Languages spoken in the Comoros
Africa · Capital: Moroni · Population 900,141
In the Comoros, four languages have official status: Arabic, Ngazidja Comorian, Ndzwani Comorian, and French. Arabic is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 66% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 594,093 people. After Arabic, the most widely spoken are Ngazidja Comorian at 37% and Ndzwani Comorian at 34%. Arabic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. In total, four languages are recorded in the Comoros, and their shares add up to 163% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.6 of them.
What languages are spoken in the Comoros?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ArabicAfro-Asiatic | 66% | Official | 594,093 |
| Ngazidja ComorianNiger-Congo | 37% | Official | 333,052 |
| Ndzwani ComorianNiger-Congo | 34% | Official | 306,048 |
| FrenchIndo-European | 26% | Official | 234,037 |
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 Comoros?
In the Comoros, four languages have official status: Arabic, Ngazidja Comorian, Ndzwani Comorian, and French. Arabic is spoken by an estimated 66% of the population, or roughly 594,093 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 the Comoros?
An estimated 66% of the Comoros's 900,141 people speak Arabic, which works out at roughly 594,093 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 Comoros
- Capital
- Moroni
- Population
- 900,141
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 1,862 km²
- Currency
- KMF
- Languages recorded
- 4
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- KM / COM / 174
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.