Languages spoken in Austria
Europe · Capital: Vienna · Population 9 million
The official language of Austria is German. A further one language holds official status at regional level: Croatian. An estimated 97% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 8.7 million people. After German, the most widely spoken are Bavarian at 95% and English at 73%. German belongs to the Indo-European language family. German is also spoken in all eight of its neighbours. In total, six languages are recorded in Austria, and their shares add up to 288.2% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 2.9 of them.
What languages are spoken in Austria?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| GermanIndo-European | 97% | Official | 8.7 million |
| Bavarian | 95% | Spoken | 8.5 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 73% | Spoken | 6.5 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 13% | Spoken | 1.2 million |
| ItalianIndo-European | 9% | Spoken | 807,118 |
| CroatianIndo-European | 1.2% | Official (regional) | 107,616 |
Percentages are the share of the population that speaks each language, including as a second language, so they add up to well over 100% in multilingual countries. Speaker counts are estimates derived from the percentage and the country's population, not counted figures.
What is the official language of Austria?
The official language of Austria is German. A further one language is official at regional or state level: Croatian. German is spoken by an estimated 97% of the population, or roughly 8.7 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers.
Official status comes from Unicode CLDR. It distinguishes languages that are official nationwide, those used as de facto official without being named in law, and those official only in particular regions or territories.
How many people speak German in Austria?
An estimated 97% of Austria's 9 million people speak German, which works out at roughly 8.7 million speakers. That figure is derived from the population and the reported share, and it counts second-language speakers, so it is an estimate rather than a census count.
Key facts about Austria
- Capital
- Vienna
- Population
- 9 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 83,871 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 6
- Land borders
- 8
- ISO codes
- AT / AUT / 040
Which countries border Austria?
Austria shares a land border with eight countries: Switzerland, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, and Slovakia. German, the most widely spoken language in Austria, is also spoken in Switzerland, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, and 4 others.
Explore more
Language shares, population, and official status: Unicode CLDR. Capital, area, borders, and currency: mledoze/countries (ODbL 1.0). Flag image: flagcdn.com. Speaker counts are estimates derived from population and reported share.