Languages spoken in Kosovo
Europe · Capital: Pristina · Population 1.6 million
In Kosovo, two languages have official status: Albanian and Serbian. Albanian is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 92% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 1.5 million people. After Albanian, the most widely spoken are Gheg Albanian at 74% and Serbian at 10%. Albanian belongs to the Indo-European language family. Albanian is also spoken in all four of its neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Kosovo, and their shares add up to 176% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.8 of them.
What languages are spoken in Kosovo?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlbanianIndo-European | 92% | Official | 1.5 million |
| Gheg Albanian | 74% | Spoken | 1.2 million |
| SerbianIndo-European | 10% | Official | 158,557 |
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 Kosovo?
In Kosovo, two languages have official status: Albanian and Serbian. Albanian is spoken by an estimated 92% of the population, or roughly 1.5 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 Albanian in Kosovo?
An estimated 92% of Kosovo's 1.6 million people speak Albanian, which works out at roughly 1.5 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 Kosovo
- Capital
- Pristina
- Population
- 1.6 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 10,908 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 4
- ISO codes
- XK / /
Which countries border Kosovo?
Kosovo shares a land border with four countries: Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Albanian, the most widely spoken language in Kosovo, is also spoken in Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
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.