Languages spoken in Bangladesh
Asia · Capital: Dhaka · Population 168.7 million
The official language of Bangladesh is Bangla. An estimated 98% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 165.3 million people. After Bangla, the most widely spoken are English at 18% and Rangpuri at 6.5%. Bangla belongs to the Indo-European language family. Bangla is also spoken in one of its two neighbours: India. In total, five languages are recorded in Bangladesh, and their shares add up to 128% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.3 of them.
What languages are spoken in Bangladesh?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| BanglaIndo-European | 98% | Official | 165.3 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 18% | Spoken | 30.4 million |
| RangpuriIndo-European | 6.5% | Spoken | 11 million |
| SylhetiIndo-European | 5% | Spoken | 8.4 million |
| Rohingya | 0.5% | Spoken | 894,094 |
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 Bangladesh?
The official language of Bangladesh is Bangla. Bangla is spoken by an estimated 98% of the population, or roughly 165.3 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 Bangla in Bangladesh?
An estimated 98% of Bangladesh's 168.7 million people speak Bangla, which works out at roughly 165.3 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 Bangladesh
- Capital
- Dhaka
- Population
- 168.7 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 147,570 km²
- Currency
- BDT
- Languages recorded
- 5
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- BD / BGD / 050
Which countries border Bangladesh?
Bangladesh shares a land border with two countries: India and Myanmar (Burma). Bangla, the most widely spoken language in Bangladesh, is also spoken in India.
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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.