The number of native speakers is relatively small among the younger generations, yet the people of the older generation speak the Khanty language quite well. There are a few reasons for poor language proficiency among the younger generations. First, most children receive their education in boarding schools, and therefore do not see their family for a significant part of the year, having no contact with the older relatives with whom they could communicate and practice. Secondly, traditional occupations are disappearing, which leads to people moving to multinational villages and cities, where it is more difficult to preserve their native language. Finally, there are internal changes in the language itself as it needs to be adapted to modern realities. Still, the preservation and development of Northern Khanty are not impossible, as any language can successfully express both the traditional culture and the newly emerged areas of life.

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