Spanish is the most common language of Peru, spoken as a first language by 84 percent of the people, and is the language of mass media and nearly all written communications. Quechua, officially recognized, is the most common indigenous language, spoken by around 13 percent, especially in parts of the Andes. As recently as the 1950s, Quechua was dominant in rural areas and used by as much as half the population, but urbanization and Quechua's lack of a widely understood written language have caused its usage to shrink considerably.

Another indigenous language, Aymara, is also official and is spoken primarily in the souther region. Dozens of other indigenous languages are also used by tiny segments of the population, and around 100,000 people speak Chinese as a first language. English is frequently used in the tourism industry.