Languages spoken in Chile
South America · Capital: Santiago · Population 18.7 million
The official language of Chile is Spanish. An estimated 98% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 18.3 million people. The only other recorded language is English, at 9.5% of the population. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family. Spanish is also spoken in all three of its neighbours. In total, two languages are recorded in Chile, and their shares add up to 107.5% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.1 of them.
What languages are spoken in Chile?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpanishIndo-European | 98% | Official | 18.3 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 9.5% | Spoken | 1.8 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 Chile?
The official language of Chile is Spanish. Spanish is spoken by an estimated 98% of the population, or roughly 18.3 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 Chile?
An estimated 98% of Chile's 18.7 million people speak Spanish, which works out at roughly 18.3 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 Chile
- Capital
- Santiago
- Population
- 18.7 million
- Continent
- South America
- Area
- 756,102 km²
- Currency
- CLP
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- 3
- ISO codes
- CL / CHL / 152
Which countries border Chile?
Chile shares a land border with three countries: Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. Spanish, the most widely spoken language in Chile, is also spoken in Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru.
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.