Home > Resources > Translation Resources > Languages in Africa
Languages in Africa
| Algeria |
Arabic |
20,000,000 |
Official language |
| |
Kabyle |
2,000,000 |
In the mountains east of Algiers |
|
Shawia |
150,000 |
Aurès |
|
Tamashek |
10,000 |
In the extreme south |
Angola |
Portuguese |
|
Official language |
|
Umbundu |
2,000,000 |
Central Angola |
|
Kimbundu |
1,500,000 |
North Angola |
|
Kongo |
500,000 |
North Angola |
|
Chokwe |
500,000 |
Northeastern Angola |
|
Lwena |
250,000 |
Eastern Angola |
|
Lunda |
50,000 |
Northeastern Angola |
Botswana |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Tswana |
|
1,000,000 |
|
Bushman |
|
25,000 |
Burundi |
Rundi |
4,000,000 |
Official language |
|
French |
|
Co-official with Rundi |
Cameroon |
French |
|
Official language |
|
English |
|
Official language |
|
Fang |
1,500,000 |
Southern Cameroon |
|
Bulu |
1,500,000 |
Southern Cameroon |
|
Yanundé |
|
Around the city of Yanundé |
|
Duala |
|
Around the city of Duala |
|
Mbum |
|
Central regions |
|
Fulani |
|
Northern Cameroon |
Cape Verde |
Portuguese |
|
Official language |
Central African Republic |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Sango |
|
|
|
Gbaya |
|
Western C.A.R. |
|
Banda |
|
Central and eastern C.A.R. |
Chad |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Sara |
750,000 |
Southern Chad |
|
Arabic |
500,000 |
Northern Chad |
|
Maba |
200,000 |
Wadai |
|
Teda |
100,000 |
Northern Chad |
|
Mbum |
100,000 |
Southern Chad |
Congo-Brazzaville |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Lingala |
500,000 |
Northern Congo |
|
Kongo |
500,000 |
Northern Congo |
Congo-Kinshasa |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Swahili |
3,000,000 |
Northeast, east and south |
|
Luba |
3,000,000 |
Southeast |
|
Kongo |
2,000,000 |
West |
|
Mongo |
2,000,000 |
Central Congo |
|
Lingala |
1,500,000 |
North and northwest |
|
Ruanda |
1,000,000 |
East |
|
Mangbetu |
500,000 |
North |
|
Zande |
500,000 |
Near the border with the Sudan |
|
Lunda |
200,000 |
South |
Dahomey |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Fon |
1,000,000 |
Southern Dahomey |
|
Bariba |
500,000 |
Northern Dahomey |
|
Yoruba |
500,000 |
Along the eastern border |
Djibouti |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Arabic |
|
Official language |
|
Somali |
125,000 |
|
|
Afar |
100,000 |
|
Egypt |
Arabic |
50,000,000 |
Official language |
Equatorial Guinea |
Spanish |
|
Official language |
|
Fang |
220,000 |
Río Muni |
|
Bubi |
20,000 |
Fernando Po |
Eritrea |
Tigrinya |
|
|
|
Tigre |
500,000 |
|
|
Beja |
|
|
|
Afar |
|
|
|
Saho |
|
|
Ethiopia |
Amharic |
10,000,000 |
Official language |
|
Galla |
8,000,000 |
West, south and east of Addis Ababa |
|
Sidamo |
4,000,000 |
Southwest |
|
Tigrinya |
|
Tigre |
|
Somali |
1,500,000 |
Southeast |
|
Gurage |
350,000 |
Southwest of Addis Abeba |
|
Harari |
50,000 |
Harar |
Gabon |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Fang |
300,000 |
Northern Gabon |
Gambia |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Malinke |
300,000 |
|
|
Fulani |
100,000 |
|
|
Wolof |
75,000 |
|
|
Dyola |
50,000 |
|
|
Soninke |
50,000 |
|
Ghana |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Twi |
|
West of the Volta |
|
Fanti |
|
West of the Volta |
|
Ewe |
1,500,000 |
Volta region |
|
Ga |
1,000,000 |
Accra plains |
|
Adangme |
1,000,000 |
Accra plains |
|
Gurma |
250,000 |
Northern Ghana |
|
Dagomba |
250,000 |
Northern Ghana |
Guinea |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Fulani |
1,250,000 |
Central Guinea |
|
Malinke |
1,000,000 |
Northern Ghana |
|
Susu |
250,000 |
Southwestern Ghana |
|
Kissi |
|
Near the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone |
|
Gola |
|
Near the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone |
|
Loma |
|
Near the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone |
Guinea-Bissau |
Portuguese |
|
Official language |
|
Balante |
200,000 |
|
|
Fulani |
125,000 |
|
|
Malinke |
80,000 |
|
Ivory Coast |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Dyula |
|
Northern Ivory Coast |
|
Senufo |
|
Northern Ivory Coast |
|
Anyi |
|
Southeastern Ivory Coast |
|
Baule |
|
Southeastern Ivory Coast |
|
Malinkwe |
|
Northwestern Ivory Coast |
Kenya |
Swahili |
|
Official language |
|
English |
|
|
|
Kikuyu |
3,500,000 |
North of Nairobi |
|
Luo |
2,500,000 |
Lake Victoria |
|
Kamba |
2,000,000 |
Southeastern Kenya |
|
Somali |
300,000 |
East and northeast |
|
Masai |
150,000 |
Along the Border with Tanzania |
|
Turkana |
150,000 |
Northwestern corner |
|
Nandi |
150,000 |
West-central Kenya |
|
Galla |
100,000 |
East and northeast |
|
Suk |
75,000 |
Along the border with Uganda |
Lesotho |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Sotho |
|
|
Liberia |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Kpelle |
750,000 |
|
|
Vai |
|
Along the coast |
|
Bassa |
|
On the coast |
|
Kru |
|
Southern Liberia |
|
Grebo |
|
Southeastern corner |
|
Kissi |
|
Near the border with Guinea and Sierra Leone |
|
Gola |
|
Near the border with Guinea and Sierra Leone |
|
Loma |
|
Near the border with Guinea and Sierra Leone |
Libya |
Arabic |
3,500,000 |
Official language |
|
Tamashek |
|
Western Lybia |
Madagascar |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Malagasy |
10,000,000 |
Official language |
Malawi |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Nyanja |
2,500,00 |
Official language |
|
Yao |
500,000 |
Southern shore of Lake Nyasa |
|
Tumbuka |
200,000 |
Northern Malawi |
Mali |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Bambara |
2,000,000 |
Southeastern Mali |
|
Fulani |
750,000 |
Western Mali |
|
Soninke |
500,000 |
Western Mali |
|
Malinke |
250,000 |
Western Mali |
|
Songhai |
250,000 |
Near Timbuktu |
|
Tamashek |
200,000 |
Eastern Mali |
|
Dyula |
|
Near the border with Ivory Coast |
|
Senufo |
|
Near the border with Ivory Coast |
Mauritania |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Arabic |
1,600,000 |
|
|
Fulani |
150,000 |
Southern Mauritania |
|
Soninke |
50,000 |
|
Moçambique |
Portuguese |
|
Official language |
|
Makua |
3,000,000 |
Northern Moçambique |
|
Thonga |
1,500,00 |
Southern Moçambique |
|
Yao |
|
Extreme north |
|
Makonde |
|
Extreme north |
|
Zulu |
|
Extreme south |
Morocco |
Arabic |
10,000,000 |
|
|
Shluh |
2,000,000 |
Southern Morocco |
|
Tamazight |
2,000,000 |
Central Morocco |
|
Riffian |
500,000 |
Northern Morocco |
Namibia |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Ambo |
450,000 |
Northern Namibia |
|
Herero |
50,000 |
East and central regions |
|
Hottentot |
50,000 |
Northern Namibia |
|
Afrikaans |
50,000 |
|
|
German |
30,000 |
|
|
Bushman |
15,000 |
Northern Namibia |
Niger |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Hausa |
3,000,000 |
Central and southeastern regions |
|
Djerma |
750,000 |
Southwest |
|
Fulani |
500,000 |
North and central regions |
|
Tamashek |
300,000 |
North and central regions |
|
Teda |
50,000 |
Northeast |
Nigeria |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Hausa |
15,000,000 |
Northern Nigeria |
|
Yoruba |
15,000,000 |
Southwest |
|
Ibo |
15,000,000 |
Southeast |
|
Fulani |
6,000,000 |
Northern Nigeria |
|
Kanuri |
3,000,000 |
Bornu region |
|
Efik |
|
In and around Calabar |
|
Ibibio |
|
West of Calabar |
|
Tiv |
2,000,000 |
Benue-Plateau state |
|
Ijo |
2,000,000 |
Niger River delta |
|
Edo |
1,000,000 |
Mid-Western state |
|
Urhobo |
500,000 |
Mid-Western state |
|
Nupe |
500,000 |
Niger-Kaduna junction |
|
Tiv |
250,000 |
Benue-Plateau state |
Rwanda |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Ruanda |
5,000,000 |
Official language |
Senegal |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Wolof |
2,500,000 |
Western Senegal |
|
Fulani |
750,000 |
|
|
Serer |
750,000 |
|
|
Dyola |
350,000 |
|
|
Malinke |
250,000 |
|
Sierra Leone |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Mende |
1,000,000 |
South |
|
Temne |
750,000 |
Central and northwestern districts |
|
Kissi |
250,000 |
Near the border with Liberia and Guinea |
|
Gola |
250,000 |
Near the border with Liberia and Guinea |
Somalia |
Somali |
6,000,000 |
|
South Africa |
Afrikaans |
4,000,000 |
|
|
Zulu |
4,000,000 |
Natal |
|
Xhosa |
4,000,000 |
Transkei |
|
Tswana |
2,000,000 |
Near the Botswanan border |
|
English |
1,500,000 |
|
|
Sotho |
1,500,000 |
Near the Lesotho border |
|
Pedi |
1,500,000 |
Transvaal |
|
Swazi |
500,000 |
Near Swaziland |
|
Venda |
350,000 |
Northern Transvaal |
|
Bushman |
10,000 |
|
the Sudan |
Arabic |
10,000,000 |
Official language |
|
Dinka |
1,500,000 |
South |
|
Nuer |
750,000 |
South |
|
Nubian |
675,000 |
Kordofan, Northern Province |
|
Beja |
500,000 |
Kassala |
|
Zande |
250,000 |
Near the Congo border |
|
Bari |
250,000 |
Near the Ugandan border |
|
Fur |
175,000 |
Darfur |
|
Shilluk |
100,000 |
Upper Nile Province |
|
Lotuko |
100,000 |
Near the Ugandan border |
Swaziland |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Swazi |
600,000 |
|
|
Swazi |
600,000 |
|
Tanzania |
Swahili |
|
Official language |
|
English |
|
|
|
Sukuma |
1,000,000 |
North |
|
Nyamwezi |
350,000 |
West |
|
Chagga |
250,000 |
On the slopes of Kilimanjaro |
|
Hehe |
200,000 |
Iringa district |
|
Makonde |
200,000 |
Near the Moçambique border |
|
Yao |
200,000 |
Near the Moçambique border |
|
Masai |
75,000 |
Near the Kenyan border |
|
Sandawe |
25,000 |
Near Kondoa |
Togo |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Ewe |
1,500,000 |
South |
|
Kabre |
|
North |
|
Gurma |
|
North |
Tunisia |
Arabic |
7,000,000 |
Official language |
Uganda |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Ganda |
3,000,000 |
Kampala area |
|
Nkole |
750,000 |
Southwest |
|
Teso |
750,000 |
Northeast |
|
Lango |
500,000 |
North-central Uganda |
|
Acholi |
350,000 |
North-central Uganda |
|
Chiga |
350,000 |
Extreme south |
|
Gisu |
350,000 |
Southeast |
|
Lugbara |
300,000 |
Northwest |
|
Toro |
250,000 |
Southwest |
|
Karamjong |
250,000 |
Northeast |
|
Nyoro |
250,000 |
East of Lake Albert |
|
Alur |
150,000 |
Northwest |
|
Madi |
100,000 |
Northwest |
Upper Volta |
French |
|
Official language |
|
Mossi |
|
|
|
Gurma |
|
Eastern Upper Volta |
|
Fulani |
|
Northern Upper Volta |
|
Tuareg |
|
Northern Upper Volta |
|
Dyula |
|
Western Upper Volta |
Zambia |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Bemba |
1,500,000 |
Northeast |
|
Tonga |
750,000 |
South |
|
Nyanja |
750,000 |
East and central regions |
|
Lozi |
100,000 |
Southwest |
|
Lunda |
100,000 |
Northwest |
Zimbabwe |
English |
|
Official language |
|
Shona |
5,500,000 |
|
|
Matabele |
1,000,000 |
Southwest |
|
