Languages spoken in Bosnia & Herzegovina
Europe · Capital: Sarajevo · Population 3.4 million
In Bosnia & Herzegovina, three languages have official status: Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian. Bosnian is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 100% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 3.4 million people. After Bosnian, the most widely spoken are English at 45% and Serbian at 20%. Bosnian belongs to the Indo-European language family. Bosnian is not recorded in any of Bosnia & Herzegovina's three neighbours. In total, four languages are recorded in Bosnia & Herzegovina, and their shares add up to 177% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.8 of them.
What languages are spoken in Bosnia & Herzegovina?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| BosnianIndo-European | 100% | Official | 3.4 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 45% | Spoken | 1.5 million |
| SerbianIndo-European | 20% | Official | 684,400 |
| CroatianIndo-European | 12% | Official | 410,640 |
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 Bosnia & Herzegovina?
In Bosnia & Herzegovina, three languages have official status: Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian. Bosnian is spoken by an estimated 100% of the population, or roughly 3.4 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 Bosnian in Bosnia & Herzegovina?
An estimated 100% of Bosnia & Herzegovina's 3.4 million people speak Bosnian, which works out at roughly 3.4 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 Bosnia & Herzegovina
- Capital
- Sarajevo
- Population
- 3.4 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 51,209 km²
- Currency
- BAM
- Languages recorded
- 4
- Land borders
- 3
- ISO codes
- BA / BIH / 070
Which countries border Bosnia & Herzegovina?
Bosnia & Herzegovina shares a land border with three countries: Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia. None of them records Bosnian, the most widely spoken language in Bosnia & Herzegovina, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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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.