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How many people have knowledge of an Australian Aboriginal language?

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Distinctive features of Australia's Indigenous languages — Australian Aboriginal languages A discussion of the languages of Indigenous Australians.

It is estimated that approximately 50,000 people have knowledge of an Australian Aboriginal language.

While this figure provides a general overview of the language family, the status of these languages varies significantly. Many are now extinct, and others are spoken only by a dwindling number of elderly individuals. Conversely, a few languages remain vigorous, and there is a growing movement toward language maintenance and literacy supported by government programs.1

In specific regions, such as the Northern Territory, roughly half of the Aboriginal population speaks an Aboriginal language, though the number of speakers for individual languages can be quite low; for example, some languages are classified as nearly extinct, with fewer than 100 native speakers remaining for certain varieties.23