Languages spoken in Ecuador
South America · Capital: Quito · Population 18.3 million
In Ecuador, two languages have official status: Spanish and Quechua. Spanish is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 96% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 17.6 million people. After Spanish, the most widely spoken are Quechua at 17% and Chimborazo Highland Quichua at 5.7%. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family. Spanish is also spoken in all two of its neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Ecuador, and their shares add up to 118.7% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.2 of them.
What languages are spoken in Ecuador?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpanishIndo-European | 96% | Official | 17.6 million |
| Quechua | 17% | Official | 3.1 million |
| Chimborazo Highland Quichua | 5.7% | Spoken | 1 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 Ecuador?
In Ecuador, two languages have official status: Spanish and Quechua. Spanish is spoken by an estimated 96% of the population, or roughly 17.6 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 Spanish in Ecuador?
An estimated 96% of Ecuador's 18.3 million people speak Spanish, which works out at roughly 17.6 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 Ecuador
- Capital
- Quito
- Population
- 18.3 million
- Continent
- South America
- Area
- 276,841 km²
- Currency
- USD
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- EC / ECU / 218
Which countries border Ecuador?
Ecuador shares a land border with two countries: Colombia and Peru. Spanish, the most widely spoken language in Ecuador, is also spoken in Colombia and Peru.
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.