Languages spoken in Italy
Europe · Capital: Rome · Population 61 million
The official language of Italy is Italian. A further two languages hold official status at regional level: French and Venetian. An estimated 95% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 57.9 million people. After Italian, the most widely spoken are English at 34% and French at 20%. Italian belongs to the Indo-European language family. Italian is also spoken in five of its six neighbours: Austria, Switzerland, France, San Marino, and 1 others. In total, seven languages are recorded in Italy, and their shares add up to 159.3% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.6 of them.
What languages are spoken in Italy?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ItalianIndo-European | 95% | Official | 57.9 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 34% | Spoken | 20.7 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 20% | Official (regional) | 12.2 million |
| Lombard | 5.7% | Spoken | 3.5 million |
| Sardinian | 1.7% | Spoken | 1 million |
| GermanIndo-European | 1.6% | Spoken | 975,438 |
| Venetian | 1.3% | Official (regional) | 792,544 |
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 Italy?
The official language of Italy is Italian. A further two languages are official at regional or state level: French and Venetian. Italian is spoken by an estimated 95% of the population, or roughly 57.9 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 Italian in Italy?
An estimated 95% of Italy's 61 million people speak Italian, which works out at roughly 57.9 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 Italy
- Capital
- Rome
- Population
- 61 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 301,336 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 7
- Land borders
- 6
- ISO codes
- IT / ITA / 380
Which countries border Italy?
Italy shares a land border with six countries: Austria, Switzerland, France, Slovenia, San Marino, and Vatican City. Italian, the most widely spoken language in Italy, is also spoken in Austria, Switzerland, France, San Marino, and 1 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.