3,105,000 (2000 census).
Sumatera Selatan Province, mainly northern 2 thirds of province; Musi river upstream to Bukit Barisan mountains, downstream to eastern coastal swamplands; into northeast Lampung Province; a few small border areas in Jambi and Bengkulu provinces.
3 (Wider communication).Much of the population from other language groups in South Sumatra Province learn enough Urban Palembang dialect to use it as a trade language.
Belide, Burai, Coastal Malay, Kelingi, Lematang Ilir, Meranjat, Musi Sekayu, Palembang Lama, Pegagan, Penesak, Penukal, Rawas. A mutually-intelligible dialect chain stretching along the Musi River with 2 subgroups: Musi and Palembang. A member of macrolanguage Malay [msa].