,102,477 || 2.83%
|-
| 2011 || 1,210,193,422 || 33,124,726 || 2.74%
|}

=== Punjabi diaspora ===
{{See also|Punjabi diaspora}}

Punjabi is also spoken as a [[minority language]] in several other countries where [[Punjabi people]] have emigrated in large numbers, such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada.<ref name="The Times of India-2008">{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Punjabi_is_Canadas_2nd_most_top_language/articleshow/2782138.cms |work=The Times of India |title=Punjabi is 4th most spoken language in Canada |date=14 February 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114140743/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Punjabi_is_Canadas_2nd_most_top_language/articleshow/2782138.cms |archive-date=14 November 2016 }}</ref>

There were 670,000 native Punjabi speakers in Canada in 2021,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |date=9 February 2022 |title=Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Canada [Country] - Mother tongue |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm |access-date=11 September 2022 |website=Statistics Canada |archive-date=20 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620062958/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm |url-status=live }}</ref> 300,000 [[Languages of the United Kingdom|in the United Kingdom]] in 2011,<ref>273,000 in England and Wales, and 23,000 in Scotland:
*{{Cite web|title = 2011 Census: Quick Statistics for England and Wales, March 2011|url = https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/2011censusquickstatisticsforenglandandwales/2013-01-30#tab-Main-language|access-date = 24 March 2021|archive-date = 24 September 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924114917/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-and-quick-statistics-for-wards-and-output-areas-in-england-and-wales/STB-2011-census--quick-statistics-for-england-and-wales--march-2011.html#tab-Main-language|url-status = live}}
*{{cite web| title = Table AT_002_2011 – Language used at home other than English (detailed), Scotland| url = https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/additional_tables/AT_002_2011.xls| access-date = 24 March 2021| archive-date = 5 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210305105638/https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/additional_tables/AT_002_2011.xls| url-status = dead}}</ref> 280,000 in the United States<ref>{{cite news|title=US survey puts Punjabi speakers in US at 2.8 lakh|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/us-survey-puts-punjabi-speakers-in-us-at-2-8-lakh/articleshow/62121520.cms|work=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=11 August 2020|date=18 December 2017|archive-date=22 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422124317/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/us-survey-puts-punjabi-speakers-in-us-at-2-8-lakh/articleshow/62121520.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> and smaller numbers in other countries.

=== Punjabi speakers by country ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Approximate number of Punjabi speakers by country {{citation needed|date=April 2024}}
!Country
!Native number of speakers
!Source
|-
|{{Flag|Pakistan}}
|88,915,544
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|India}}
|33,124,726
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|Saudi Arabia}}
|800,000
|Ethnologue
|-
|{{Flag|Canada}}
|670,000
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|UK}}
|291,000
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|USA}}
|280,867
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|Australia}}
|239,033
|Census
|-
|{{Flag|UAE}}
|201,000
|Ethnologue
|}