Languages spoken in Georgia
Asia · Capital: Tbilisi · Population 4 million
The official language of Georgia is Georgian. A further two languages hold official status at regional level: Abkhazian and Ossetic. An estimated 86% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 3.4 million people. After Georgian, the most widely spoken are Russian at 9% and Armenian at 7%. Georgian belongs to the Kartvelian language family. Georgian is not recorded in any of Georgia's four neighbours. In total, five languages are recorded in Georgia, and their shares add up to 106.4% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.1 of them.
What languages are spoken in Georgia?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| GeorgianKartvelian | 86% | Official | 3.4 million |
| RussianIndo-European | 9% | Spoken | 360,083 |
| ArmenianIndo-European | 7% | Spoken | 280,064 |
| Abkhazian | 2.2% | Official (regional) | 88,020 |
| Ossetic | 2.2% | Official (regional) | 88,020 |
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 Georgia?
The official language of Georgia is Georgian. A further two languages are official at regional or state level: Abkhazian and Ossetic. Georgian is spoken by an estimated 86% of the population, or roughly 3.4 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 Georgian in Georgia?
An estimated 86% of Georgia's 4 million people speak Georgian, which works out at roughly 3.4 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 Georgia
- Capital
- Tbilisi
- Population
- 4 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 69,700 km²
- Currency
- GEL
- Languages recorded
- 5
- Land borders
- 4
- ISO codes
- GE / GEO / 268
Which countries border Georgia?
Georgia shares a land border with four countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Türkiye. None of them records Georgian, the most widely spoken language in Georgia, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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.