POPULATION
Brazil’s indigenous languages are more diverse than we thought
Regions in the Amazon stand out for multilingualism, with many residents reporting more than one indigenous language at home. Photo: Funai
Brazil is home to more indigenous languages than once believed, yet fewer indigenous people use them in daily life. This paradox is revealed by the 2022 census, which identified 295 indigenous languages — up from 274 in 2010 — and 391 indigenous ethnic groups, up from 305.
The census found 433,980 indigenous-language speakers among indigenous people aged 5 and older, an increase in absolute numbers since 2010. But as a proportion of the indigenous population, speakers fell to 28.51%, down from 37.35% in 2010.
Within officially designated indigenous lands, however, the trend diverged: the share of speakers…
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