Editing Demographics of Algeria (section)

==Languages==
{{main|Languages of Algeria}}
[[File:Panneau de signalisation multilingue à Issers (Algérie).jpg|thumb|Traffic sign in [[Isser (municipality)|Isser]] in three languages: [[Arabic]], [[Berber languages|Berber]], and French]]
[[Arabic]] and [[Berber languages|Berber]] serve as both official languages and national languages in Algeria.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.aps.dz/images/doc/PROJET-DE%20REVISION-DE-LA-CONSTITUTION-28-DECEMBRE-2015.pdf|title = APS|access-date = 1 January 2016|publisher = [[Algeria Press Service.]]|url-status = dead|archive-url = http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160522160159/http://www.aps.dz/images/doc/PROJET-DE%20REVISION-DE-LA-CONSTITUTION-28-DECEMBRE-2015.pdf|archive-date = 22 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/pays-zones-geo_833/algerie_406/presentation-algerie_922/index.html |title=Présentation de l'Algérie |publisher=French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs |date=23 October 2012 |access-date=17 January 2013 |archive-date=20 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320023115/http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/pays-zones-geo_833/algerie_406/presentation-algerie_922/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Algerian Arabic]] (Algerian Dziriya or Darja) is the language used by the majority of the population. Colloquial Algerian Arabic has many Berber and French loanwords.

Although French has no official status, Algeria is the second-largest [[Geographical distribution of French speakers|Francophone]] country in the world in terms of speakers,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.senat.fr/colloques/actes_mondialisation_francophonie/actes_mondialisation_francophonie10.html |title=La mondialisation, une chance pour la francophonie |publisher=Senat.fr |access-date=17 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513075102/http://www.senat.fr/colloques/actes_mondialisation_francophonie/actes_mondialisation_francophonie10.html |archive-date=13 May 2013 }} () "L'Algérie, non-membre de l'Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, comptabilise la seconde communauté francophone au monde, avec environ 16 millions de locuteurs, suivie par la Côte d'Ivoire avec près de 12 millions de locuteurs francophones, le Québec avec 6 millions et la Belgique avec plus de 4 millions de francophones."</ref> and French is widely used in government, media (newspapers, radio, local television), and both the education system (from primary school onwards) and academia due to [[French rule in Algeria|Algeria's colonial history]]. It can be regarded as the ''de facto'' co-official language of Algeria. In 2008, 11.2 million Algerians could read and write in French.<ref>{{cite web |title=Le dénombrement des francophones |url=http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/1e.pdf |publisher=Organisation internationale de la Francophonie |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012052949/http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/1e.pdf |archive-date=2013-10-12 }} () p. 9 "Nous y agrégeons néanmoins quelques données disponibles pour des pays n’appartenant pas à l’OIF mais dont nous savons, comme pour l’Algérie (11,2 millions en 2008<sup>1</sup>)," and "1. Nombre de personnes âgées de cinq ans et plus déclarant savoir lire et écrire le français, d’après les données du recensement de 2008 communiquées par l’[[Office national des statistiques d’Algérie]]."</ref> An Abassa Institute study in April 2000 found that 60% of households could speak and understand French. In recent decades the government has reinforced the study of French and TV programs have reinforced use of the language.

Algeria emerged as a bilingual state after 1962.<ref>{{cite news|last=New |first=The |url=http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/algerias-liberation-terrorism-and-arabization/ |title=Algeria's liberation terrorism and Arabization |publisher=blogs.nytimes.com |date= 19 November 2008|access-date=17 January 2013}}</ref> Colloquial [[Arabic]] is spoken by about 83% of the population and [[Berber languages|Berber]] by 27.4%.<ref name="leclerc">{{cite web | author=Leclerc, Jacques | title=''Algérie: Situation géographique et démolinguistique'' | website=L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde | language=fr | publisher=[[Université Laval]] | date=5 April 2009 | url=http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/AXL/AFRIQUE/algerie-1demo.htm | access-date=8 January 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124150058/http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/afrique/algerie-1demo.htm | archive-date=24 January 2010 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Spoken and popular languages===
* [[Arabic language]]: 83% (dialectal [[Algerian Arabic]] including all dialects: Eastern, Western, Algiers dialect, Saharan)<ref name="leclerc" />
* [[French language|French]]: 70% (as a 2nd or 3rd language, spoken by both low and highly educated people)<ref>[[:fr:Langues en Algérie]]</ref>
* [[Berber languages]]: 27.4% [[Shawiya language|Chaouia]], [[Kabyle language|Kabyle]], [[Tamahaq]], [[Chenoua language|Chenoua]], [[Mozabite language|Mozabite]] (Tumẓabt)<ref name="leclerc" />
* [[English language|English]]: 15% (as a 3rd language, spoken by highly educated people)
* [[Korandje language]] (Kwarandzyey): 0.01%

===Official and recognized languages===
* [[Modern Standard Arabic]]: official language of the state.
* [[Berber language]] (Tamazight): official language of the state.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.aps.dz/images/doc/PROJET-DE%20REVISION-DE-LA-CONSTITUTION-28-DECEMBRE-2015.pdf|title = APS|access-date = 1 January 2016|publisher = [[Algeria Press Service]]|url-status = dead|archive-url = http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160522160159/http://www.aps.dz/images/doc/PROJET-DE%20REVISION-DE-LA-CONSTITUTION-28-DECEMBRE-2015.pdf|archive-date = 22 May 2016}}</ref>