We’ve put together a list of some of the official and unofficial languages spoken around the world, categorised by country.
Afghanistan
- Official Language: Pashto, Dari
- Regional Languages: Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, Pashayi, Nuristani, and others.
Albania
- Official Language: Albanian
Algeria
- Official Language: Arabic, Berber
- Regional Languages: French, Tamazight, and others.
Andorra
- Official Languages: Catalan
Angola
- Official Language: Portuguese
- Regional Languages: Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo, and others.
Antigua and Barbuda
- Official Language: English
Argentina
- Official Language: Spanish
Armenia
- Official Language: Armenian
Australia
- No official language; English is the de facto national language.
Austria
- Official Language: German
Azerbaijan
- Official Language: Azerbaijani
- Regional Languages: Russian, Lezgian, and others.
Bahrain
- Official Language: Arabic
- English is widely used in business and education.
Bangladesh
- Official Language: Bengali
Barbados
- Official Language: English
Belarus
- Official Language: Belarusian, Russian
- Regional Languages: Polish, Ukrainian, and others.
Belgium
- Official Languages: Dutch, French, German
Belize
- Official Language: English
- Regional Languages: Spanish, Mayan languages, Garifuna, and others.
Benin
- Official Language: French
- Regional Languages: Fon, Yoruba, and others.
Bhutan
- Official Language: Dzongkha
Cambodia
- Official Language: Khmer
Cameroon
- Official Languages: English, French
- Regional Languages: Fulfulde, Bambara, and others.
Canada
- Official Languages: English, French
Cape Verde
- Official Language: Portuguese
- Cape Verdean Creole is widely spoken.
Central African Republic
- Official Languages: French, Sango
Chad
- Official Languages: French, Arabic
- Regional Languages: Sara, Kanembu, and others.
Chile
- Official Language: Spanish
China
- Official Language: Standard Mandarin (Putonghua)
- Regional Languages: Cantonese, Shanghainese, Hokkien, and others.
Colombia
- Official Language: Spanish
Comoros
- Official Languages: Comorian, Arabic, French
Congo (Congo-Brazzaville)
- Official Language: French
- Regional Languages: Lingala, Kituba, and others.
Costa Rica
- Official Language: Spanish
Croatia
- Official Language: Croatian
Cuba
- Official Language: Spanish
Cyprus
- Official Languages: Greek, Turkish
Czech Republic
- Official Language: Czech
Denmark
- Official Language: Danish
Djibouti
- Official Languages: French, Arabic
- Regional Languages: Afar, Somali
Dominica
- Official Language: English
Dominican Republic
- Official Language: Spanish
Ecuador
- Official Language: Spanish
- Regional Languages: Quechua, Shuar, and others.
Egypt
- Official Language: Arabic
El Salvador
- Official Language: Spanish
Equatorial Guinea
- Official Languages: Spanish, French, Portuguese
- Regional Languages: Fang, Bubi, and others.
Eritrea
- Official Languages: Tigrinya, Arabic, English
- Regional Languages: Tigre, Bilen, and others.
Estonia
- Official Language: Estonian
Eswatini
- Official Languages: Swazi (siSwati), English
Ethiopia
- Official Languages: Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya, and others.
Fiji
- Official Languages: English, Fijian, Hindi
Finland
- Official Languages: Finnish, Swedish
France
- Official Language: French
Gabon
- Official Language: French
Gambia
- Official Language: English
- Regional Languages: Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, and others.
Georgia
- Official Language: Georgian
- Regional Languages: Abkhaz, Ossetian, Mingrelian, and others.
Germany
- Official Language: German
Ghana
- Official Language: English
- Regional Languages: Akan, Mole-Dagbon, Ewe, and others.
Greece
- Official Language: Greek
Grenada
- Official Language: English
Guatemala
- Official Language: Spanish
- Regional Languages: K’iche’, Kaqchikel, Mam, and others.
Guinea
- Official Language: French
- Regional Languages: Fulfulde, Malinke, Susu, and others.
Guinea-Bissau
- Official Language: Portuguese
- Creole is widely spoken.
Guyana
- Official Language: English
- Regional Languages: Guyanese Creole, Hindi, and others.
Haiti
- Official Languages: Haitian Creole, French
Honduras
- Official Language: Spanish
Hungary
- Official Language: Hungarian
Iceland
- Official Language: Icelandic
India
- Official Languages: Hindi, English
- Regional Languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, and many more.
Indonesia
- Official Language: Bahasa Indonesia
- Regional Languages: Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, and others.
Iran
- Official Language: Persian
- Regional Languages: Kurdish, Luri, Balochi, and others.
Iraq
- Official Languages: Arabic, Kurdish
Ireland
- Official Languages: Irish, English
Israel
- Official Languages: Hebrew, Arabic
Italy
- Official Language: Italian
Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire)
- Official Language: French
- Regional Languages: Baoulé, Bété, Sénoufo, and others.
Jamaica
- Official Language: English
- Jamaican Patois is widely spoken.
Japan
- Official Language: Japanese
Jordan
- Official Language: Arabic
Kazakhstan
- Official Languages: Kazakh, Russian
- Regional Languages: Uzbek, Uighur, Kyrgyz, and others.
Kenya
- Official Languages: Swahili, English
- Regional Languages: Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, and others.
Kiribati
- Official Languages: English, Gilbertese
Kuwait
- Official Language: Arabic
- English is widely used in business and education.
Kyrgyzstan
- Official Language: Kyrgyz
- Russian is also widely spoken.
Laos
- Official Language: Lao
Latvia
- Official Language: Latvian
Lebanon
- Official Languages: Arabic, French
- English is widely used in business and education.
Lesotho
- Official Language: Sesotho
- English is also used in government and education.
Liberia
- Official Language: English
Libya
- Official Language: Arabic
- English and Italian are also used in some contexts.
Liechtenstein
- Official Language: German
Lithuania
- Official Language: Lithuanian
Luxembourg
- Official Languages: Luxembourgish, French, German
Madagascar
- Official Languages: Malagasy, French
Malawi
- Official Languages: Chichewa, English
Malaysia
- Official Language: Malay (Bahasa Malaysia)
Maldives
- Official Language: Dhivehi
Mali
- Official Language: French
- Regional Languages: Bambara, Fulfulde, and others.
Malta
- Official Languages: Maltese, English
Marshall Islands
- Official Languages: Marshallese, English
Mauritania
- Official Language: Arabic
- Regional Languages: Pulaar, Soninke, and others.
Mauritius
- Official Languages: English, French, Mauritian Creole
Mexico
- Official Language: Spanish
Micronesia
- Official Languages: English, Yapese, Chuukese, and others.
Moldova
- Official Language: Romanian
- Russian and Ukrainian are also widely spoken.
Monaco
- Official Language: French
Mongolia
- Official Language: Mongolian
Montenegro
- Official Language: Montenegrin
- Serbian, Bosnian, and Albanian are also spoken.
Morocco
- Official Languages: Arabic, Amazigh (Berber)
- French is widely used in government and business.
Mozambique
- Official Languages: Portuguese, various indigenous languages
Namibia
- Official Languages: English, Oshiwambo, Otjiherero, Afrikaans, German, and others.
Nauru
- Official Languages: Nauruan, English
Nepal
- Official Language: Nepali
- Regional Languages: Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tamang, and others.
Netherlands
- Official Language: Dutch
- Frisian is recognized as a regional language.
New Zealand
- Official Languages: English, Māori
- New Zealand Sign Language is also recognized.
Nicaragua
- Official Language: Spanish
- English and indigenous languages are spoken on the Caribbean coast.
Niger
- Official Language: French
- Regional Languages: Hausa, Zarma, and others.
Nigeria
- Official Language: English
- Regional Languages: Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, and others.
North Macedonia
- Official Language: Macedonian
- Albanian is also widely spoken.
Norway
- Official Languages: Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk), Sami
- Kven, Romani, and others are recognized as minority languages.
Oman
- Official Language: Arabic
- English is widely used in business and education.
Pakistan
- Official Languages: Urdu, English
- Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, and others are spoken regionally.
Palau
- Official Languages: Palauan, English
Panama
- Official Language: Spanish
- English is also spoken in certain areas.
Papua New Guinea
- Official Languages: English, Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu
- Numerous indigenous languages are spoken.
Paraguay
- Official Languages: Spanish, Guarani
Peru
- Official Languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
- Numerous indigenous languages are spoken.
Philippines
- Official Languages: Filipino (based on Tagalog), English
Poland
- Official Language: Polish
Portugal
- Official Language: Portuguese
Qatar
- Official Language: Arabic
- English is widely used in business and education.
Romania
- Official Language: Romanian
Russia
- Official Language: Russian
- Numerous minority languages are spoken, including Tatar, Chechen, Bashkir, and others.
Rwanda
- Official Languages: Kinyarwanda, French, English
Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Official Language: English
Saint Lucia
- Official Language: English
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Official Language: English
Samoa
- Official Languages: Samoan, English
San Marino
- Official Languages: Italian
Sao Tome and Principe
- Official Language: Portuguese
Saudi Arabia
- Official Language: Arabic
Senegal
- Official Language: French
- Regional Languages: Wolof, Pulaar, Serer, and others.
Serbia
- Official Language: Serbian
- Other languages include Hungarian, Bosnian, and Albanian.
Seychelles
- Official Languages: Creole, English, French
Sierra Leone
- Official Language: English
- Krio is widely spoken.
Singapore
- Official Languages: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, English
Slovakia
- Official Language: Slovak
Slovenia
- Official Language: Slovenian
Solomon Islands
- Official Languages: English, Pijin
Somalia
- Official Languages: Somali, Arabic
- English and Italian are also spoken in some regions.
South Africa
- Official Languages: 11 languages, including Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, and others.
South Korea
- Official Language: Korean
South Sudan
- Official Languages: English
- Regional languages include Dinka, Nuer, and Bari.
Spain
- Official Languages: Spanish, Catalan, Galician, Basque
Sri Lanka
- Official Languages: Sinhala, Tamil
Sudan
- Official Languages: Arabic, English
- Regional languages include Nubian, Beja, and others.
Suriname
- Official Languages: Dutch, Sranan Tongo
- Regional languages include Hindi, Javanese, and others.
Sweden
- Official Language: Swedish
Switzerland
- Official Languages: German, French, Italian, Romansh
Syria
- Official Language: Arabic
- Kurdish and Armenian are also spoken.
Taiwan
- Official Language: Mandarin
- Regional Languages: Hakka, Hokkien, Formosan languages
Tajikistan
- Official Language: Tajik
- Russian is widely used in government and business.
Tanzania
- Official Languages: Swahili, English
- Regional Languages: Sukuma, Chaga, and others.
Thailand
- Official Language: Thai
Timor-Leste
- Official Languages: Tetum, Portuguese
- Bahasa Indonesia and English are also used.
Togo
- Official Language: French
- Ewe and Kabye are also spoken.
Tonga
- Official Language: Tongan
- English is also spoken.
Trinidad and Tobago
- Official Language: English
Tunisia
- Official Language: Arabic
- French is also widely used.
Turkey
- Official Language: Turkish
- Kurdish and others are spoken by minority groups.
Turkmenistan
- Official Language: Turkmen
- Russian is also used in some areas.
Tuvalu
- Official Languages: Tuvaluan, English
Uganda
- Official Languages: English, Swahili
- Regional Languages: Luganda, Runyankole, Ateso, and others.
Ukraine
- Official Language: Ukrainian
- Russian and others are spoken by minority groups.
United Arab Emirates
- Official Language: Arabic
- English is widely used in business and tourism.
United Kingdom
- Official Languages: English, Welsh (in Wales), Scots Gaelic (in Scotland), Irish (in Northern Ireland)
United States
- No official language at the federal level; English is the de facto national language.
Uruguay
- Official Language: Spanish
Uzbekistan
- Official Language: Uzbek
- Russian is used in government and education.
Vanuatu
- Official Languages: Bislama, English, French
Vatican City
- Official Languages: Latin, Italian
Venezuela
- Official Language: Spanish
Vietnam
- Official Language: Vietnamese
Western Sahara
- Languages: Arabic, Hassaniya Arabic
Trick question… There are no countries that start with the letter X!
Yemen
- Official Language: Arabic
Zambia
- Official Language: English
- Regional Languages: Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga, and others.
Zimbabwe
- Official Languages: English, Shona, Sindebele
In which country are the most languages spoken?
Papua New Guinea is often considered the country with the highest linguistic diversity in the world. It is estimated that there are over 800 languages spoken in Papua New Guinea, making it one of the most linguistically diverse countries globally. The diversity of languages can be attributed to the country’s geography and culture, as it has numerous distinct ethnic groups residing in different regions.
