Languages spoken in Kyrgyzstan
Asia · Capital: Bishkek · Population 7.3 million
In Kyrgyzstan, two languages have official status: Kyrgyz and Russian. Kyrgyz is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 48% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 3.5 million people. The only other recorded language is Russian, at 36% of the population. Kyrgyz belongs to the Turkic language family. Kyrgyz is not recorded in any of Kyrgyzstan's four neighbours. In total, two languages are recorded in Kyrgyzstan, and their shares add up to 84% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.8 of them.
What languages are spoken in Kyrgyzstan?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| KyrgyzTurkic | 48% | Official | 3.5 million |
| RussianIndo-European | 36% | Official | 2.6 million |
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 Kyrgyzstan?
In Kyrgyzstan, two languages have official status: Kyrgyz and Russian. Kyrgyz is spoken by an estimated 48% of the population, or roughly 3.5 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 Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan?
An estimated 48% of Kyrgyzstan's 7.3 million people speak Kyrgyz, which works out at roughly 3.5 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 Kyrgyzstan
- Capital
- Bishkek
- Population
- 7.3 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 199,951 km²
- Currency
- KGS
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- 4
- ISO codes
- KG / KGZ / 417
Which countries border Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyzstan shares a land border with four countries: China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. None of them records Kyrgyz, the most widely spoken language in Kyrgyzstan, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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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.