Languages spoken in Belarus
Europe · Capital: Minsk · Population 9.5 million
In Belarus, two languages have official status: Russian and Belarusian. Russian is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 71% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 6.7 million people. The only other recorded language is Belarusian, at 26% of the population. Russian belongs to the Indo-European language family. Russian is also spoken in all five of its neighbours. In total, two languages are recorded in Belarus, and their shares add up to 97% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.0 of them.
What languages are spoken in Belarus?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| RussianIndo-European | 71% | Official | 6.7 million |
| BelarusianIndo-European | 26% | Official | 2.5 million |
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 Belarus?
In Belarus, two languages have official status: Russian and Belarusian. Russian is spoken by an estimated 71% of the population, or roughly 6.7 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 Russian in Belarus?
An estimated 71% of Belarus's 9.5 million people speak Russian, which works out at roughly 6.7 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 Belarus
- Capital
- Minsk
- Population
- 9.5 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 207,600 km²
- Currency
- BYN
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- BY / BLR / 112
Which countries border Belarus?
Belarus shares a land border with five countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. Russian, the most widely spoken language in Belarus, is also spoken in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Russia, and 1 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.