Country name |
Main languages spoken |
Afghanistan |
Pashtu, Dari Persian, other Turkic and minor languages |
Albania |
Albanian (Tosk is the official dialect), Greek |
Algeria |
Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects |
Andorra |
Catalán (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese |
Angola |
Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages |
Antigua and Barbuda |
English (official), local dialects |
Argentina |
Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French |
Armenia |
Armenian 96%, Russian 2%, other 2% |
Australia |
English, native languages |
Austria |
German 98% (official nationwide); Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian (each official in one region) |
Azerbaijan |
Azerbaijani Turkic 89%, Russian 3%, Armenian 2%, other 6% (1995 est.) |
Bahamas
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English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) |
Bahrain |
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu |
Bangladesh |
Bangla (official), English |
Barbados |
English |
Belarus |
Belorussian (White Russian), Russian, other |
Belgium |
Dutch (Flemish) 60%, French 40%, German less than 1% (all official); legally bilingual (Dutch and French) |
Belize |
English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole |
Benin |
French (official), Fon, Yoruba, tribal languages |
Bhutan |
Dzongkha (official), Tibetan dialects (among Bhotes), Nepalese dialects (among Nepalese) |
Bolivia |
Spanish, Quechua, Aymara (all official) |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian (all official) |
Botswana |
English (official), Setswana |
Brazil |
Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French |
Brunei Darussalam |
Malay (official), English, Chinese |
Bulgaria |
Bulgarian; secondary languages strongly correspond to ethnic breakdown |
Burkina Faso |
French (official); native African (Sudanic) languages 90% |
Burundi |
Kirundi and French (official), Swahili |
Cambodia
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Khmer (official), French, English |
Cameroon |
French, English (both official); 24 major African language groups: Bamoun, spoken by 215.000 people; Ewondo, spoken by 577,700 people; Bulu (Boulou) spoken by 174.000 people;Eton spoken by 52,000 people |
Canada |
English 59.3%, French 23.2% (both official); other 17.5% |
Cape Verde |
Portuguese, Criuolo |
Central African Republic |
French (official), Sangho (lingua franca, national), tribal languages |
Chad |
French, Arabic (both official); Sara; more than 120 languages and dialects |
Chile |
Spanish |
China |
Standard Chinese (Mandarin/Putonghua; for example spoken in Beijing), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages |
Colombia |
Spanish |
Comoros |
Arabic and French (both official), Shikomoro (Swahili/Arabic blend) |
Congo, Republic of |
French (official), Lingala, Monokutuba, Kikongo, many local languages and dialects |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the |
French (official), Lingala, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba |
Costa Rica |
Spanish (official), English |
Côte d'Ivoire |
French (official) and African languages (Diaula esp.) |
Croatia |
Croatian 96% (official), other 4% (including Serbian, Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, German) |
Cuba |
Spanish |
Cyprus |
Greek, Turkish (both official); English |
Czech Republic |
Czech |
Denmark
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Danish, Faeroese, Greenlandic (Inuit dialect), German; English is the predominant second language |
Djibouti |
French and Arabic (both official), Somali, Afar |
Dominica |
English (official) and French patois |
Dominican Republic |
Spanish |
East Timor
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Tetum, Portuguese (official); Bahasa Indonesia, English; other indigenous languages, including Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak |
Ecuador |
Spanish (official), Quechua, other Amerindian languages |
Egypt |
Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes |
El Salvador |
Spanish, Nahua (among some Amerindians) |
Equatorial Guinea |
Spanish, French (both official); pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo |
Eritrea |
Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages |
Estonia |
Estonian (official), Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, other |
Ethiopia |
Amharic (official), Tigrigna, Orominga, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, English, over 70 others |
Fijireturn to top |
English (official), Fijian, Hindustani |
Finland |
Finnish 93.4%, Swedish 5.9% (both official); small Sami- (Lapp) and Russian-speaking minorities |
France |
French |
Gabon
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French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi |
Gambia, The |
English (official), Mandinka, Wolof, Fula, other indigenous |
Georgia |
Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azerbaijani 6%, other 7% (Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia) |
Germany |
German |
Ghana |
English (official), African languages (including Akan, Moshi-Dagomba, Ewe, and Ga) |
Greece |
Greek 99% (official) |
Grenada |
English (official), French patois |
Guatemala |
Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca) |
Guinea |
French (official), native tongues (Malinké, Susu, Fulani) |
Guinea-Bissau |
Portuguese (official), Criolo, African languages |
Guyana |
English (official), Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu |
Haiti
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Creole and French (both official) |
Honduras |
Spanish (official), Amerindian dialects; English widely spoken in business |
Hungary |
Magyar (Hungarian), 98.2%; other, 1.8% |
Iceland
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Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken |
India |
Hindi (official), English (official), Bengali, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, Kannada, Assamese, Sanskrit, Sindhi (all recognized by the constitution). Dialects, 1,600+ |
Indonesia |
Bahasa Indonesia (official), English, Dutch, Javanese, and more than 580 other languages and dialects |
Iran |
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2% |
Iraq |
Arabic (official), Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian |
Ireland |
English, Irish (Gaelic) |
Israel |
Hebrew (official), Arabic, English |
Italy |
Italian (official); German-, French-, and Slovene-speaking minorities |
Jamaicareturn to top |
English, Jamaican Creole |
Japan |
Japanese |
Jordan |
Arabic (official), English |
Kazakhstan
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Kazak (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%; Russian (official, used in everyday business) 95% (2001 est.) |
Kenya |
English (official), Swahili (national), and several other languages spoken by 25 ethnic groups |
Kiribati |
English (official), I-Kiribati (Gilbertese) |
Korea, North |
Korean
(until further notice we cannot do LCs in North Korea) |
Korea, South |
Korean, English widely taught |
Kuwait |
Arabic (official), English |
Kyrgyzstan |
Kyrgyz, Russian (both official) |
Laos
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Lao (official), French, English, various ethnic languages |
Latvia |
Latvian (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other |
Lebanon |
Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian |
Lesotho |
English, Sesotho (both official); Zulu, Xhosa |
Liberia |
English 20% (official), some 20 ethnic-group languages |
Libya |
Arabic, Italian and English widely understood in major cities |
Liechtenstein |
German (official), Alemannic dialect |
Lithuania |
Lithuanian (official), Polish, Russian |
Luxembourg |
Luxermbourgish (national) French, German (both administrative) |
Macedonia
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Macedonian 68%, Albanian 25% (both official); Turkish 3%, Serbian 2%, other 2% |
Madagascar |
Malagasy and French (both official) |
Malawi |
English and Chichewa (both official), others important regionally |
Malaysia |
Bahasa Melayu (Malay, official), English, Chinese dialects (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi, Thai; several indigenous languages (including Iban, Kadazan) in East Malaysia |
Maldives |
Maldivian Dhivehi (official); English spoken by most government officials |
Mali |
French (official), Bambara 80%, numerous African languages |
Malta |
Maltese and English (both official) |
Marshall Islands |
Marshallese (two major dialects from the Malayo-Polynesian family), English (both official); Japanese |
Mauritania |
Hassaniya Arabic, Wolof (both official); Pulaar, Soninke, French |
Mauritius |
English, French (both official); Creole, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori |
Mexico |
Spanish, various Mayan, Nahuatl, and other regional indigenous languages |
Micronesia |
English (official, common), Chukese, Pohnpeian, Yapase, Kosrean, Ulithian, Woleaian, Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi |
Moldova |
Moldovan (official; virtually the same as Romanian), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect) |
Monaco |
French (official), English, Italian, Monégasque |
Mongolia |
Mongolian, 90%; also Turkic and Russian (1999) |
Morocco |
Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often used for business, government, and diplomacy |
Mozambique |
Portuguese (official), Bantu languages |
Myanmar |
Burmese, minority languages |
Namibia
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English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%, indigenous languages: Oshivambo, Herero, Nama |
Nauru |
Nauruan (official), English |
Nepal |
Nepali 90% (official), over 40 other languages and major dialects, English (1995) |
The Netherlands |
Dutch, Frisian (both official) |
New Zealand |
English, Maori (both official) |
Nicaragua |
Spanish (official); English and indigenous languages on Atlantic coast |
Niger |
French (official), Hausa, Djerma |
Nigeria |
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and more than 200 others |
Norway |
Bokmål Norwegian, Nynorsk Norwegian (both official); small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities |
Oman
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Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects |
Pakistan
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Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English, Burushaski, and others 8% |
Palau |
English (official everywhere); Palau (official in all states but those following); Sonsoralese (official in Sonsoral); Tobi (official in Tobi); Angaur and Japanese (official in Angaur) |
Panama |
Spanish (official), English 14%, many bilingual |
Papua New Guinea |
Tok Pisin (Melanesian Pidgin, the lingua franca), Hiri Motu (in Papua region), English 1–2%; 715 indigenous languages |
Paraguay |
Spanish, Guaraní (both official) |
Peru |
Spanish, Quéchua (both official); Aymara; many minor Amazonian languages |
The Philippines |
Filipino (based on Tagalog), English (both official); eight major dialects: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense |
Poland |
Polish |
Portugal |
Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official, but locally used) |
Qatar
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Arabic (official); English a common second language |
Romania
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Romanian (official), Hungarian, German |
Russia |
Russian, others |
Rwanda |
Kinyarwanda, French, and English (all official); Kiswahili in commercial centers |
St. Kitts and Nevis
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English |
St. Lucia |
English (official), French patois |
St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
English, French patois |
Samoa |
Samoan, English |
San Marino |
Italian |
São Tomé and Príncipe |
Portuguese (official) |
Saudi Arabia |
Arabic |
Senegal |
French (official); Wolof, Pulaar, Jola, Mandinka |
Serbia and Montenegro |
Serbian (official) 95%, Albanian 5% |
Seychelles |
Seselwa Creole, English, French (all official) |
Sierra Leone |
English (official), Mende, Temne, Krio (lingua franca) |
Singapore |
Malay (national), Mandarin Chinese, Tamil, English (all official) |
Slovakia |
Slovak (official), Hungarian |
Slovenia |
Slovenian 92%, Croatian & Serbian 6.2%, other 1.8% |
Solomon Islands |
English 1%–2% (official), Melanesian pidgin (lingua franca), 120 indigenous languages |
Somalia |
Somali (official), Arabic, English, Italian |
South Africa |
Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu (all 11 official) |
Spain |
Castilian Spanish 74% (official nationwide); Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2% (each official regionally) |
Sri Lanka |
Sinhala 74% (official and national), Tamil 18% (national), other 8%; English is commonly used in government and spoken competently by about 10% |
Sudan |
Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English |
Suriname |
Dutch (official), Surinamese (lingua franca), English widely spoken, Hindustani, Javanese |
Swaziland |
English, Swati (Siswati) (both official) |
Sweden |
Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities |
Switzerland |
German 63.7%, French 12.9%, Italian 7.6%, Romansch 0.6% (all official); other 8.9% |
Syria |
Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood |
Taiwan
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Chinese (Mandarin, official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects |
Tajikistan |
Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business |
Tanzania |
Swahili, English (both official); Arabic; many local languages |
Thailand |
Thai (Siamese), English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects |
Togo |
French (official, commerce); Ewé, Mina (south); Kabyé, Cotocoli (north); and many dialects |
Tonga |
Tongan (an Austronesian language), English |
Trinidad and Tobago |
English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese |
Tunisia |
Arabic (official, commerce), French (commerce) |
Turkey |
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek |
Turkmenistan |
Turkmen 72%; Russian 12%; Uzbek 9%, other 7% |
Tuvalu |
Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui) |
Uganda
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English (official), Ganda or Luganda, other Niger-Congo languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Swahili, Arabic |
Ukraine |
Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian |
United Arab Emirates |
Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu |
United Kingdom |
English, Welsh, Scots Gaelic |
United States |
English, sizable Spanish-speaking minority |
Uruguay |
Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero |
Uzbekistan |
Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1% |
Vanuatu
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Bislama (a Melanesian pidgin English), English, French (all 3 official); more than 100 local languages |
Venezuela |
Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects |
Vietnam |
Vietnamese (official); English (increasingly favored as a second language); some French, Chinese, Khmer; mountain area languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian) |
Yemen
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Arabic |
Zambia
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English (official); major vernaculars: Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga; about 70 other indigenous languages |
Zimbabwe |
English (official), Shona, Ndebele (Sindebele), numerous minor tribal dialects |
