Languages spoken in Kenya
Africa · Capital: Nairobi · Population 58.2 million
In Kenya, two languages have official status: Swahili and English. Swahili is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 66% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 38.4 million people. After Swahili, the most widely spoken are English at 19% and Kikuyu at 17%. Swahili belongs to the Niger-Congo language family. Swahili is also spoken in three of its five neighbours: Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda. In total, 12 languages are recorded in Kenya, and their shares add up to 150.5% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.5 of them.
What languages are spoken in Kenya?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SwahiliNiger-Congo | 66% | Official | 38.4 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 19% | Official | 11.1 million |
| Kikuyu | 17% | Spoken | 9.9 million |
| Luyia | 11% | Spoken | 6.4 million |
| Luo | 9.8% | Spoken | 5.7 million |
| Kamba | 7.6% | Spoken | 4.4 million |
| Kalenjin | 7.6% | Spoken | 4.4 million |
| Gusii | 4.9% | Spoken | 2.9 million |
| Meru | 4% | Spoken | 2.3 million |
| Masai | 1.6% | Spoken | 931,942 |
| SomaliAfro-Asiatic | 1.3% | Spoken | 757,203 |
| Teso | 0.7% | Spoken | 431,023 |
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 Kenya?
In Kenya, two languages have official status: Swahili and English. Swahili is spoken by an estimated 66% of the population, or roughly 38.4 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 Swahili in Kenya?
An estimated 66% of Kenya's 58.2 million people speak Swahili, which works out at roughly 38.4 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 Kenya
- Capital
- Nairobi
- Population
- 58.2 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 580,367 km²
- Currency
- KES
- Languages recorded
- 12
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- KE / KEN / 404
Which countries border Kenya?
Kenya shares a land border with five countries: Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Swahili, the most widely spoken language in Kenya, is also spoken in Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda.
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.