Languages spoken in Chad
Africa · Capital: N'Djamena · Population 19.1 million
In Chad, two languages have official status: Arabic and French. Arabic is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 50% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 9.5 million people. The only other recorded language is French, at 13% of the population. Arabic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. Arabic is also spoken in two of its six neighbours: Libya and Sudan. In total, two languages are recorded in Chad, and their shares add up to 63% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.6 of them.
What languages are spoken in Chad?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArabicAfro-Asiatic | 50% | Official | 9.5 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 13% | 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 Chad?
In Chad, two languages have official status: Arabic and French. Arabic is spoken by an estimated 50% of the population, or roughly 9.5 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 Arabic in Chad?
An estimated 50% of Chad's 19.1 million people speak Arabic, which works out at roughly 9.5 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 Chad
- Capital
- N'Djamena
- Population
- 19.1 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 1,284,000 km²
- Currency
- XAF
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- 6
- ISO codes
- TD / TCD / 148
Which countries border Chad?
Chad shares a land border with six countries: the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Libya, Niger, Nigeria, and Sudan. Arabic, the most widely spoken language in Chad, is also spoken in Libya and Sudan.
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.