Languages spoken in Ireland
Europe · Capital: Dublin · Population 5.2 million
In Ireland, two languages have official status: English and Irish. English is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 98% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 5.1 million people. After English, the most widely spoken are Irish at 22% and French at 13%. English belongs to the Indo-European language family. English is also spoken in one of its one neighbour: United Kingdom. In total, three languages are recorded in Ireland, and their shares add up to 133% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.3 of them.
What languages are spoken in Ireland?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| EnglishIndo-European | 98% | Official | 5.1 million |
| IrishIndo-European | 22% | Official | 1.2 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 13% | Spoken | 680,350 |
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 Ireland?
In Ireland, two languages have official status: English and Irish. English is spoken by an estimated 98% of the population, or roughly 5.1 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 English in Ireland?
An estimated 98% of Ireland's 5.2 million people speak English, which works out at roughly 5.1 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 Ireland
- Capital
- Dublin
- Population
- 5.2 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 70,273 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 1
- ISO codes
- IE / IRL / 372
Which countries border Ireland?
Ireland shares a land border with one country: the United Kingdom. English, the most widely spoken language in Ireland, is also spoken in the United Kingdom.
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.