अAmarnepalNepal Data
Sino-Tibetan language

Sherpa

शेर्पा

Sherpa is spoken as a mother tongue by 117,896 people in Nepal — 0.4% of the population and the 16th most-spoken language in the country (Census 2021).

Speakers

117,896

Mother tongue (2021)

Share of Nepal

0.4%

Language family

Sino-Tibetan

Rank

#16

By mother-tongue speakers

About Sherpa

Written in Sambota (Tibetan) script

Sino-Tibetan family

Related languages

Tamang · 4.88%
Nepal Bhasha (Newari) · 2.96%
Magar Dhut · 2.78%
Yakthung/Limbu · 1.2%
Gurung · 1.12%
← All 124 languages of Nepal
Questions

Sherpa, answered

How many people speak Sherpa in Nepal?+

Sherpa is the mother tongue of 117,896 people in Nepal — 0.4% of the population (Census 2021).

What language family does Sherpa belong to?+

Sherpa is a Sino-Tibetan language. The Sino-Tibetan family covers 16.59% of Nepal's population.

What is special about Sherpa?+

Written in Sambota (Tibetan) script

Sources & data note

All population, ethnicity, language and religion figures are the final published counts of the National Population and Housing Census 2021 (National Statistics Office). The NSO enumerates 142 caste/ethnic groups and 124 mother tongues; entries for 'others/foreigners/not stated' explain small residuals. Where community-chosen names replaced older census labels (Bishwokarma for Kami, Pariyar for Damai/Dholi, Mijar for Sarki), both are shown. Language-family shares follow the NSO's own table (Indo-Aryan 83.07%, Sino-Tibetan 16.59%); some secondary sources round differently.