Languages spoken in Iceland
Europe · Capital: Reykjavik · Population 364,036
The official language of Iceland is Icelandic. An estimated 100% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 364,036 people. After Icelandic, the most widely spoken are English at 85% and Danish at 0.6%. Icelandic belongs to the Indo-European language family. In total, three languages are recorded in Iceland, and their shares add up to 185.6% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.9 of them.
What languages are spoken in Iceland?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| IcelandicIndo-European | 100% | Official | 364,036 |
| EnglishIndo-European | 85% | Spoken | 309,431 |
| DanishIndo-European | 0.6% | Spoken | 2,257 |
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 Iceland?
The official language of Iceland is Icelandic. Icelandic is spoken by an estimated 100% of the population, or roughly 364,036 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 Icelandic in Iceland?
An estimated 100% of Iceland's 364,036 people speak Icelandic, which works out at roughly 364,036 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 Iceland
- Capital
- Reykjavik
- Population
- 364,036
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 103,000 km²
- Currency
- ISK
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- IS / ISL / 352
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.