Languages spoken in Côte d’Ivoire
Africa · Capital: Yamoussoukro · Population 30 million
The official language of Côte d’Ivoire is French. Dyula is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 35% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 10.5 million people. Dyula itself holds no official status in Côte d’Ivoire, despite being the most widely spoken. After Dyula, the most widely spoken are French at 34% and Baoulé at 11%. Dyula is also spoken in one of its five neighbours: Burkina Faso. In total, five languages are recorded in Côte d’Ivoire, and their shares add up to 88.3% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.9 of them.
What languages are spoken in Côte d’Ivoire?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dyula | 35% | Spoken | 10.5 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 34% | Official | 10.2 million |
| BaouléNiger-Congo | 11% | Spoken | 3.3 million |
| Cebaara SenoufoNiger-Congo | 4.3% | Spoken | 1.3 million |
| DanNiger-Congo | 4% | Spoken | 1.2 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 Côte d’Ivoire?
The official language of Côte d’Ivoire is French. French is spoken by an estimated 34% of the population, or roughly 10.2 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers. That is not the most widely spoken language in the country: Dyula is, at 35%.
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 Dyula in Côte d’Ivoire?
An estimated 35% of Côte d’Ivoire's 30 million people speak Dyula, which works out at roughly 10.5 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 Côte d’Ivoire
- Capital
- Yamoussoukro and Abidjan
- Population
- 30 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 322,463 km²
- Currency
- XOF
- Languages recorded
- 5
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- CI / CIV / 384
Which countries border Côte d’Ivoire?
Côte d’Ivoire shares a land border with five countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Mali. Dyula, the most widely spoken language in Côte d’Ivoire, is also spoken in Burkina Faso.
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.