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last yr.

Just Two in Ten Indigenous Mexicans Speak Their Native Languages, New Data Shows

Six in ten native languages face extinction, reflecting decades of assimilation that have left communities with enduring gaps in schooling, labor stability, even basic legal protections.

Hugo Aguilar, aspirante a dirigir la SCJN, durante su campaña junto a pueblos indígenas.
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Overview

  • The 2023 Enadid survey found that only 7.4 million of the 39.2 million people identifying as indigenous in Mexico speak a native language.
  • Mexico remains home to 68 living indigenous languages, with Nahuatl and Maya as the most spoken at approximately 1.7 million and 859,000 speakers respectively.
  • The National Institute of Indigenous Languages reports that six out of ten native tongues, including ku’ahl, kiliwa and ayapaneco, are at risk of disappearing.
  • Significant education gaps persist as one in four indigenous school-age children do not attend school and literacy rates among indigenous women are nearly eight times higher than for non-indigenous women.
  • Indigenous workers face higher levels of informality and job precariousness despite similar overall employment rates, and 40 percent say their rights are poorly respected while three in ten report discrimination.