* Official statistics are often unreliable or unavailable. The Chinese government doesn't regularly release detailed language statistics, especially for minority groups.
* Definitions of "Tibetan" vary. Do we include all dialects of Tibetan, or just the standard written language? Does it include related languages like Dzongkha (spoken in Bhutan)?
* Language use is complex. Many people in Tibetan areas are bilingual or multilingual, speaking Tibetan along with Mandarin and other languages.
However, we can provide some estimates:
* The Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR): This region has the largest Tibetan population in China. The official language of the TAR is Tibetan, and most people in the region speak it. However, Mandarin is also widely spoken, especially in urban areas.
* Other Tibetan areas: Tibetan is spoken in other parts of China, particularly in the provinces of Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, and Yunnan. However, the percentage of Tibetan speakers in these areas is much lower than in the TAR.
Based on various sources and estimations, the percentage of people who speak Tibetan in China is likely somewhere between 1% and 3% of the total population.
It's important to note that these are just estimates, and the actual percentage could be higher or lower. Further research and reliable data are needed for a more precise answer.