List of official languages by country and territory

List of official languages by country and territory

This is a list of official languages by country and territory. It includes all languages that have official language status either statewide or in a part of the state, or that have status as a national language, regional language, or minority language.

Definitions

List of official languages by country and territory

Official language: A language designated as having a unique legal status in the state: typically, the language used in a nation's legislative bodies, and often, official government business. Regional language: A language designated as having official status limited to a specific area, administrative division, or territory of the state. (On this page a regional language has parentheses next to it that contain a region, province, etc. where the language has regional status.) National language: A language that uniquely represents the national identity of a state, nation, and/or country and is so designated by a country's government; some are technically minority languages. (On this page a national language is followed by parentheses that identify it as a national language status.) Some countries have more than one language with this status.

List

List of official languages by country and territory

<table><thead><tr><th>Country/Region</th><th>Number of official (including de facto)</th><th>Official language(s)</th><th>Regional language(s)</th><th>Minority language(s)</th><th>National language(s)</th><th>Widely spoken</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Abkhazia</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td>Georgian</td><td>Abkhaz</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Afghanistan</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Albania</td><td>1</td><td>Albanian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Italian</td></tr><tr><td>Algeria</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>French</td></tr><tr><td>Andorra</td><td>1</td><td>Catalan</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Angola</td><td>1</td><td>Portuguese</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Antigua and Barbuda</td><td>1</td><td>None (English has de facto status)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Argentina</td><td>2</td><td>None at federal level (Spanish has de facto status) Argentine Sign Language</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Armenia</td><td>1</td><td>Armenian</td><td></td><td></td><td>Armenian (state language)</td><td>Russian</td></tr><tr><td>Australia</td><td>1</td><td>None (English has de facto status)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Austria</td><td>1</td><td>German</td><td></td><td></td><td>German (state language)</td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Azerbaijan</td><td>1</td><td>Azerbaijani</td><td></td><td></td><td>Azerbaijani (state language)</td><td>Russian</td></tr><tr><td>Bahamas</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bahrain</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bangladesh</td><td>1</td><td>Bengali</td><td></td><td></td><td>Bengali</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Barbados</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Belarus</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Belarusian</td><td>Russian</td></tr><tr><td>Belgium</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Belize</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td>Garifuna</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Benin</td><td>1</td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bhutan</td><td>1</td><td>Dzongkha</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bolivia</td><td>37</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bosnia and Herzegovina</td><td>3</td><td>None (Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian all have de facto status)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Botswana</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td>Tswana</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Brazil</td><td>1</td><td>Portuguese</td><td>95 municipalities and 3 Brazilian states have co-official languages, with 61 co-officialized languages. The list can be seen at Languages of Brazil.</td><td></td><td>Portuguese</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Brunei</td><td>1</td><td>Malay</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bulgaria</td><td>1</td><td>Bulgarian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>4</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Working languages:</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Burundi</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Kirundi</td><td>Swahili</td></tr><tr><td>Cambodia</td><td>1</td><td>Khmer</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Cameroon</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Canada</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Cape Verde</td><td>1</td><td>Portuguese</td><td></td><td></td><td>Cape Verdean Creole</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Central African Republic</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Chad</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Chile</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td>Languages of ethnic groups are official in their territories</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>China</td><td>1</td><td>Standard Chinese</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Other Sinitic languages</td></tr><tr><td>Colombia</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td>Languages of ethnic groups are official in their territories</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Comoros</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Democratic Republic of the Congo</td><td>1</td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Republic of the Congo</td><td>1</td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Cook Islands</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Costa Rica</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Croatia</td><td>1</td><td>Croatian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Cuba</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Cyprus</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Czech Republic</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Czech</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Denmark</td><td>1</td><td>Danish</td><td></td><td>German (in Southern Jutland)</td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Djibouti</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dominica</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dominican Republic</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>East Timor</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ecuador</td><td>1</td><td></td><td>Languages of ethnic groups are official in their territories</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Egypt</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td>Coptic</td><td>Egyptian Arabic</td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>El Salvador</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Equatorial Guinea</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Eritrea</td><td>1</td><td>Tigrinya</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Estonia</td><td>1</td><td>Estonian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Eswatini</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ethiopia</td><td>5</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Fiji</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Finland</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td>Sami (in Enontekiö, Inari, Sodankylä, Utsjoki)</td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>France</td><td>1</td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Occitan language</td></tr><tr><td>Gabon</td><td>1</td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Gambia</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Georgia</td><td>1</td><td>Georgian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Russian</td></tr><tr><td>Germany</td><td>1</td><td>German</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Ghana</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Greece</td><td>1</td><td>Greek</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Grenada</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Guatemala</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Guinea</td><td>1</td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Guinea-Bissau</td><td>1</td><td>Portuguese</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Guyana</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Guyanese Creole</td></tr><tr><td>Haiti</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Honduras</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hong Kong</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hungary</td><td>1</td><td>Hungarian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Iceland</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>India</td><td>2</td><td></td><td>22 official languages:</td><td></td><td>No national language</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Indonesia</td><td>1</td><td>Indonesian</td><td></td><td></td><td>Indonesian</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Iran</td><td>1</td><td>Persian</td><td></td><td></td><td>Persian</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Iraq</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ireland</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Irish</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Israel</td><td>1</td><td>Hebrew</td><td>Arabic</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Italy</td><td>1</td><td>Italian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Other Italo-Dalmatian languages</td></tr><tr><td>Ivory Coast</td><td>1</td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Jamaica</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td>Jamaican Patois</td><td></td><td>Jamaican Patois</td><td>Jamaican Patois</td></tr><tr><td>Japan</td><td>1</td><td>None (Japanese has de facto status)</td><td></td><td></td><td>Japanese</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Jordan</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kazakhstan</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Kazakh</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kenya</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Swahili</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kiribati</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>North Korea</td><td>1</td><td>Korean</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>South Korea</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kosovo</td><td>2</td><td></td><td>Turkish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kuwait</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kyrgyzstan</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Kyrgyz</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Laos</td><td>1</td><td>Lao</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>French</td></tr><tr><td>Latvia</td><td>1</td><td>Latvian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Russian</td></tr><tr><td>Lebanon</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td>Arabic</td><td>Armenian</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Lesotho</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Sotho</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Liberia</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Libya</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Liechtenstein</td><td>1</td><td>German</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Lithuania</td><td>1</td><td>Lithuanian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Luxembourg</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Luxembourgish</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Macau</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Madagascar</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Malagasy</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Malawi</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Chichewa</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Malaysia</td><td>1</td><td>Malay</td><td>Regional/State dialects</td><td></td><td>Malay</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Maldives</td><td>1</td><td>Dhivehi</td><td></td><td></td><td>Dhivehi</td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Mali</td><td>13</td><td></td><td></td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Malta</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Maltese</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sovereign Military Order of Malta</td><td>1</td><td>Italian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Marshall Islands</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mauritania</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>French</td></tr><tr><td>Mauritius</td><td>2</td><td>None (English has de jure status and French has de facto status)</td><td></td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mexico</td><td>1</td><td>None (Spanish has de facto status)</td><td></td><td></td><td>68 National languages</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Federated States of Micronesia</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Moldova</td><td>1</td><td>Romanian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Monaco</td><td>1</td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Monégasque</td></tr><tr><td>Mongolia</td><td>1</td><td>Mongolian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Montenegro</td><td>1</td><td>Montenegrin</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Morocco</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>French</td></tr><tr><td>Mozambique</td><td>1</td><td>Portuguese</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Myanmar (Burma)</td><td>1</td><td>Burmese</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Namibia</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td>Afrikaans</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nauru</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nepal</td><td>1</td><td>Nepali</td><td></td><td></td><td>All languages spoken as the mother tongue in Nepal</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Netherlands</td><td>1</td><td>Dutch</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>New Zealand</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nicaragua</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td>In Autonomous Regions:</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Niger</td><td>1</td><td>Hausa</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nigeria</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Niue</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>North Macedonia</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Northern Cyprus</td><td>1</td><td>Turkish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Norway</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Oman</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td>Shehri</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pakistan</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Urdu</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Palau</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Palestine</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Panama</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Papua New Guinea</td><td>4</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Paraguay</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Peru</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td>Quechua, Aymara and other native languages are official wherever they predominate.</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Philippines</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Poland</td><td>1</td><td>Polish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Portugal</td><td>1</td><td>Portuguese</td><td>Mirandese (Terra de Miranda)</td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Qatar</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Romania</td><td>1</td><td>Romanian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Russia</td><td>1</td><td>Russian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Rwanda</td><td>4</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Kinyarwanda</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Arabic</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Saint Kitts and Nevis</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Saint Lucia</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Saint Vincent and the Grenadines</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Samoa</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>San Marino</td><td>1</td><td>Italian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>São Tomé and Príncipe</td><td>1</td><td>Portuguese</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Saudi Arabia</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Senegal</td><td>1</td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Serbia</td><td>1</td><td>Serbian</td><td></td><td>(15 languages)</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Seychelles</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sierra Leone</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td>Krio</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Singapore</td><td>4</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Malay</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Slovakia</td><td>1</td><td>Slovak</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Slovenia</td><td>1</td><td>Slovene</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Solomon Islands</td><td>1</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Somalia</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Somaliland</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>South Africa</td><td>12</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>South Ossetia</td><td>2</td><td></td><td>Georgian</td><td>Georgian</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>South Sudan</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Spain</td><td>1</td><td>Spanish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sri Lanka</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Sudan</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Suriname</td><td>1</td><td>Dutch</td><td></td><td></td><td>Sranan Tongo</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sweden</td><td>1</td><td>Swedish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>Switzerland</td><td>4</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Syria</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td>Kurdish</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Taiwan</td><td>1</td><td>None (Mandarin Chinese has de facto status)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tajikistan</td><td>1</td><td>Tajik</td><td></td><td></td><td>Tajik</td><td>Russian</td></tr><tr><td>Tanzania</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Swahili</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Thailand</td><td>1</td><td>Thai</td><td></td><td>Sixty-two 'domestic' languages are officially recognized</td><td></td><td>Burmese</td></tr><tr><td>Togo</td><td>1</td><td>French</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tonga</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Transnistria</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Trinidad and Tobago</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Trinidadian Creole</td></tr><tr><td>Tunisia</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td></td><td>Arabic</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Turkey</td><td>1</td><td>Turkish</td><td></td><td>Kurdish</td><td>Turkish</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Turkmenistan</td><td>1</td><td>Turkmen</td><td></td><td></td><td>Turkmen</td><td>Russian</td></tr><tr><td>Tuvalu</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Uganda</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ukraine</td><td>1</td><td>Ukrainian</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>United Arab Emirates</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>English</td></tr><tr><td>United Kingdom and Crown dependencies etc.</td><td>1</td><td>None (English has de facto status)</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>United States</td><td>1</td><td>None (English has de facto status)</td><td>(28 languages)</td><td>indigenous languages of recognized federal tribes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Uruguay</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Uzbekistan</td><td>1</td><td>Uzbek</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Russian</td></tr><tr><td>Vanuatu</td><td>3</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Vatican City</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>Swiss German</td></tr><tr><td>Venezuela</td><td>2</td><td></td><td></td><td>Native languages are official for indigenous peoples</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Vietnam</td><td>1</td><td>Vietnamese</td><td></td><td></td><td>Vietnamese</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Yemen</td><td>1</td><td>Arabic</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Zambia</td><td>1</td><td>English</td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Zimbabwe</td><td>16</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

List of languages by number of countries in which they are the official language

List of official languages by country and territory

This is a ranking of languages by number of sovereign countries in which they are de jure or de facto official, although there are no precise inclusion criteria or definition of a language. An '' (asterisk) indicates a country whose independence is disputed.

Partially recognized or de facto independent countries are denoted by an asterisk ()

Language	World	Africa	Americas	Asia	Europe	Oceania	Countries
English	57	22	14	4	3	14	United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, India, Nigeria (See the full list)
French	26	18	2	–	5	1	France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Madagascar, Monaco, Haiti, Vanuatu (See the full list)
Arabic	24–26	12–14	–	12	–	–	Egypt, Sudan, Algeria, Iraq, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Palestine (See the full list)
Spanish	20	1	18	–	1		Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico (See the full list)
Portuguese	9	6	1	1	1	–	Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, East Timor (See the full list)
German	6	–	–	–	6	–	Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein (See the full list)
Russian	4–7	–	–	2	2–5	–	Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria (See the full list)
Serbo-Croatian	4–5	–	–	–	4–5	–	Serbia (known as Serbian), Croatia (known as Croatian), Montenegro (known as Montenegrin), Bosnia and Herzegovina (known as Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian), Kosovo (known as Serbian)
Italian	4	–	–	–	4	–	Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City
Malay	4	–	–	4	–	–	Malaysia, Indonesia (known as Indonesian), Singapore, Brunei
Swahili	4	4	–	–	–	–	Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda
Berber	3	3	–	–	–	–	Algeria, Morocco, Mali
Dutch	3	–	1	–	2	–	Netherlands, Belgium, Suriname
Persian	3	–	–	3	–	–	Iran, Afghanistan (known as Dari), Tajikistan (known as Tajik)
Sotho	3	3	–	–	–	–	South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe
Tswana	3	3	–	–	–	–	Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Albanian	2–3	–	–	–	2–3	–	Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia
Standard Chinese	2–3	–	–	2–3	–	–	China, Singapore, Taiwan
Romanian	2–3	–	–	–	2-3	–	Romania, Moldova, Transnistria
Somali	2–3	2–3	–	–	–	–	Somalia, Ethiopia, Somaliland
Turkish	2–3	–	–	–	2–3	–	Turkey, Northern Cyprus, Cyprus
Aymara	2	–	2	–	–	–	Bolivia and Peru
Bengali	2	–	–	2	–	–	Bangladesh and India
Chichewa	2	2	–	–	–	–	Malawi and Zimbabwe
Fula	2	2	–	–	–	–	Mali and Burkina Faso
Greek	2	–	–	–	2	–	Greece and Cyprus
Guarani	2	–	2	–	–	–	Paraguay and Bolivia
Hindi	2	–	–	2	–	–	India and Fiji
Korean	2	–	–	2	–	–	North Korea and South Korea
Quechua	2	–	2	–	–	–	Bolivia and Peru
Rwanda-Rundi	2	2	–	–	–	–	Burundi (known as Kirundi) and Rwanda (known as Kinyarwanda)
Swati	2	2	–	–	–	–	Eswatini and South Africa
Swedish	2	–	–	–	2	–	Sweden and Finland
Tamil	2	–	–	2	–	–	Sri Lanka and Singapore
Tigrinya	2	2	–	–	–	–	Eritrea and Ethiopia
Venda	2	2	–	–	–	–	South Africa and Zimbabwe