Languages of Mexico
| Languages of Mexico | |
|---|---|
A sign at Chichén Itzá in Spanish, Yucatec Maya and English | |
| Official | Spanish and 68 Indigenous Languages |
| National | Spanish |
| Indigenous | Nahuatl, Yucatec Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Mayo, Yaqui, Tzeltal, Tzotzil, Chol, Totonac, Purépecha, Otomi, Mazahua, Mazatec, Chinantec, Mixe, Zoque, Popoluca, Popoloca language, Me'phaa, Wixarika, Chontal, Huave, Pame, Teenek, Kickapoo, Kiliwa, Paipai, Cucapá, Amuzgo, Triqui, Lacandon Maya, Mam Maya, Jakaltek, Matlatzinca, Tepehua, Chichimeca Jonaz, Pima Bajo, Ngiwa, Ixcatec, Ayapanec, Huasteco etc. |
| Vernacular | Mexican Spanish |
| Minority | Plautdietsch, Chipilo Venetian dialect, Afro-Seminole Creole |
| Foreign | English, German, Greek, Italian, Arabic, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Russian |
| Signed | Mexican Sign Language Yucatan Sign Language Plains Sign Talk American Sign Language |
| Keyboard layout | |
The Constitution of Mexico does not declare an official language; however, Spanish is the de facto national language spoken by over 90% of the population although English is spoken by 5% also. This makes Mexico the largest Spanish speaking country in the world. Due to the cultural influence of the United States, American English is widely understood, especially in border states and tourist regions, with a hybridization of Spanglish spoken. The government recognizes 63 indigenous languages spoken in their communities out of respect, including Nahuatl, Mayan, Mixtec, etc.
The Mexican government uses solely Spanish for official and legislative purposes, but it has yet to declare it the national language mostly out of respect to the indigenous communities that still exist. Most indigenous languages are endangered, with some languages expected to become extinct within years or decades, and others simply having populations that grow slower than the national average. According to the Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples (CDI) and National Institute of Indigenous Languages (INALI), while 9% of the population identifies as belonging to an indigenous group, around 5–6% speak an indigenous language.