Languages spoken in the Central African Republic
Africa · Capital: Bangui · Population 6.5 million
In the Central African Republic, two languages have official status: Sango and French. Sango is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 49% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 3.2 million people. The only other recorded language is French, at 29% of the population. Sango is not recorded in any of the Central African Republic's six neighbours. In total, two languages are recorded in the Central African Republic, and their shares add up to 78% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.8 of them.
What languages are spoken in the Central African Republic?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sango | 49% | Official | 3.2 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 29% | Official | 1.9 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 the Central African Republic?
In the Central African Republic, two languages have official status: Sango and French. Sango is spoken by an estimated 49% of the population, or roughly 3.2 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 Sango in the Central African Republic?
An estimated 49% of the Central African Republic's 6.5 million people speak Sango, which works out at roughly 3.2 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 the Central African Republic
- Capital
- Bangui
- Population
- 6.5 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 622,984 km²
- Currency
- XAF
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- 6
- ISO codes
- CF / CAF / 140
Which countries border the Central African Republic?
The Central African Republic shares a land border with six countries: Congo - Kinshasa, Congo - Brazzaville, Cameroon, Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad. None of them records Sango, the most widely spoken language in the Central African Republic, 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.