We all know that the conquest of Latin America was a disaster for its indigenous peoples and languages. Between war, slavery, and disease, the native population was reduced, absorbed, or eliminated in much of Latin America. At the same time, the native languages gave way to Spanish.
Argentina is an extreme example of this tragic pattern. According to the CIA World Factbook, only 3% of Argentina’s population is indigenous or mestizo (mixed). Mapudungun and Quechua are still spoken, but less than Spanish, Italian, English, German, and even French.
Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, and Peru are at the other end of the demographic and linguistic spectrum. Their populations are largely indigenous or mestizo, and their indigenous languages are still widely spoken, and in many cases recognized as co-official with Spanish. I’ve put together a summary table (below) using data from the CIA Factbook and, where indicated, the U.S. Department of State.
Latin American countries with widely spoken indigenous languages
(Source: CIA Factbook unless otherwise indicated)
|
Country |
Ethnicity *indicates data from U.S. Dept. of State |
Indigenous languages |
|
|
Linguistic status |
Official status |
||
| Bolivia | 85% indigenous or mestizo | Only 60.7% of the population speaks Spanish. | Quechua and Aymara are co-official with Spanish. |
| Ecuador | 90% indigenous or mestizo* | Quichua and Shuar are widely spoken. | Spanish is the only official language. |
| Guatemala | Majority indigenous or mestizo* | Only 60% of the population speaks Spanish. | 23 indigenous languages are co-official with Spanish. |
| Paraguay | 95% mestizo | Most of the population is bilingual in Spanish and Guaraní. | Guaraní is co-official with Spanish. |
| Perú | 82% indigenous or mestizo | 15% of the population speaks Quechua, Aymara, or another indigenous language. | Quechua is co-official with Spanish. |
