Languages spoken in Djibouti
Africa · Capital: Djibouti · Population 994,974
In Djibouti, two languages have official status: French and Arabic. French is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 50% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 497,487 people. After French, the most widely spoken are Afar at 42% and Somali at 41%. French belongs to the Indo-European language family. French is not recorded in any of Djibouti's three neighbours. In total, four languages are recorded in Djibouti, and their shares add up to 140.3% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.4 of them.
What languages are spoken in Djibouti?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| FrenchIndo-European | 50% | Official | 497,487 |
| Afar | 42% | Spoken | 417,889 |
| SomaliAfro-Asiatic | 41% | Spoken | 407,939 |
| ArabicAfro-Asiatic | 7.3% | Official | 72,633 |
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 Djibouti?
In Djibouti, two languages have official status: French and Arabic. French is spoken by an estimated 50% of the population, or roughly 497,487 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 Djibouti?
An estimated 50% of Djibouti's 994,974 people speak French, which works out at roughly 497,487 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 Djibouti
- Capital
- Djibouti
- Population
- 994,974
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 23,200 km²
- Currency
- DJF
- Languages recorded
- 4
- Land borders
- 3
- ISO codes
- DJ / DJI / 262
Which countries border Djibouti?
Djibouti shares a land border with three countries: Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. None of them records French, the most widely spoken language in Djibouti, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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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.