Languages spoken in Congo - Brazzaville
Africa · Capital: Brazzaville · Population 6.1 million
In Congo - Brazzaville, three languages have official status: French, Kituba, and Lingala. French is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 61% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 3.7 million people. After French, the most widely spoken are Kituba at 50% and Lingala at 25%. French belongs to the Indo-European language family. French is also spoken in four of its five neighbours: Congo - Kinshasa, Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Gabon. In total, three languages are recorded in Congo - Brazzaville, and their shares add up to 136% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.4 of them.
What languages are spoken in Congo - Brazzaville?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| FrenchIndo-European | 61% | Official | 3.7 million |
| KitubaNiger-Congo | 50% | Official | 3 million |
| LingalaNiger-Congo | 25% | Official | 1.5 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 Congo - Brazzaville?
In Congo - Brazzaville, three languages have official status: French, Kituba, and Lingala. French is spoken by an estimated 61% of the population, or roughly 3.7 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 Congo - Brazzaville?
An estimated 61% of Congo - Brazzaville's 6.1 million people speak French, which works out at roughly 3.7 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 Congo - Brazzaville
- Capital
- Brazzaville
- Population
- 6.1 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 342,000 km²
- Currency
- XAF
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- CG / COG / 178
Which countries border Congo - Brazzaville?
Congo - Brazzaville shares a land border with five countries: Angola, Congo - Kinshasa, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Gabon. French, the most widely spoken language in Congo - Brazzaville, is also spoken in Congo - Kinshasa, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Gabon.
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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.