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Persian, Iranian
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A language of
Iran
Location
Widespread.
Also spoken in:
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Australia
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
58,300 in Australia (2016 census).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Austria
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
10,700 in Austria (2003 UNSD).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Azerbaijan
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
1,400 in Azerbaijan (Leclerc 2017b).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
254,000 in Bahrain (2019).
Location
Al-Manāmah and Al-Muharraq governorates.
Alternate Names
Ajamic
Language Status
5* (Dispersed).
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Descendants of Persians of the post-Ottoman pre-British era when Bahrain belonged to Persia and later Iran. Muslim.
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Belgium
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
12,900 in Belgium (2020 census), based on nationality.
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Canada
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
214,000 in Canada (2016 census).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Denmark
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
17,200 in Denmark (2020 census), based on nationality.
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Finland
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
13,000 in Finland (2018 census).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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France
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
40,000 in France (2015 J. Leclerc).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Germany
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
123,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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India
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
18,000 in India (IMA 1997).
Location
Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh states; communities in Aligarh, Bhopal, Chota, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Nagpur; scattered throughout.
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Most widely spoken foreign language in India after English and Arabic.
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Iraq
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
480,000 in Iraq (2020).
Location
Al Basrah, Diyala, Maysan, and Wasit governorates: Iran border area.
Alternate Names
Persian, Western Farsi
Language Status
5* (Dispersed).
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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Japan
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
50,000 in Japan (Leclerc 2020b).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Kuwait
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
53,000 in Kuwait (2011 census).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Netherlands
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
31,100 in Netherlands (2019).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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New Zealand
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
5,060 in New Zealand (2013 census).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Norway
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
23,800 in Norway (2021 census), based on nationality.
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Oman
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
67,900 in Oman (2020).
Location
Muscat governorate: Muttrah and Ruwi areas near Muscat city; possibly other coastal cities.
Alternate Names
Persian, Western Farsi
Language Status
5* (Dispersed).
Language Use
Many women speak only Farsi. Men who go outside the community speak Arabic as L2, and many know 2 or 3 other languages.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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Pakistan
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
185,000 in Pakistan (2018).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Qatar
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
283,000 in Qatar (2019).
Location
Scattered.
Alternate Names
Persian, Western Farsi
Language Status
5* (Dispersed).
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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Russian Federation
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
13,100 in Russian Federation (2012 UNSD).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Saudi Arabia
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
232,000 in Saudi Arabia (2018), based on ethnicity.
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Sweden
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
9,850 in Sweden (2020 census), based on nationality.
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Syria
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
47,000 in Syria (2019).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Tajikistan
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
89,200 in Tajikistan (2017).
Location
Khatlon region: various economic development sites; Dushanbe.
Alternate Names
Persian, Western Farsi
Language Status
5* (Dispersed).
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Not a literary language in Tajikistan. Muslim.
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Turkey
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
682,000 in Turkey (2019).
Location
Van province: Edremit and Van district on Lake Van eastern shore.
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Turkmenistan
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
16,000 in Turkmenistan (Leclerc 2019b), based on ethnicity.
Location
Ashgabat.
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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United Arab Emirates
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
324,000 in United Arab Emirates (2020).
Location
Dubayy emirate.
Alternate Names
Persian, Western Farsi
Language Status
5* (Dispersed).
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Muslim.
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United Kingdom
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
76,400 in United Kingdom (2011 census).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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United States
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
391,000 in United States (2015 census). Identified as Persian in census. No distinction between Iranian Persian [pes] and Dari (Afghan Persian) [prs].
Language Status
Unestablished.
Language Use
Many also use English [eng].
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Uzbekistan
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
33,300 in Uzbekistan (2019).
Location
Xorazm region; scattered elsewhere.
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
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Yemen
Language Name
Persian, Iranian
User Population
22,300 in Yemen (2020).
Language Status
Unestablished.
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of Yemen
