Languages spoken in Kiribati
Oceania · Capital: South Tarawa · Population 116,545
In Kiribati, two languages have official status: English and Gilbertese. English is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 100% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 116,545 people. The only other recorded language is Gilbertese, at 60% of the population. English belongs to the Indo-European language family. In total, two languages are recorded in Kiribati, and their shares add up to 160% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.6 of them.
What languages are spoken in Kiribati?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| EnglishIndo-European | 100% | Official | 116,545 |
| Gilbertese | 60% | Official | 69,927 |
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 Kiribati?
In Kiribati, two languages have official status: English and Gilbertese. English is spoken by an estimated 100% of the population, or roughly 116,545 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 Kiribati?
An estimated 100% of Kiribati's 116,545 people speak English, which works out at roughly 116,545 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 Kiribati
- Capital
- South Tarawa and Tarawa
- Population
- 116,545
- Continent
- Oceania
- Area
- 811 km²
- Currency
- AUD and KID
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- KI / KIR / 296
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.