They speak Tamil mainly in South Asia, especially in parts of India and Sri Lanka, and in several other countries with large Tamil communities.

Core regions

  • India : Tamil is the primary language of the state of Tamil Nadu and a major language in the Union Territory of Puducherry, where it has official status and is used in government, education, and media.
  • Sri Lanka : Tamil is a national and official language alongside Sinhala, widely spoken in the Northern and Eastern provinces and by Tamil communities in Colombo and the central highlands.

Countries where Tamil is official

  • India : Official language of the state of Tamil Nadu and one of the official languages of Puducherry; also one of the 22 scheduled (official) languages of India.
  • Sri Lanka : Co‑official and national language with Sinhala at the national level.
  • Singapore : One of four official languages, alongside English, Malay, and Mandarin, used especially within the Indian community.

Other places with many Tamil speakers

  • Malaysia : Tamil is not the sole national language, but it is widely used in Tamil-medium schools, media, and among the Indian Tamil community.
  • Diaspora countries : There are notable Tamil‑speaking communities in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Mauritius, Fiji, South Africa, and the Gulf states, where the language is maintained through temples, cultural groups, and weekend schools.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.