🗣️ 195 countries · searchable official languages · Updated 2025

Languages by Country — Official Language of Every Country in the World (2025)

What language does every country officially speak? Browse this complete languages by country reference for all 195 countries — searchable by country name, official language, or continent. From English in 59 countries to rare indigenous languages recognized by just one nation.

195 Countries~300 Languages ListedEnglish: 59 Countries37+ With 2+ LanguagesNo Official Language Filter

Quick Answer — Most Widely Spoken Official Languages

English is the official language of more countries than any other — 59 nations have designated English as an official language or use it nationally. Spanish has more native speakers across its official countries, while Arabic is official across much of Africa and the Middle East.

LanguageOfficial in
English59
French29
Arabic25
Spanish20
Portuguese9
German6
Russian4
Italian4
Swahili4
Dutch3

Language reference

Search & Browse All 195 Countries

Search this country languages list by country, official language, continent, or language count. It answers what language does each country speak and helps find countries that speak English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and more.

Showing 195 countries · 78 with 2+ languages · 4 with no official language

🇦🇫
3 official languages
DariPashtoTurkmen

Dari is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇦🇱
Albania

Europe

1 official language
Albanian

Albanian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇩🇿
Algeria

Africa

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇦🇩
Andorra

Europe

1 official language
Catalan

Catalan is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇦🇴
Angola

Africa

1 official language
Portuguese

Portuguese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇦🇬
Antigua and Barbuda

North America

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇦🇷
Argentina

South America

2 official languages
GuaraníSpanish

Guaraní is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇦🇲
1 official language
Armenian

Armenian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇦🇺
Australia

Oceania

No official language · de facto: English
No official language

No official language; English is de facto, with hundreds of Aboriginal languages historically spoken.

🇦🇹
Austria

Europe

1 official language
German

German is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇦🇿
1 official language
Azerbaijani

Azerbaijani is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇸
Bahamas

North America

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇭
1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇩
1 official language
Bengali

Bengali is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇧
Barbados

North America

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇾
Belarus

Europe

2 official languages
BelarusianRussian

Belarusian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇪
Belgium

Europe

3 official languages
DutchFrenchGerman

Dutch is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇿
Belize

North America

3 official languages
Belizean CreoleEnglishSpanish

Belizean Creole is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇯
Benin

Africa

1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇹
Bhutan

Asia

1 official language
Dzongkha

Dzongkha is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇴
Bolivia

South America

37 official languages
SpanishQuechuaAymara+34 more

Most official languages of any country: Spanish plus 36 indigenous languages recognized in the 2009 constitution.

🇧🇦
3 official languages
BosnianCroatianSerbian

Bosnian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇼
Botswana

Africa

2 official languages
EnglishTswana

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇷
Brazil

South America

1 official language
Portuguese

Portuguese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇳
Brunei

Asia

1 official language
Malay

Malay is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇬
Bulgaria

Europe

1 official language
Bulgarian

Bulgarian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇫
1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇧🇮
Burundi

Africa

2 official languages
FrenchKirundi

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇻
1 official language
Portuguese

Portuguese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇰🇭
1 official language
Khmer

Khmer is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇲
Cameroon

Africa

2 official languages
EnglishFrench

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇦
Canada

North America

2 official languages
EnglishFrench

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

2 official languages
FrenchSango

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇩
Chad

Africa

2 official languages
ArabicFrench

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇱
Chile

South America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇳
China

Asia

1 official language
Mandarin Chinese

Mandarin Chinese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇴
Colombia

South America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇰🇲
Comoros

Africa

3 official languages
ArabicComorianFrench

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇷
Costa Rica

North America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇭🇷
Croatia

Europe

1 official language
Croatian

Croatian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇺
Cuba

North America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇾
Cyprus

Asia

2 official languages
GreekTurkish

Greek is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇿
2 official languages
CzechSlovak

Czech is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇩🇰
Denmark

Europe

1 official language
Danish

Danish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇩🇯
Djibouti

Africa

2 official languages
ArabicFrench

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇩🇲
Dominica

North America

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇩🇴
Dominican Republic

North America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇩
DR Congo

Africa

5 official languages
FrenchKikongoLingala+2 more

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇪🇨
Ecuador

South America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇪🇬
Egypt

Africa

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇻
El Salvador

North America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇶
3 official languages
FrenchPortugueseSpanish

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇪🇷
Eritrea

Africa

3 official languages
ArabicEnglishTigrinya

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇪🇪
Estonia

Europe

1 official language
Estonian

Estonian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇿
Eswatini

Africa

2 official languages
EnglishSwazi

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇪🇹
Ethiopia

Africa

1 official language
Amharic

Amharic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇫🇯
Fiji

Oceania

3 official languages
EnglishFijianHindi

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇫🇮
Finland

Europe

2 official languages
FinnishSwedish

Finnish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇫🇷
France

Europe

1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇦
Gabon

Africa

1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇲
Gambia

Africa

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇪
1 official language
Georgian

Georgian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇩🇪
Germany

Europe

1 official language
German

German is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇭
Ghana

Africa

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇷
Greece

Europe

1 official language
Greek

Greek is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇩
Grenada

North America

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇹
Guatemala

North America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇳
Guinea

Africa

1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇼
2 official languages
PortugueseUpper Guinea Creole

Portuguese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇾
Guyana

South America

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇭🇹
Haiti

North America

2 official languages
FrenchHaitian Creole

Haitian Creole is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇭🇳
Honduras

North America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇭🇺
Hungary

Europe

1 official language
Hungarian

Hungarian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇮🇸
Iceland

Europe

1 official language
Icelandic

Icelandic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇮🇳
India

Asia

3 official languages
EnglishHindiTamil

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇮🇩
1 official language
Indonesian

Indonesian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇮🇷
Iran

Asia

1 official language
Persian (Farsi)

Persian (Farsi) is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇮🇶
Iraq

Asia

3 official languages
ArabicAramaicSorani

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇮🇪
Ireland

Europe

2 official languages
EnglishIrish

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇮🇱
Israel

Asia

2 official languages
ArabicHebrew

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇮🇹
Italy

Europe

2 official languages
CatalanItalian

Catalan is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇮
1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇯🇲
Jamaica

North America

2 official languages
EnglishJamaican Patois

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇯🇵
Japan

Asia

1 official language
Japanese

Japanese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇯🇴
Jordan

Asia

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇰🇿
2 official languages
KazakhRussian

Kazakh is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇰🇪
Kenya

Africa

2 official languages
EnglishSwahili

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇰🇮
Kiribati

Oceania

2 official languages
EnglishGilbertese

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇰🇼
Kuwait

Asia

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇰🇬
2 official languages
KyrgyzRussian

Kyrgyz is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇦
Laos

Asia

1 official language
Lao

Lao is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇻
Latvia

Europe

1 official language
Latvian

Latvian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇧
2 official languages
ArabicFrench

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇸
Lesotho

Africa

2 official languages
EnglishSotho

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇷
Liberia

Africa

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇾
Libya

Africa

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇮
1 official language
German

German is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇹
Lithuania

Europe

1 official language
Lithuanian

Lithuanian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇺
3 official languages
LuxembourgishFrenchGerman

Luxembourgish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇬
2 official languages
FrenchMalagasy

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇼
Malawi

Africa

2 official languages
ChewaEnglish

Chewa is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇾
2 official languages
EnglishMalay

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇻
1 official language
Maldivian

Maldivian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇱
Mali

Africa

1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇹
Malta

Europe

2 official languages
EnglishMaltese

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇭
2 official languages
EnglishMarshallese

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇷
1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇺
Mauritius

Africa

3 official languages
EnglishFrenchMauritian Creole

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇽
Mexico

North America

No official language · de facto: Spanish
No official language

No federal official language; Spanish is de facto and 68 indigenous languages are recognized as national languages.

🇫🇲
Micronesia

Oceania

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇩
Moldova

Europe

1 official language
Romanian

Romanian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇨
Monaco

Europe

1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇳
1 official language
Mongolian

Mongolian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇪
5 official languages
MontenegrinSerbianBosnian+2 more

Montenegrin is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇦
Morocco

Africa

2 official languages
ArabicBerber

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇿
1 official language
Portuguese

Portuguese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇲
1 official language
Burmese

Burmese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇳🇦
Namibia

Africa

9 official languages
AfrikaansEnglishGerman+6 more

Afrikaans is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇳🇷
Nauru

Oceania

2 official languages
EnglishNauru

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇳🇵
Nepal

Asia

1 official language
Nepali

Nepali is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇳🇱
1 official language
Dutch

Dutch is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇳🇿
3 official languages
EnglishMāoriNew Zealand Sign Language

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇳🇮
Nicaragua

North America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇳🇪
Niger

Africa

1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇳🇬
Nigeria

Africa

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇰🇵
1 official language
Korean

Korean is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇲🇰
1 official language
Macedonian

Macedonian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇳🇴
Norway

Europe

3 official languages
Norwegian BokmålNorwegian NynorskSami

Norwegian Bokmål is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇴🇲
Oman

Asia

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇵🇰
2 official languages
EnglishUrdu

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇵🇼
Palau

Oceania

2 official languages
EnglishPalauan

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇵🇸
1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇵🇦
Panama

North America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇵🇬
3 official languages
EnglishTok PisinHiri Motu

World's most linguistically diverse country, with 840+ spoken languages.

🇵🇾
Paraguay

South America

2 official languages
SpanishGuaraní

Guaraní is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇵🇪
Peru

South America

3 official languages
SpanishQuechuaAymara

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇵🇭
2 official languages
EnglishFilipino

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇵🇱
Poland

Europe

1 official language
Polish

Polish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇵🇹
Portugal

Europe

1 official language
Portuguese

Portuguese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇶🇦
Qatar

Asia

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇬
3 official languages
FrenchKikongoLingala

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇷🇴
Romania

Europe

1 official language
Romanian

Romanian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇷🇺
Russia

Europe

1 official language
Russian

Russian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇷🇼
Rwanda

Africa

3 official languages
EnglishFrenchKinyarwanda

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇼🇸
Samoa

Oceania

2 official languages
EnglishSamoan

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇲
1 official language
Italian

Italian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

1 official language
Portuguese

Portuguese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇦
1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇳
Senegal

Africa

1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇷🇸
Serbia

Europe

1 official language
Serbian

Serbian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇨
3 official languages
EnglishFrenchSeychellois Creole

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇱
1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇬
4 official languages
EnglishMandarinMalay+1 more

Four official languages from four different language families.

🇸🇰
Slovakia

Europe

1 official language
Slovak

Slovak is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇮
Slovenia

Europe

1 official language
Slovene

Slovene is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇧
1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇴
Somalia

Africa

2 official languages
ArabicSomali

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇿🇦
11 official languages
ZuluXhosaAfrikaans+8 more

Post-apartheid constitution recognizes 11 official languages to reflect national diversity.

🇰🇷
1 official language
Korean

Korean is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇸
1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇪🇸
Spain

Europe

4 official languages
BasqueCatalanGalician+1 more

Basque is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇰
2 official languages
SinhalaTamil

Sinhala is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇰🇳
St. Kitts & Nevis

North America

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇱🇨
St. Lucia

North America

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇻🇨
1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇩
Sudan

Africa

2 official languages
ArabicEnglish

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇷
Suriname

South America

1 official language
Dutch

Dutch is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇸🇪
Sweden

Europe

1 official language
Swedish

Swedish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇨🇭
4 official languages
GermanFrenchItalian+1 more

Four national languages; Romansh is official for federal communication with Romansh speakers.

🇸🇾
Syria

Asia

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇯
2 official languages
RussianTajik

Russian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇿
Tanzania

Africa

2 official languages
EnglishSwahili

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇭
1 official language
Thai

Thai is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇱
2 official languages
PortugueseTetum

Portuguese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇬
Togo

Africa

1 official language
French

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇴
Tonga

Oceania

2 official languages
EnglishTongan

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇹
Trinidad and Tobago

North America

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇳
Tunisia

Africa

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇷
Turkey

Europe

1 official language
Turkish

Turkish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇲
2 official languages
RussianTurkmen

Russian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇹🇻
Tuvalu

Oceania

2 official languages
EnglishTuvaluan

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇺🇬
Uganda

Africa

2 official languages
EnglishSwahili

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇺🇦
Ukraine

Europe

1 official language
Ukrainian

Ukrainian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇬🇧
No official language · de facto: English
No official language

No official language at national level; English is de facto, with Welsh and Scots Gaelic protected regionally.

🇺🇸
United States

North America

No official language · de facto: English
No official language

No federal official language; English is de facto and Spanish is widely spoken.

🇺🇾
Uruguay

South America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇺🇿
2 official languages
RussianUzbek

Russian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇻🇺
Vanuatu

Oceania

3 official languages
BislamaEnglishFrench

Bislama is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇻🇦
2 official languages
ItalianLatin

Italian is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇻🇪
Venezuela

South America

1 official language
Spanish

Spanish is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇻🇳
1 official language
Vietnamese

Vietnamese is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇾🇪
Yemen

Asia

1 official language
Arabic

Arabic is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇿🇲
Zambia

Africa

1 official language
English

English is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

🇿🇼
Zimbabwe

Africa

16 official languages
ShonaNdebeleEnglish+13 more

Second-most official languages in the world, including Sign Language.

Language reference

Most Widely Spoken Official Languages

These languages are official in the most countries — a map of colonial history, regional identity, and modern diplomacy.

English
59 countries
French
29 countries
Arabic
25 countries
Spanish
20 countries
Portuguese
9 countries
German
6 countries
Russian
4 countries
Italian
4 countries
Swahili
4 countries
Dutch
3 countries

Counts focus on national official status or broadly used national-level official status. Regional official languages are discussed in notes where relevant.

Language reference

Countries With the Most Official Languages

These countries have recognized the most languages in their constitutions or national language laws.

#1

🇧🇴 Bolivia

37 official languages

SpanishQuechuaAymaraGuaraníBésiroCanichanaCavineñoCayubaba+29 more

Most official languages of any country: Spanish plus 36 indigenous languages recognized in the 2009 constitution.

#2

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

16 official languages

ShonaNdebeleEnglishNdauKalangaNambyaTongaVenda+8 more

Second-most official languages in the world, including Sign Language.

#3

🇿🇦 South Africa

11 official languages

ZuluXhosaAfrikaansEnglishNorthern SothoTswanaSothoTsonga+3 more

Post-apartheid constitution recognizes 11 official languages to reflect national diversity.

#4

🇳🇦 Namibia

9 official languages

AfrikaansEnglishGermanHereroKhoekhoeKwangaliLoziNdonga+1 more

Afrikaans is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

#5

🇨🇩 DR Congo

5 official languages

FrenchKikongoLingalaSwahiliTshiluba

French is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

#6

🇲🇪 Montenegro

5 official languages

MontenegrinSerbianBosnianAlbanianCroatian

Montenegrin is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

#7

🇸🇬 Singapore

4 official languages

EnglishMandarinMalayTamil

Four official languages from four different language families.

#8

🇪🇸 Spain

4 official languages

BasqueCatalanGalicianSpanish

Basque is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

#9

🇨🇭 Switzerland

4 official languages

GermanFrenchItalianRomansh

Four national languages; Romansh is official for federal communication with Romansh speakers.

#10

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

3 official languages

DariPashtoTurkmen

Dari is the primary official or de facto language; additional local and minority languages may be spoken.

See full ranking

Language reference

Countries With No Official Language

These countries have no legally designated national official language under the definition used on this page — even though each has a clear de facto language.

🇦🇺 Australia

De facto language: English

No official language; English is de facto, with hundreds of Aboriginal languages historically spoken.

🇲🇽 Mexico

De facto language: Spanish

No federal official language; Spanish is de facto and 68 indigenous languages are recognized as national languages.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

De facto language: English

No official language at national level; English is de facto, with Welsh and Scots Gaelic protected regionally.

🇺🇸 United States

De facto language: English

No federal official language; English is de facto and Spanish is widely spoken.

What counts as an official language? A language is treated as official when it is designated for national government, courts, administration, or constitutional use. Some countries use a language everywhere in practice but never legally name it at the national level.

Language reference

Official Languages by Continent

Languages spoken by country vary sharply by continent, colonial history, and indigenous language recognition.

🌍

Africa

French and English dominate official status because of colonial history, but Africa has roughly 2,000 spoken languages.

🌏

Asia

Arabic is widespread in West Asia, while large states such as China, Japan, Korea, India, and Indonesia have distinct national languages.

🌍

Europe

Indo-European languages dominate, while Finnish, Estonian, and Hungarian stand out as Uralic languages.

🌎

North America

English dominates the Caribbean and Canada/US sphere, while Spanish dominates Mexico and Central America.

🌎

South America

Spanish is official in most countries, while Brazil uses Portuguese, Guyana English, and Suriname Dutch.

🌏

Oceania

English is common at the national level, but Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are among the world's most linguistically diverse places.

Language reference

Language Families of the World

Every official language belongs to a family. Families reveal surprising connections between countries that seem unrelated.

Indo-European

The dominant official-language family: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Russian, Hindi, Persian, Bengali, and many more.

Afro-Asiatic

Includes Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, Somali, Hausa, Tamazight, and Maltese across North Africa, the Horn, and West Asia.

Niger-Congo

Africa's largest family, including Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Shona, Kinyarwanda, Yoruba, and hundreds of Bantu languages.

Sino-Tibetan

Includes Mandarin Chinese, Burmese, Tibetan, and Dzongkha. Mandarin has the world's largest native-speaker base.

Austronesian

Spans Indonesian, Malay, Filipino, Malagasy, Māori, Samoan, and Tongan from Madagascar to the Pacific.

Turkic

Includes Turkish, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Turkmen across Turkey and Central Asia.

Language reference

Colonial Languages & Their Legacy

The most common official languages by country also show how empire shaped the modern linguistic map.

🇬🇧 English: The British Empire

English is official in 59 countries, largely because the British Empire spread it through Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific. Ironically, the UK itself has no national official language by statute.

🇫🇷 French: La Francophonie

French is official in 29 countries, especially across West and Central Africa. More French speakers now live in Africa than in France itself.

🇪🇸 Spanish: The Spanish Empire

Spanish is official in 20 countries and has roughly 485 million native speakers, mostly because of Spain's colonial reach across the Americas.

🇵🇹 Portuguese: The First Global Empire

Portuguese is official in 9 countries on 4 continents. Brazil alone has far more Portuguese speakers than Portugal.

Language reference

Endangered Official Languages

Some official languages have protected status but small speaker bases, making revitalization urgent.

🇮🇪 Irish — Ireland

Irish is constitutionally first official language, but daily speakers are a small minority. Revitalization continues through schools and Gaeltacht regions.

🇳🇿 Māori — New Zealand

Māori became official in 1987 and is a major revitalization success story through immersion schools, media, and public signage.

🇨🇭 Romansh — Switzerland

Romansh has national and limited official status but is spoken by only a small share of Switzerland's population.

🇲🇹 Maltese — Malta

Maltese is small but globally unique: a Semitic language written in Latin script and official in the European Union.

🇧🇹 Dzongkha — Bhutan

Dzongkha is Bhutan's official language, but Bhutan has around 20 languages and many are vulnerable.

🇵🇬 Hiri Motu — Papua New Guinea

Hiri Motu has official status but Tok Pisin has largely replaced it as the main lingua franca.

Language reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers about official languages by country, language counts, no-official-language countries, and language families.

There is no single language spoken in every country. English comes closest as an official language in 59 countries, while most countries have their own official language or languages.
English is official in the most countries, with 59 countries using English officially or at the national level. Spanish has more native speakers across its official countries.
Bolivia has the most official languages with 37, followed by Zimbabwe with 16 and South Africa with 11.
Countries with no national official language include the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Mexico under the definition used on this page.
An official language is used in government, courts, and administration. A national language may be recognized as cultural heritage without being used in all official functions.
This is largely a colonial legacy. Countries often retained colonial languages after independence because they were already used in administration and did not privilege one local ethnic group.
French is official in the most African countries, followed closely by English. Arabic and Portuguese are also important official languages in Africa.
No. Modern Standard Arabic is the formal written standard, while spoken dialects such as Egyptian Arabic, Levantine Arabic, Gulf Arabic, and Moroccan Darija can differ greatly.
Mandarin Chinese has around 920 million native speakers but is official in only a small number of countries compared with English, French, or Arabic.
A language isolate has no proven relationship to any other language. Official-language examples often discussed include Japanese, Korean, Georgian, and Basque regionally.
Moldova officially renamed its language Romanian in 2023, and Kazakhstan is transitioning Kazakh from Cyrillic to Latin script.
Roughly 7,000 languages are spoken worldwide, but only a few hundred have official status in at least one country.

Language reference

Explore More Language & Country Facts

Dig deeper into the world's linguistic and geographic diversity.