Languages of the World

OfficialPashto, Dari (Persian)

Also spokenUzbek, Turkmen, Hazaragi, Balochi, Pashayi

Dari is the main lingua franca and Pashto the language of the largest group; several regional languages are recognised.

OfficialAlbanian

Also spokenGreek, Aromanian, Macedonian

Albanian, an independent branch of Indo-European, has two main dialects, Gheg and Tosk.

OfficialArabic, Tamazight (Berber)

Also spokenAlgerian Arabic (Darja), Kabyle, French

Algerian Arabic is the everyday language; Tamazight became official in 2016 and French remains strong in business and higher education.

OfficialCatalan

Also spokenSpanish, French, Portuguese

The only country where Catalan is the sole official language.

OfficialPortuguese

Also spokenUmbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo, Chokwe

Portuguese is spreading fast as a first language in cities, while Bantu languages such as Umbundu and Kimbundu dominate their regions.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenAntiguan and Barbudan Creole

English is official while an English-based creole is the everyday spoken language.

OfficialSpanish (de facto)

Also spokenGuaraní, Quechua, Mapudungun, Wichí, Italian

Rioplatense Spanish dominates; Guaraní is co-official in Corrientes Province, and Italian strongly influenced Buenos Aires speech.

OfficialArmenian

Also spokenRussian, Kurmanji (Yazidi), Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

Armenian, with its own unique alphabet, is spoken by almost everyone; Russian remains widely known.

OfficialEnglish (de facto)

Also spokenMandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Kriol, Aboriginal languages, Torres Strait Creole

English dominates; of about 250 Aboriginal languages before colonisation, only a few are still learned by children.

OfficialGerman

Also spokenAustro-Bavarian, Croatian, Slovene, Hungarian (regional)

Austrian German is standard; Croatian, Slovene and Hungarian are recognised in certain regions.

OfficialAzerbaijani

Also spokenRussian, Lezgian, Talysh, Avar

Azerbaijani, a Turkic language now written in the Latin script, is dominant; Russian is still used in Baku.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenEnglish, Bahrani Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Malayalam

Arabic is official, and English is a widely used lingua franca among a large migrant workforce.

OfficialBengali

Also spokenChittagonian, Sylheti, Chakma, Santali, English

Bengali is spoken by about 98% of the population; the 1952 Language Movement is commemorated worldwide as International Mother Language Day.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenBajan Creole

Bajan, an English-based creole, is the everyday language of most Barbadians.

OfficialBelarusian, Russian

Also spokenTrasianka (mixed speech)

Russian dominates daily life even though Belarusian is the national language.

OfficialDutch, French, German

Also spokenBrussels French, Walloon, Limburgish

Language divides the country into Dutch-speaking Flanders, French-speaking Wallonia, a small German-speaking community, and bilingual Brussels.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenBelizean Kriol, Spanish, Garifuna, Q'eqchi', Mopan Maya, Plautdietsch

The only English-official country in Central America; Kriol is the main lingua franca and Spanish is widely spoken.

OfficialFrench

Also spokenFon, Yoruba, Bariba, Dendi, Adja

French is the language of government and schooling; Fon is the most widely spoken language in the south and Yoruba in the south-east.

OfficialDzongkha

Also spokenSharchop (Tshangla), Lhotshamkha (Nepali), English

Dzongkha is the national language; English is the medium of instruction in schools.

OfficialSpanish and 36 indigenous languages (incl. Quechua, Aymara, Guaraní)

The 2009 constitution made all indigenous languages official; Quechua and Aymara are spoken by millions.

OfficialBosnian, Croatian, Serbian

Also spokenRomani

Three official standards of one closely related language, written in both Latin and Cyrillic.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenSetswana (national language), Kalanga, Sekgalagadi

Setswana is spoken by most of the population and serves as the national language, with English used in government and education.

OfficialPortuguese

Also spokenBrazilian Sign Language (Libras), about 200 indigenous languages, German and Italian dialects

Portuguese is spoken by nearly everyone, while about 200 indigenous languages survive, many of them endangered.

OfficialMalay

Also spokenBrunei Malay, English, Chinese, Iban

Standard Malay is official, Brunei Malay is the everyday language and English is widely used.

OfficialBulgarian

Also spokenTurkish, Romani

Bulgarian was the first Slavic language written in Cyrillic; Turkish is the largest minority language.

OfficialMooré, Dioula, Fulfulde and other national languages (2023 constitution)

Also spokenFrench (working language), Gourmanché, Bissa

A 2023 constitutional change made national languages official and reduced French to a working language; Mooré is the largest language and Dioula a trade lingua franca.

OfficialKirundi, French, English

Also spokenSwahili

One of Africa's few near-monolingual countries: almost everyone speaks Kirundi, with French, English and Swahili in administration and trade.

OfficialPortuguese

Also spokenCape Verdean Creole (Kabuverdianu)

Cape Verdean Creole is the mother tongue of nearly everyone, while Portuguese is used in formal domains.

OfficialKhmer

Also spokenVietnamese, Chinese, Cham, Mon-Khmer minority languages, French

Khmer is spoken by over 90% of the population and has its own script.

OfficialFrench, English

Also spokenCameroonian Pidgin English, Fulfulde, Ewondo, Duala, Camfranglais

One of the most linguistically diverse countries in Africa, officially bilingual in French and English, with Pidgin and Fulfulde as major lingua francas.

OfficialEnglish, French

Also spokenCree, Inuktitut, Ojibwe and other Indigenous languages, Punjabi, Mandarin, Cantonese

Officially bilingual, with French concentrated in Quebec; Inuktitut is official in Nunavut and many Indigenous languages are being revitalised.

OfficialFrench, Sango

Also spokenGbaya, Banda

Sango is a national lingua franca spoken by almost the whole population, unusual for the region.

OfficialFrench, Arabic

Also spokenChadian Arabic, Sara, Kanembu

Chadian Arabic is the main lingua franca; over a hundred languages are spoken across the country.

OfficialSpanish (de facto)

Also spokenMapudungun, Aymara, Rapa Nui, Quechua

Chilean Spanish dominates; Mapudungun is the largest Indigenous language.

OfficialStandard Chinese (Putonghua)

Also spokenCantonese, Wu, Min, Hakka and other Chinese varieties; Uyghur, Tibetan, Mongolian, Zhuang, Yi

Standard Mandarin is promoted nationwide; many Chinese 'dialects' are mutually unintelligible languages, and minority languages have regional recognition.

OfficialSpanish

Also spoken65 Indigenous languages, San Andrés Creole, Palenquero

Indigenous languages are co-official in their territories; Palenquero is a rare Spanish-based creole of Afro-Colombian origin.

OfficialComorian (Shikomori), Arabic, French

Comorian, a Bantu language close to Swahili, is spoken by nearly everyone, alongside Arabic and French.

OfficialSpanish

Also spokenLimón Creole English, Bribri, Cabécar

Spanish dominates; an English-based creole is spoken on the Caribbean coast.

OfficialCroatian

Also spokenSerbian, Italian, Hungarian

Croatian has three dialect groups, Štokavian, Kajkavian and Čakavian.

OfficialSpanish

Cuba is almost entirely Spanish-speaking.

OfficialGreek, Turkish

Also spokenEnglish, Cypriot Arabic, Armenian

Greek is spoken in the south and Turkish in the north; English is widely known.

OfficialCzech

Also spokenSlovak, Romani, German, Polish

Czech is spoken by almost everyone; Slovak is mutually intelligible.

OfficialFrench

Also spokenDioula (Jula), Baoulé, Bété, Senufo

French is widely spoken as a first language in Abidjan, with Dioula the main trade language and Nouchi an urban slang.

OfficialDanish

Also spokenFaroese and Greenlandic (official in their territories), German

Danish is dominant; Faroese and Greenlandic are official in the self-governing territories.

OfficialFrench, Arabic

Also spokenSomali, Afar

Somali and Afar are the main everyday languages, while French and Arabic are official.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenDominican Creole French (Kwéyòl)

A French-based creole is widely spoken alongside official English.

OfficialSpanish

Also spokenHaitian Creole, Samaná English

Spanish is the language of almost everyone; Haitian Creole is spoken by Haitian immigrants.

OfficialFrench

Also spokenLingala, Swahili, Kikongo ya leta, Tshiluba (national languages)

French is official, while four national languages each serve as lingua francas in different regions among more than 200 languages.

OfficialSpanish (Kichwa and Shuar official for intercultural relations)

Also spokenKichwa, Shuar and other Indigenous languages

Kichwa is the largest Indigenous language, spoken mostly in the Andes.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenEgyptian Arabic, Sa'idi Arabic, Nubian languages, Beja

Egyptian Arabic is the everyday language and is widely understood across the Arab world through film and media; Modern Standard Arabic is used in writing.

OfficialSpanish

Also spokenNawat (Pipil)

Spanish dominates; Nawat is critically endangered and the focus of revitalisation efforts.

OfficialSpanish, French, Portuguese

Also spokenFang, Bube, Annobonese

The only Spanish-official country in Africa; Fang is the largest first language.

OfficialNo official language (working languages: Tigrinya, Arabic, English)

Also spokenTigre, Afar, Saho, Bilen, Kunama, Nara, Beja

The state recognises the languages of its nine ethnic groups equally, with Tigrinya the most widely spoken.

OfficialEstonian

Also spokenRussian, Võro, Seto

Estonian is a Finnic language related to Finnish; Russian is spoken by about a quarter of the population.

OfficialsiSwati, English

siSwati is spoken by almost the entire population; English is used in government and education.

OfficialAmharic, Afaan Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali, Afar (federal working languages)

Also spokenSidama, Wolaytta, Gurage languages

Amharic was long the sole federal language; since 2020 Afaan Oromo (the largest first language), Tigrinya, Somali and Afar were added, and regions choose their own languages.

OfficialEnglish, Fijian, Fiji Hindi

Also spokenRotuman

Three official languages reflect Fiji's iTaukei and Indo-Fijian communities.

OfficialFinnish, Swedish

Also spokenSámi languages, Russian, Finnish Sign Language

Officially bilingual; Sámi languages have official status in the north.

OfficialFrench

Also spokenOccitan, Breton, Alsatian, Basque, Catalan, Corsican, Arabic, Berber

French is the sole official language; regional languages have declined but are taught in some schools.

OfficialFrench

Also spokenFang, Punu, Nzebi, Myene

French is unusually widespread as a home language, especially in Libreville; Fang is the largest African language.

OfficialGeorgian (Abkhaz in Abkhazia)

Also spokenAzerbaijani, Armenian, Mingrelian, Svan, Russian

Georgian has its own ancient script; Mingrelian and Svan are related Kartvelian languages spoken in the west.

OfficialGerman

Also spokenLow German, Sorbian, Danish, Frisian, Romani, Turkish

Standard German coexists with many regional dialects; Turkish is the largest immigrant language.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenAkan (Twi, Fante), Ewe, Dagbani, Ga, Dagaare, Hausa

Akan is the most widely spoken language; eleven Ghanaian languages are government-sponsored for education and media.

OfficialGreek

Also spokenAlbanian, Aromanian, Turkish, Macedonian

Greek has one of the longest written histories of any language.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenGrenadian Creole English, Grenadian Creole French

An English-based creole is the everyday language; the French-based creole survives among older speakers.

OfficialSpanish

Also spoken22 Mayan languages (incl. K'iche', Q'eqchi', Kaqchikel, Mam), Xinka, Garifuna

About 40% of Guatemalans are Indigenous, and Mayan languages are spoken by millions.

OfficialFrench

Also spokenPular, Maninka, Susu, Kissi, Kpelle

Pular, Maninka and Susu are the three big regional languages; Susu dominates the capital, Conakry.

OfficialPortuguese

Also spokenGuinea-Bissau Creole (Kriol), Balanta, Fula, Mandinka

Kriol is the national lingua franca spoken by most people, while few speak Portuguese as a first language.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenGuyanese Creole, Indigenous languages (Wapishana, Makushi), Hindustani

The only English-official country in South America; Guyanese Creole is the everyday language.

OfficialHaitian Creole, French

Almost all Haitians speak Haitian Creole, while French is known mainly by the educated minority.

OfficialSpanish

Also spokenGarifuna, Miskito, Bay Islands English

Spanish dominates; Garifuna and Miskito are spoken on the Caribbean coast.

OfficialHungarian

Also spokenGerman, Romani, Croatian, Slovak

Hungarian is a Uralic language, unrelated to its Indo-European neighbours.

OfficialIcelandic

Also spokenEnglish, Danish

Icelandic has changed little since the Middle Ages and is actively protected from loanwords.

OfficialHindi, English (union level); 22 scheduled languages

Also spokenBengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Urdu, Kannada, Odia, Malayalam, Punjabi

One of the world's most multilingual nations, with states drawn largely along linguistic lines and four major language families.

OfficialIndonesian

Also spokenJavanese, Sundanese, Madurese, Minangkabau, Balinese, Batak, Bugis

Indonesian, based on Malay, unites over 700 languages; Javanese has the most native speakers.

OfficialPersian

Also spokenAzerbaijani, Kurdish, Gilaki, Mazandarani, Luri, Arabic, Balochi

Persian is the official and dominant language; Azerbaijani Turkish is spoken by a large minority in the north-west.

OfficialArabic, Kurdish

Also spokenTurkmen, Syriac (Neo-Aramaic), Armenian

Arabic and Kurdish are official; Kurdish (Sorani and Badini) is the main language of the Kurdistan Region.

OfficialIrish, English

Also spokenShelta, Polish

Irish is the first official language but English is used by most; Irish-speaking Gaeltacht areas survive in the west.

OfficialHebrew

Also spokenArabic (special status since 2018), Russian, English, Amharic, Yiddish

Hebrew was revived as a spoken language in the late 19th and 20th centuries, a rare case of language revival.

OfficialItalian

Also spokenNeapolitan, Sicilian, Venetian, Lombard, Sardinian, Friulian, German, Ladin

Many Italian 'dialects' are distinct Romance languages; German is co-official in South Tyrol.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenJamaican Patois (Patwa)

Jamaican Patois is the everyday language of most people, while Standard English is used in formal settings.

OfficialJapanese (de facto)

Also spokenRyukyuan languages, Ainu, Japanese Sign Language

Japanese is spoken by almost everyone; the Ryukyuan languages of Okinawa and Ainu in Hokkaido are endangered.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenLevantine Arabic, English, Circassian, Armenian

Levantine Arabic is the everyday language; English is widely used in business and education.

OfficialKazakh (state language), Russian (official)

Also spokenUzbek, Uyghur, Ukrainian, German

Kazakh is promoted as the state language and moving to the Latin script, while Russian remains widely used.

OfficialEnglish, Swahili

Also spokenKikuyu, Luhya, Luo, Kalenjin, Kamba, Sheng

Swahili is the national language and English dominates education and business; Sheng, a Swahili-English mix, is popular among urban youth.

OfficialEnglish, Gilbertese (Kiribati)

Gilbertese is spoken by almost everyone.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenGulf Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu

Arabic is official; English and South Asian languages are widely spoken by migrant workers.

OfficialKyrgyz (state language), Russian (official)

Also spokenUzbek, Dungan

Kyrgyz is the state language and Russian is still common in cities and education.

OfficialLao

Also spokenHmong, Khmu, Tai languages, French

Lao is the national language; dozens of minority languages are spoken in the mountains.

OfficialLatvian

Also spokenRussian, Latgalian, Livonian

Latvian is one of two living Baltic languages; Russian is widely spoken.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenLebanese Arabic, French, English, Armenian

Lebanese are often trilingual in Arabic, French and English, with frequent code-switching.

OfficialSesotho, English

Also spokenisiXhosa, isiZulu

Sesotho is the first language of almost the whole population.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenLiberian Kreyol (Kolokwa), Kpelle, Bassa, Grebo, Vai

Liberian English varieties are the main lingua franca; the Vai language has its own indigenous script.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenLibyan Arabic, Tamazight (Berber), Tuareg (Tamasheq), Teda

Libyan Arabic is the common language; Amazigh languages are spoken in the Nafusa Mountains, Zuwara and the south.

OfficialGerman

Also spokenAlemannic dialect

An Alemannic German dialect is spoken in daily life.

OfficialLithuanian

Also spokenRussian, Polish

Lithuanian is considered one of the most conservative living Indo-European languages.

OfficialLuxembourgish, French, German

Also spokenPortuguese, English

Luxembourgish is the national language; French dominates law and German the media.

OfficialMalagasy, French

Also spokenMalagasy dialects

Malagasy, an Austronesian language related to languages of Borneo, unites the island; French is used in education and administration.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenChichewa (national language), Chiyao, Chitumbuka, Chilomwe

Chichewa is the national language and widely spoken; English is the language of government and higher education.

OfficialMalay

Also spokenEnglish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Tamil, Iban, Kadazan

Malay is the national language; English, Chinese varieties and Tamil are widely used, and Borneo hosts many Indigenous languages.

OfficialDhivehi

Also spokenEnglish

Dhivehi, an Indo-Aryan language written in the Thaana script, is spoken by the whole population.

Official13 national languages incl. Bambara (official since 2023)

Also spokenFrench (working language), Fulfulde, Songhay, Soninke, Tamasheq

The 2023 constitution made national languages official and kept French as a working language; Bambara is spoken by most Malians.

OfficialMaltese, English

Also spokenItalian

Maltese is the only Semitic language written in the Latin script and an official EU language.

OfficialMarshallese, English

Marshallese is spoken by nearly the whole population.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenHassaniya Arabic, Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof, French

Hassaniya Arabic is the dominant everyday language; Pulaar, Soninke and Wolof are national languages and French remains important.

OfficialNo de jure official language (English and French used officially)

Also spokenMauritian Creole, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Tamil, Urdu

Mauritian Creole is the mother tongue of most people, English is the language of government and French of the media.

OfficialNo de jure official language; Spanish and 68 Indigenous languages are national languages

Also spokenNahuatl, Yucatec Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, Tzeltal, Tzotzil

The world's largest Spanish-speaking country; a 2003 law recognised Indigenous languages as national languages with equal validity.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenChuukese, Pohnpeian, Kosraean, Yapese, Ulithian

English is official, while each state has its own main Micronesian language.

OfficialRomanian

Also spokenRussian, Gagauz, Ukrainian, Bulgarian

Romanian is official (formerly called 'Moldovan'); Gagauz is official in Gagauzia.

OfficialFrench

Also spokenMonégasque, Italian, English

French is official and Monégasque, a Ligurian dialect, is taught in schools.

OfficialMongolian

Also spokenKazakh, Buryat, Russian

Mongolian is written in Cyrillic, with the traditional Mongolian script being reintroduced.

OfficialMontenegrin

Also spokenSerbian, Bosnian, Albanian, Croatian

Montenegrin is closely related to Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian.

OfficialArabic, Amazigh (Tamazight)

Also spokenMoroccan Arabic (Darija), Tachelhit, Tarifit, Central Atlas Tamazight, French, Spanish

Darija is the everyday language; Amazigh became official in 2011, and French dominates business and science.

OfficialPortuguese

Also spokenEmakhuwa, Xichangana, Cisena, Elomwe, Echuwabo

Portuguese is official and growing as a first language; Emakhuwa is the largest national language.

OfficialBurmese

Also spokenShan, Karen languages, Kachin, Chin languages, Mon, Rakhine

Burmese is the national language; over 100 languages are spoken by the country's many ethnic groups.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenOshiwambo, Khoekhoegowab, Afrikaans, Otjiherero, RuKwangali, German

English is official though spoken natively by few; Oshiwambo is the largest home language and Afrikaans a common lingua franca.

OfficialNauruan, English

Nauruan is the national language of the world's smallest island republic.

OfficialNepali (all mother tongues are national languages)

Also spokenMaithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang, Newar

Nepali is the official language, while the 2015 constitution recognises all mother tongues as national languages.

OfficialDutch

Also spokenWest Frisian (official in Friesland), Low Saxon, Limburgish, Papiamento (Caribbean)

Dutch is national; West Frisian is co-official in Friesland and English is very widely spoken.

OfficialMāori, New Zealand Sign Language (English de facto)

Also spokenSamoan, Hindi, Mandarin

Māori and NZ Sign Language are official, English is dominant, and Māori revitalisation is well known.

OfficialSpanish

Also spokenMiskito, Creole English, Mayangna, Garifuna

Indigenous and Creole languages are official in the Caribbean coast autonomous regions.

OfficialHausa (national language, 2025 charter); French and English (working languages)

Also spokenZarma-Songhay, Fulfulde, Tamasheq, Kanuri

Hausa is the dominant lingua franca, spoken by over half the population; a 2025 transitional charter changed the status of French.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenHausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Nigerian Pidgin, Fulfulde, Kanuri, Ibibio, Tiv

Africa's most linguistically diverse country, with over 500 languages; Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo are the major regional languages and Nigerian Pidgin is a nationwide lingua franca.

OfficialKorean

Korean is spoken by virtually everyone; the North's standard (Munhwaŏ) avoids many loanwords used in the South.

OfficialMacedonian, Albanian

Also spokenTurkish, Romani, Aromanian, Serbian

Macedonian is official nationwide, and Albanian is co-official since 2019.

OfficialNorwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk), Sámi

Also spokenKven, Romani

Norwegian has two written standards, and Sámi has official status in the north.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenOmani Arabic, Balochi, Swahili, Mehri, Jibbali, English

Arabic is official; Modern South Arabian languages such as Mehri and Jibbali survive in the south.

OfficialUrdu, English

Also spokenPunjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki, Balochi, Brahui

Urdu is the national language and lingua franca, though Punjabi has the most native speakers.

OfficialPalauan, English

Also spokenSonsorolese, Tobian, Japanese

Palauan is spoken by most; Sonsorolese and Tobian are official in their states.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenLevantine Arabic, Hebrew, English

Levantine Arabic is the everyday language; Hebrew is known by many who work in Israel.

OfficialSpanish

Also spokenNgäbere, Kuna, Emberá, Panamanian Creole English

Spanish dominates; Indigenous languages are spoken in the comarcas.

OfficialEnglish, Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu, PNG Sign Language

Also spokenEnga, Melpa, Huli and about 840 other languages

The world's most linguistically diverse country, with about 840 languages; Tok Pisin is the main lingua franca.

OfficialSpanish, Guaraní

Also spokenJopará (Guaraní-Spanish mix), Plautdietsch, Portuguese

One of the few countries where an Indigenous language, Guaraní, is spoken by most of the population, including non-Indigenous people.

OfficialSpanish; Quechua, Aymara and other Indigenous languages where predominant

Also spokenAsháninka, Awajún, Shipibo

Quechua is spoken by about 4 million people; Amazonian Peru is home to dozens of Indigenous languages.

OfficialFilipino, English

Also spokenCebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Bikol, Waray, Kapampangan

Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English are official; regional languages are used in early schooling.

OfficialPolish

Also spokenSilesian, Kashubian, German, Ukrainian, Belarusian

Polish is spoken by nearly everyone; Kashubian is a recognised regional language.

OfficialPortuguese, Mirandese (regional)

Portuguese is spoken by almost all; Mirandese is co-official in a small north-eastern area.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenEnglish, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, Nepali

Most residents are migrants, so English is a major lingua franca alongside official Arabic.

OfficialFrench

Also spokenLingala, Kituba (Munukutuba)

Lingala and Kituba are national languages and lingua francas, Lingala in the north and Brazzaville, Kituba in the south.

OfficialRomanian

Also spokenHungarian, Romani, German, Ukrainian

Romanian is an Eastern Romance language; Hungarian is widely spoken in Transylvania.

OfficialRussian (plus official languages in the republics)

Also spokenTatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Chuvash, Yakut, Avar

Russian is the state language, while over 30 regional languages are co-official in the republics.

OfficialKinyarwanda, English, French, Swahili

Kinyarwanda is spoken by virtually everyone; English replaced French as the main language of education in 2008.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenSaint Kitts Creole

English is official and an English-based creole is used informally.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenSaint Lucian Kwéyòl (French-based creole)

Kwéyòl is widely spoken and increasingly used in media despite English being official.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenVincentian Creole

An English-based creole is the everyday language.

OfficialSamoan, English

Samoan is spoken by nearly everyone and is central to daily and public life.

OfficialItalian

Also spokenRomagnol

Italian is official and Romagnol is spoken by older residents.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenNajdi, Hejazi and Gulf Arabic, English, Urdu, Tagalog

Arabic is official; regional Arabic dialects differ noticeably, and English is common in business.

OfficialFrench

Also spokenWolof, Pulaar, Serer, Jola, Mandinka, Soninke

Wolof is the dominant lingua franca, spoken by most Senegalese; several national languages are used in literacy programmes.

OfficialSerbian

Also spokenHungarian, Romani, Bosnian, Albanian, Slovak, Romanian

Serbian uses both Cyrillic and Latin scripts; Vojvodina recognises six official languages.

OfficialSeychellois Creole, English, French

Seychellois Creole (Kreol) is the first language of almost everyone.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenKrio, Mende, Temne, Limba

Krio, an English-based creole, is the lingua franca understood by nearly all Sierra Leoneans.

OfficialEnglish, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil

Also spokenSinglish, Hokkien, Cantonese

Four official languages; English is the main language of education and work, and Malay is the national language.

OfficialSlovak

Also spokenHungarian, Romani, Rusyn, Czech

Slovak is national; Hungarian is spoken by a large minority in the south.

OfficialSlovene

Also spokenHungarian, Italian (regional)

Slovene has an unusually large number of dialects for its size.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenSolomon Islands Pijin, Kwara'ae, To'abaita

Pijin is the lingua franca across about 70 languages, though few speak English natively.

OfficialSomali, Arabic

Also spokenMaay, English, Italian

Somali is spoken by the great majority, making Somalia unusually monolingual for the region; Maay is spoken in the south.

Official12 official: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, South African Sign Language

Also spokenFanagalo, Khoe and San languages

isiZulu is the largest home language, English dominates public life, and South African Sign Language became the twelfth official language in 2023.

OfficialKorean

Also spokenKorean Sign Language, Jeju

Korean, written in the Hangul alphabet, is spoken by almost everyone; Jeju is a distinct endangered language.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenJuba Arabic, Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande

Juba Arabic is the main lingua franca; English became the official language at independence in 2011.

OfficialSpanish (Castilian); Catalan, Basque, Galician, Aranese (regional)

Also spokenValencian, Asturian, Aragonese

Regional languages are co-official in their autonomous communities; Basque is unrelated to any other known language.

OfficialSinhala, Tamil

Also spokenEnglish (link language)

Sinhala and Tamil are both official, with English as a link language.

OfficialArabic, English

Also spokenSudanese Arabic, Beja, Fur, Nubian languages, Hausa

Sudanese Arabic is the national lingua franca among many languages, especially in Darfur and the Nuba Mountains.

OfficialDutch

Also spokenSranan Tongo, Sarnami Hindustani, Javanese, Maroon languages (Saramaccan, Ndyuka), Indigenous languages

The only Dutch-official country in South America; Sranan Tongo is the main lingua franca.

OfficialSwedish

Also spokenFinnish, Meänkieli, Sámi, Romani, Yiddish (minority languages)

Swedish is official, and five national minority languages are recognised.

OfficialGerman, French, Italian, Romansh

Also spokenSwiss German dialects

Four national languages: Swiss German dialects dominate daily life in the German-speaking majority.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenKurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Turkmen, Circassian

Levantine Arabic is the everyday language; Western Neo-Aramaic survives in a few villages.

OfficialPortuguese

Also spokenForro, Angolar, Principense (creoles)

Portuguese is now the first language of most people, while the local Portuguese-based creoles are declining.

OfficialTajik

Also spokenRussian, Uzbek, Pamir languages

Tajik, a variety of Persian written in Cyrillic, is the state language; Pamir languages are spoken in the mountains.

OfficialSwahili, English

Also spokenSukuma, Chaga, Haya, Nyamwezi, Makonde

Swahili is the national language spoken by almost all Tanzanians and the medium of primary education, a deliberate post-independence policy.

OfficialThai

Also spokenIsan (Lao), Northern Thai, Southern Thai, Malay, Khmer, Karen

Central Thai is the standard; Isan, closely related to Lao, is spoken in the north-east.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenBahamian Creole

English is official and Bahamian Creole is widely spoken informally.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenMandinka, Wolof, Fula, Serer, Jola

Wolof and Mandinka are the main lingua francas; English is used in government and schools.

OfficialTetum, Portuguese

Also spokenIndonesian, English, Mambai, Makasae

Tetum is the main lingua franca and Portuguese was restored as co-official after independence.

OfficialFrench

Also spokenEwe, Kabiyè (national languages), Gen, Tem

Ewe dominates the south and Kabiyè the north; both have national-language status.

OfficialTongan, English

Tongan is spoken by almost everyone in the only Pacific kingdom.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenTrinidadian Creole, Tobagonian Creole, Spanish, Trinidadian Hindustani

English-based creoles are the everyday languages; Spanish is promoted as a first foreign language.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenTunisian Arabic (Derja), French, Tamazight

Tunisian Arabic is the everyday language and French remains widely used in business and higher education.

OfficialTurkish

Also spokenKurdish (Kurmanji, Zazaki), Arabic, Laz

Turkish is spoken by most of the population; Kurdish is the largest minority language.

OfficialTurkmen

Also spokenRussian, Uzbek

Turkmen is the state language, written in the Latin script since the 1990s.

OfficialTuvaluan, English

Also spokenGilbertese (on Nui)

Tuvaluan is the national language, with Gilbertese spoken on Nui atoll.

OfficialEnglish, Swahili

Also spokenLuganda, Runyankole, Lusoga, Acholi, Lugbara

Luganda is the most widely spoken African language; Swahili became a second official language in 2005.

OfficialUkrainian

Also spokenRussian, Crimean Tatar, Hungarian, Romanian, Surzhyk

Ukrainian is the state language and its use has grown strongly since 2014 and 2022.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenEnglish, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, Tagalog, Persian

Most residents are expatriates, making English the main lingua franca of daily life.

OfficialEnglish (de facto); Welsh official in Wales

Also spokenScots, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Cornish, British Sign Language, Punjabi, Urdu, Polish

English dominates; Welsh is official in Wales, and Gaelic, Scots and Irish are recognised regionally.

OfficialEnglish (designated by executive order in 2025; no official language in federal law)

Also spokenSpanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, Navajo and other Native American languages

English dominates, Spanish is spoken by over 40 million people, and many Native American languages are endangered.

OfficialSpanish

Also spokenUruguayan Portuguese (Portuñol), Uruguayan Sign Language

Rioplatense Spanish dominates; Portuguese varieties are spoken along the Brazilian border.

OfficialUzbek

Also spokenRussian, Tajik, Karakalpak

Uzbek is the state language, moving from Cyrillic to Latin script; Karakalpak is official in Karakalpakstan.

OfficialBislama, English, French

Also spokenAbout 110 local languages

Vanuatu has one of the highest language densities in the world; Bislama is the national lingua franca.

OfficialItalian (administration), Latin (Holy See)

Italian is the working language, while Latin remains the official language of the Holy See's documents.

OfficialSpanish; Indigenous languages official for their peoples

Also spokenWayuu (Guajiro), Warao, Pemon, Yanomami

Spanish dominates; Wayuu is the largest Indigenous language, shared with Colombia.

OfficialVietnamese

Also spokenTày, Thái, Mường, Khmer, Hmong, Chinese

Vietnamese, written in the Latin-based Quốc ngữ alphabet, is spoken by most; 54 ethnic groups are recognised.

OfficialArabic

Also spokenYemeni Arabic dialects, Mehri, Soqotri, Razihi

Arabic is official; Soqotri, on Socotra island, is an ancient Modern South Arabian language.

OfficialEnglish

Also spokenBemba, Nyanja, Tonga, Lozi, Kaonde, Lunda, Luvale

English is official, and seven regional languages are used in education and broadcasting; Bemba and Nyanja are the main lingua francas.

Official16 official, incl. Shona, Ndebele, English, Chewa, Kalanga, Nambya, Ndau, Tonga, Venda, Sign Language

Zimbabwe's 2013 constitution lists 16 official languages; Shona is spoken by the majority and Ndebele mainly in the south-west.