Traditionally, the name Aleut is used for the very language described in this article. But in reality, to describe the version of the Aleut language that was used in Russia, it would have been more appropriate to talk about the Bering Island Aleut (based on the name of Bering Island, one of the Commander Islands, inhabited by Aleuts who spoke this language).
Nowadays, nobody speaks Aleut in Russia. By the end of the 20th century, we disposed of the following sociolinguistic data regarding Aleuts in America (listed by islands) [Hallamaa 1995; 1997]: Atka – 44 (the youngest speaker is aged 25), Akutan – 4 (the youngest is aged 70), St. Paul island – 40 (the youngest is at least 50 years old), St. George Island – 15 people (the youngest are aged over 50), King Cove – 10 (the youngest are aged over 60).
When it comes to Aleut in Russia, it can already be considered extinct: over the last few years, the language was in such a state that the researchers knew not only the exact number of last native speakers, but also all their names. But if we consider Aleut without taking into account the state borders, there are about 100 people that still speak the language. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that this number of speakers is still low and Aleut is threatened with extinction.