In Peru, the primary language spoken is Spanish, which is the official national language and is spoken by about 82-84% of the population
. Spanish was introduced during the Spanish colonization in the 16th century
. Besides Spanish, Peru officially recognizes two major indigenous languages: Quechua and Aymara. Quechua, the language of the ancient Incas, is spoken by around 13-26% of the population, mainly in the Andes region
. It is the most widely spoken native language in Peru and has official status alongside Spanish
. Aymara is spoken by about 2% of the population, primarily in the southern regions near the border with Bolivia
. Additionally, Peru is home to a rich diversity of indigenous languages, with over 70 to more than 100 indigenous languages and dialects spoken mainly in the Amazon rainforest and rural Andean areas
. Some of the other notable indigenous languages include Jaqaru, Kawki, Asháninka, and Aguaruna
. In summary, the main languages spoken in Peru are:
- Spanish (official, spoken by ~82-84%)
- Quechua (official, spoken by ~13-26%)
- Aymara (official, spoken by ~2%)
- Numerous other indigenous languages, especially in rural and Amazonian regions
Peru has legal protections for indigenous languages, guarantees bilingual education, and provides public school materials in many indigenous languages to preserve linguistic diversity
