Languages spoken in Bolivia
South America · Capital: Sucre · Population 12.3 million
In Bolivia, three languages have official status: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Spanish is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 61% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 7.5 million people. After Spanish, the most widely spoken are Quechua at 32% and Aymara at 20%. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family. Spanish is also spoken in all five of its neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Bolivia, and their shares add up to 113% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.1 of them.
What languages are spoken in Bolivia?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpanishIndo-European | 61% | Official | 7.5 million |
| Quechua | 32% | Official | 3.9 million |
| Aymara | 20% | 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 Bolivia?
In Bolivia, three languages have official status: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Spanish is spoken by an estimated 61% of the population, or roughly 7.5 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 Spanish in Bolivia?
An estimated 61% of Bolivia's 12.3 million people speak Spanish, which works out at roughly 7.5 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 Bolivia
- Capital
- Sucre and La Paz
- Population
- 12.3 million
- Continent
- South America
- Area
- 1,098,581 km²
- Currency
- BOB
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- BO / BOL / 068
Which countries border Bolivia?
Bolivia shares a land border with five countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Paraguay. Spanish, the most widely spoken language in Bolivia, is also spoken in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and 1 others.
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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.