Languages spoken in Lebanon
Asia · Capital: Beirut · Population 5.4 million
In Lebanon, two languages have official status: Arabic and French. Levantine Arabic is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 100% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 5.4 million people. Levantine Arabic itself holds no official status in Lebanon, despite being the most widely spoken. After Levantine Arabic, the most widely spoken are Arabic at 86% and English at 40%. Levantine Arabic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. Levantine Arabic is also spoken in all two of its neighbours. In total, six languages are recorded in Lebanon, and their shares add up to 270.9% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 2.7 of them.
What languages are spoken in Lebanon?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levantine ArabicAfro-Asiatic | 100% | Spoken | 5.4 million |
| ArabicAfro-Asiatic | 86% | Official | 4.6 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 40% | Spoken | 2.1 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 38% | Official | 2 million |
| ArmenianIndo-European | 5.2% | Spoken | 278,953 |
| KurdishIndo-European | 1.7% | Spoken | 91,196 |
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 Lebanon?
In Lebanon, two languages have official status: Arabic and French. Arabic is spoken by an estimated 86% of the population, or roughly 4.6 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers. That is not the most widely spoken language in the country: Levantine Arabic is, at 100%.
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 Levantine Arabic in Lebanon?
An estimated 100% of Lebanon's 5.4 million people speak Levantine Arabic, which works out at roughly 5.4 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 Lebanon
- Capital
- Beirut
- Population
- 5.4 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 10,452 km²
- Currency
- LBP
- Languages recorded
- 6
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- LB / LBN / 422
Which countries border Lebanon?
Lebanon shares a land border with two countries: Israel and Syria. Levantine Arabic, the most widely spoken language in Lebanon, is also spoken in Israel and Syria.
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.