Languages Spoken in Bihar 2023 – Bihar, an eastern state in India, boasts a rich linguistic landscape. While Hindi is the state’s official language and is widely spoken, other languages such as Bhojpuri in the west, Maithili in the north, and Magahi in the south are also prevalent. Only Maithili is officially recognised under the Indian Constitution’s Eighth Schedule. Additionally, Urdu is recognised as a second official language in 15 districts. Bihar is also home to other Indo-Aryan languages such as Vajjika, Angika, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili, and others. The linguistic diversity of Bihar is a testament to its cultural heritage and richness. Moreover, English is widely spoken in urban areas, further adding to the diversity of languages spoken in the state. Read on to learn more about the language spoken in Bihar, as we provide you with all the necessary details.
| Language | Script | Brief Introduction |
|---|---|---|
| Hindi | Devanagari | Hindi is the official language of Bihar, spoken by the majority of the population. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan family and is written using the Devanagari script. |
| Maithili | Devanagari | Maithili is a regional language of Bihar, spoken primarily in the Mithila region. It is also an Indo-Aryan language and uses the Devanagari script, although it was traditionally written in Mithilakshar or Tirhuta script. |
| Bhojpuri | Devanagari | Bhojpuri is another regional language spoken in the Bhojpur region of Bihar. It is an Indo-Aryan language, closely related to Hindi and Maithili, and is written using the Devanagari script. |
| Magahi | Devanagari | Magahi, also known as Magadhi, is spoken in the Magadh region of Bihar. It is an Indo-Aryan language written in the Devanagari script. Magahi is closely related to Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Maithili. |
| Angika | Devanagari | Angika is a regional language spoken in the Anga region of Bihar. It is an Indo-Aryan language and is written using the Devanagari script. Angika is closely related to Maithili and has a rich literary tradition. |
| Bajjika | Devanagari | Bajjika is a regional language spoken in parts of Bihar, particularly in the districts bordering Nepal. It is an Indo-Aryan language and is written using the Devanagari script. Bajjika is closely related to Maithili and Bhojpuri. |
| Vajjika | Devanagari | Vajjika is a dialect of the Bhojpuri language, spoken in the Vajji region of Bihar. It is an Indo-Aryan language and is written using the Devanagari script. Vajjika shares linguistic features with Bhojpuri and Maithili. |
| Urdu | Perso-Arabic | Urdu is the second official language of Bihar, spoken by a significant minority population. It belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family and is written using the Perso-Arabic script, which is derived from the Arabic script. |
| Santali | Ol Chiki | Santali is a language spoken by the Santal tribe in some parts of Bihar. It belongs to the Austroasiatic language family and is written using the Ol Chiki script, which was specifically created for the Santali language. |
| Bengali | Bengali | Bengali is spoken by a minority population in Bihar, primarily in areas bordering West Bengal. It is an Indo-Aryan language and is written using the Bengali script. Bengali has a rich literary tradition and is the official language of West Bengal. |
| Nepali | Devanagari | Nepali is spoken by a small population in Bihar, primarily in areas bordering Nepal. It is an Indo-Aryan language and is written using the Devanagari script. Nepali is the official language of Nepal and has a rich literary tradition. |
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Official Languages Spoken in Bihar
Ever wondered Which language is spoken in Bihar? In Bihar state, Hindi is the predominant language, spoken by 77% of the population, followed by Maithili at 12.54% and Urdu at 8.4%. As the official and primary language, Hindi is spoken by all Biharis, including those who primarily speak Maithili and Urdu. Bhojpuri, Angika, and Magahi, considered Hindi dialects, are spoken extensively in specific districts of Bihar. Other languages such as Bengali, Punjabi, and Gujarati are spoken by less than 1% of the population each, typically by migrants.
| Languages Sopken in Bihar | Persons | Percentage | Rural | Urban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindi | 80,698,466 | 77.5205% | 71,381,862 | 9,316,604 |
| Maithili | 13,063,042 | 12.5486% | 12,395,984 | 667,058 |
| Urdu | 8,770,002 | 8.4246% | 7,122,078 | 1,647,924 |
| Bengali | 810,771 | 0.7788% | 734,058 | 76,713 |
| Santali | 458,949 | 0.4409% | 447,771 | 11,178 |
| Kurukh/Oraon | 87,995 | 0.0845% | 77,894 | 10,101 |
| Malto | 75,986 | 0.0730% | 75,900 | 86 |
| Punjabi | 10,467 | 0.0101% | 2,933 | 7,534 |
| Gujarati | 8,297 | 0.0080% | 6,711 | 1,586 |
| Nepali | 5,727 | 0.0055% | 3,840 | 1,887 |
| Sanskrit | 3,388 | 0.0033% | 3,041 | 347 |
| Odia | 3,188 | 0.0031% | 2,114 | 1,074 |
| Sindhi | 2,227 | 0.0021% | 1,041 | 1,186 |
| Assamese | 2,087 | 0.0020% | 1,447 | 640 |
Languages Spoken in Bihar – Brief Introduction
In addition to Hindi, Maithili and Urdu, Bihar is home to several other languages that are widely spoken. Below is a brief introduction to all the languages.
Maithili Language
Maithili is mostly spoken in Bihar’s Mithila region, which includes Darbhanga, Saharsa, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Madhepura, and Supaul. Many native Maithili speakers live in major cities throughout Bihar, Jharkhand, and other parts of India. The country’s total number of Maithili speakers is estimated to be 32 million. Maithili is spoken by 3 million people in Nepal, accounting for about 12% of the population, making it the country’s second most spoken language after Nepali. Maithili was initially classified as a dialect of Hindi, but after agitation for its recognition as a separate language, it was included in the Indian Constitution’s Eighth Schedule, making it one of India’s 22 official languages.
Bhojpuri Language
Southern Bhojpuri, Northern Bhojpuri, Western Bhojpuri, and Nagpuria are the dialects of Bhojpuri.
Southern Standard Bhojpuri is widely spoken in Bihar’s old Shahabad district.
Northern Bhojpuri is widely spoken in Bihar’s western Tirhut division. Western Bhojpuri is spoken in the Uttar Pradesh districts of Varanasi (Varanasi, Chandauli, Jaunpur, and the western part of Ghazipur), Azamgarh (Azamgarh district), and Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Sant Ravidas Nagar, and Bhadohi. Nagpuria Bhojpuri is the southernmost popular dialect, found in Jharkhand’s Chota Nagpur Plateau, particularly in Palamau and Ranchi.
Angika Language
Angika, also known as Southern Maithili, is primarily spoken in the Anga area, which includes the Bihar districts of Munger, Bhagalpur, Banka, and the Jharkhand division of Santhal Pargana. Its audience is estimated to be around 15 million people. In addition to the Anga region, it is spoken in parts of Bihar’s Purnia district. However, it is a minority language in Purnia due to the Maithil majority.
Vajjika Language
Bajjika, a language spoken in the Bajjikanchal region of Bihar, which includes Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Sheohar, Samastipur, and parts of Sitamarhi and Champaran, is believed to be the mother tongue of approximately 15 million people, although there are no exact figures on the number of speakers. Around 200,000 people also speak the language in neighbouring Nepal. Bajjika was previously referred to as Vaishali ki boli, Vrijjika, and Brijjika.
Magahi Language
The Magahi (also known as Magadhi) language is descended from Magadhi Prakrit, which is thought to have been spoken by the Buddha. Magahi is spoken by 13 million people, primarily in Patna, Nalanda, Gaya, Nawada, Jehanabad, and Aurangabad.
Language Spoken in Bihar: FAQs
Bihar has numerous languages, including Hindi, Maithili, Urdu, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Vajjika, and Angika. The state’s linguistic diversity reflects its cultural richness and heritage.
In Bihar state, Hindi is the predominant language, spoken by 77% of the population, followed by Maithili at 12.54% and Urdu at 8.4%.
Bihar has numerous languages, including Hindi, Urdu, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Vajjika, and Angika. The exact number of languages spoken in Bihar is difficult to determine, but it is estimated that the state has over 50 languages and dialects.
The official language of Bihar is Hindi, with Urdu as the second official language in 15 districts.
Maithili is recognised as an official language under the Indian Constitution’s Eighth Schedule.
