Languages spoken in Eritrea
Africa · Capital: Asmara · Population 3.6 million
In Eritrea, two languages have official status: English and Arabic. Tigrinya is used as a de facto official language. Tigrinya is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 60% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 2.2 million people. After Tigrinya, the most widely spoken are English at 59% and Tigre at 18%. Tigrinya belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. Tigrinya is also spoken in one of its three neighbours: Ethiopia. In total, five languages are recorded in Eritrea, and their shares add up to 145.5% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.5 of them.
What languages are spoken in Eritrea?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| TigrinyaAfro-Asiatic | 60% | De facto official | 2.2 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 59% | Official | 2.1 million |
| Tigre | 18% | Spoken | 649,260 |
| ArabicAfro-Asiatic | 4.9% | Official | 176,743 |
| Afar | 3.6% | Spoken | 129,852 |
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 Eritrea?
In Eritrea, two languages have official status: English and Arabic. Tigrinya is also used as a de facto official language. Tigrinya is spoken by an estimated 60% of the population, or roughly 2.2 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers. A de facto official language is one used throughout government and public life without being named as official in law.
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 Tigrinya in Eritrea?
An estimated 60% of Eritrea's 3.6 million people speak Tigrinya, which works out at roughly 2.2 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 Eritrea
- Capital
- Asmara
- Population
- 3.6 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 117,600 km²
- Currency
- ERN
- Languages recorded
- 5
- Land borders
- 3
- ISO codes
- ER / ERI / 232
Which countries border Eritrea?
Eritrea shares a land border with three countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Sudan. Tigrinya, the most widely spoken language in Eritrea, is also spoken in Ethiopia.
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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.