By 2016 there were 1,402 language teachers, down from 1,635 in 2010, according to data from the Scottish government.
The staffing decline has prompted more concerns about the dwindling number of pupils taking exams in German, French and Italian in recent years despite policies to reverse the trend.
Tavish Scott, education spokesman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, who asked for the figures to be published, said: “It’s extremely disappointing to see such a dramatic fall in the number of secondary school language teachers since 2010.
“Language teaching in schools has been highlighted as a government priority yet the government’s own figures show there are fewer teachers than before, setting language students up for failure.
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