Languages spoken in Germany
Europe · Capital: Berlin · Population 84.1 million
The official language of Germany is German. An estimated 91% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 76.5 million people. After German, the most widely spoken are English at 64% and French at 18%. German belongs to the Indo-European language family. German is also spoken in all nine of its neighbours. In total, 15 languages are recorded in Germany, and their shares add up to 244.3% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 2.4 of them.
What languages are spoken in Germany?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| GermanIndo-European | 91% | Official | 76.5 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 64% | Spoken | 53.8 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 18% | Spoken | 15.1 million |
| Bavarian | 17% | Spoken | 14.3 million |
| Low German | 12% | Spoken | 10.1 million |
| DutchIndo-European | 9% | Spoken | 7.6 million |
| ItalianIndo-European | 7% | Spoken | 5.9 million |
| SpanishIndo-European | 6% | Spoken | 5 million |
| RussianIndo-European | 6% | Spoken | 5 million |
| Main-Franconian | 6% | Spoken | 5 million |
| TurkishTurkic | 2.5% | Spoken | 2.1 million |
| Swiss German | 2.3% | Spoken | 1.9 million |
| DanishIndo-European | 2% | Spoken | 1.7 million |
| CroatianIndo-European | 0.8% | Spoken | 664,541 |
| KurdishIndo-European | 0.7% | Spoken | 555,186 |
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 Germany?
The official language of Germany is German. German is spoken by an estimated 91% of the population, or roughly 76.5 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 German in Germany?
An estimated 91% of Germany's 84.1 million people speak German, which works out at roughly 76.5 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 Germany
- Capital
- Berlin
- Population
- 84.1 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 357,114 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 15
- Land borders
- 9
- ISO codes
- DE / DEU / 276
Which countries border Germany?
Germany shares a land border with nine countries: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czechia, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Poland. German, the most widely spoken language in Germany, is also spoken in Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czechia, and 5 others.
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.