The map above shows the number of official languages each country has. As you can see the range is huge, from countries such as the US and Australia who have no official languages (although English is obviously the most widely spoken in both) to Bolivia with 37 (now actually 38).
Please note that we did not create the map and that it is slightly out-of-date with the more up-to-date data below.
According to Wikipedia the following 6 countries have 4 or more official languages:
- Bolivia: 38 (Spanish is the most common followed by Quechua and Aymara. Also includes several extinct indigenous languages)
- Zimbabwe: 16 (Shona, Ndebele and English most widely spoken)
- South Africa: 11 (Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Tswana and Sesotho are all spoken by at least 5% of the population)
- Norway: 8 (Norwegian both Bokmål and Nynorsk; and a variety of Sami languages and Kven)
- Switzerland: 4 (German, French, Italian and Romansh)
- Singapore: 4 (English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil with Malay being the national language)
There are also 7 countries without an official national language:
- Australia (English most widely spoken)
- Eritrea (Tigrinya, Tigre and Standard Arabic most widely spoken)
- Ethiopia (Oromo and Amharic most widely spoken)
- Japan (Japanese is the national language but it is not official)
- Mexico (Spanish most widely spoken)
- United Kingdom (English most widely spoken; Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Cornish are recognised as regional or minority languages)
- United States (English most common followed by Spanish. Moreover, 32 states recognise English as an official language at the state level [Hawaii also recognises Hawaiian and Alaska has made some 20 Native languages official in addition to English])
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Kees Kerkhoven says
The map is not correct. The Netherlands have twee official languages: Dutch and Frisian (Frysk)
Elin Owen says
Wales also has two officia! languages, viz. Welsh and English
Gabor Lippert says
Wales us not a country at this time.
Just saying.
Elsie Gray says
England isn’t a country either, so showing UK as only having one official language is incorrect. England has only one official language. Wales has 2. So the total for the UK is already 2, before we even consider Scotland or NI.
Mark Fletcher says
Thought the same but the U.K. has been badged differently as one country with no official lingo. Not exactly a “brilliant” map!
Arianne Stroomberg says
Wrong. The Netherlands is yellow, but there are 2 official languages. Dutch and Frisian.
Gabor Lippert says
No, it’s you who’s wrong. Frisian is not a recognized official language. It’s considered a regional one.
Kart Buster says
But it is an official language in Frisia, which is inside the Netherlands. So that means that there are two official languages in the Netherlands. The fact than one of them is official only in part of the country does not change the meaning of the word “in”. If it would, Belgium should be listed as having 0 official languages since it ONLY has regional official languages. Another example is Norway; Norway only has 1 official language, but it is listed as having 2. Clearly including Frisian would have been in line with how Belgium and Norway are listed. However, examples for excluding it can be found too (e.g. Welsh). If anything, this map is rather inconsistent. Either it is a mess or it uses very particular definitions of the words “official”, “language”, “country” and “in” :p
Mattias Ranfors says
Sweden have six official languages. Besides Swedish officially recognised languages are: Finnish, Meänkieli, Romani, Sami, Yiddish.
Gabor Lippert says
Guys, why the heck do you think minority/regional languages are official languages?
They are not.
They might be officionally recognized which is again not the same.
In Sweden, for instance:
Official languages: Swedish
Indigenous languages: Westrobothnian, Elfdalian, Modern Gutnish, Jamtlandic, Scanian
Minority languages: (Officially recognised) Finnish, Meänkieli, Romani, Sami, Yiddish
Manuel Vasconcellos says
I’m from Spain and again is not correct. Spanish Constitution recognize FOUR (maybe five) different official languages.
Gabor Lippert says
Wrong. Spain has one recognized offical language, which is, surprisingly, Spanish.
It also has regional languages but these are not recognized official ones.
Iker says
That’s justicia not right, Spains recognizes four other languages in those territories where are spoken: Catalonia, Tabarnia, Valencia, Basqueland, Galicia… Buenas the way, which other language is spoken in Portugal apart from portuguese. Simple none
Pello says
No. You are wrong.
In Spain regional languages are official. They are used in education and administration.
Officialy they are:
Basque
Catalan/valencian
Galician
Another small one in Aran Valley
Edward Donovan says
Portugal has ONE official language.
Ian says
This map is incorrect, I speak Freudian which is the second official language in the Netherlands
Ian says
Shit i meant frisian
Gabor Lippert says
Frisian is not a recognized official language. It’s regional.
Robert OWEN says
You really need to correct this map and republish it.
Gabor Lippert says
Based on your comment?
Or do you have some reliable source to prove they’re wrong about some of the countries?
Graveyjones says
Yeah, New Zealand has 3. english, Maori and New Zealand Sign Language.
Bertil Adania says
Here in Sweden the Swedish language is, as strange as it might sound, NOT an officiell language.
However, there are FIVE official minority languages: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_minority_languages_of_Sweden)
simondsen says
In Italy, one of the northern regions is officially bilingual Italian-German: it’s the Alto Adige or South Tyrol.
Alex says
Mirandese in Portugal is a regional language – like Frisian in the Netherlands.
Landes says
Guys, please recognise the difference between a regional official language and an official language on a state (country) level. Languages that are official within a certain sub-unit or administrative unit of a country are not counted towards that country’s official language number.