The history of the full-fledged functioning of the written language in the Tundra Nenets language begins in 1931, when the first Latin-based Nenets alphabet was approved. The Bolshezemelsky dialect, which geographically occupies the central place among the dialects of the Tundra Nenets language, was chosen as a reference for the written language.

It is hard to give an estimate of the exact number of Forest Nenets, since in both federal and regional official statistics, apart from the 1926-1927 Soviet Polar Census Expidions, they are united with the Tundra Nenets and are recorded as one ethnic group. Besides, the members of one Forest Nenets family may live together in one nomad camp, but be registered as living in different settlements. In case of intermarriages of the Forest Nenets with other indigenous Arctic ethnic groups, the ethnicity of children is difined by the ethnicity of the father.