Languages spoken in Cameroon
Africa · Capital: Yaoundé · Population 31 million
In Cameroon, two languages have official status: French and English. French is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 68% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 21.1 million people. After French, the most widely spoken are English at 38% and Bulu at 4.6%. French belongs to the Indo-European language family. French is also spoken in five of its six neighbours: Central African Republic, Congo - Brazzaville, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and 1 others. In total, four languages are recorded in Cameroon, and their shares add up to 114.2% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.1 of them.
What languages are spoken in Cameroon?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| FrenchIndo-European | 68% | Official | 21.1 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 38% | Official | 11.8 million |
| Bulu | 4.6% | Spoken | 1.4 million |
| FulaNiger-Congo | 3.6% | Spoken | 1.1 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 Cameroon?
In Cameroon, two languages have official status: French and English. French is spoken by an estimated 68% of the population, or roughly 21.1 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 French in Cameroon?
An estimated 68% of Cameroon's 31 million people speak French, which works out at roughly 21.1 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 Cameroon
- Capital
- Yaoundé
- Population
- 31 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 475,442 km²
- Currency
- XAF
- Languages recorded
- 4
- Land borders
- 6
- ISO codes
- CM / CMR / 120
Which countries border Cameroon?
Cameroon shares a land border with six countries: the Central African Republic, Congo - Brazzaville, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, and Chad. French, the most widely spoken language in Cameroon, is also spoken in the Central African Republic, Congo - Brazzaville, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, 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.