Languages spoken in Croatia
Europe · Capital: Zagreb · Population 4.2 million
The official language of Croatia is Croatian. An estimated 99% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 4.1 million people. The only other recorded language is English, at 49% of the population. Croatian belongs to the Indo-European language family. Croatian is also spoken in two of its five neighbours: Bosnia & Herzegovina and Slovenia. In total, two languages are recorded in Croatia, and their shares add up to 148% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.5 of them.
What languages are spoken in Croatia?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| CroatianIndo-European | 99% | Official | 4.1 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 49% | Spoken | 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 Croatia?
The official language of Croatia is Croatian. Croatian is spoken by an estimated 99% of the population, or roughly 4.1 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 Croatian in Croatia?
An estimated 99% of Croatia's 4.2 million people speak Croatian, which works out at roughly 4.1 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 Croatia
- Capital
- Zagreb
- Population
- 4.2 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 56,594 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- HR / HRV / 191
Which countries border Croatia?
Croatia shares a land border with five countries: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Hungary, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Croatian, the most widely spoken language in Croatia, is also spoken in Bosnia & Herzegovina and Slovenia.
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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.