Languages spoken in the Marshall Islands
Oceania · Capital: Majuro · Population 42,418
In the Marshall Islands, two languages have official status: English and Marshallese. English is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 93% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 39,449 people. The only other recorded language is Marshallese, at 73% of the population. English belongs to the Indo-European language family. In total, two languages are recorded in the Marshall Islands, and their shares add up to 166% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.7 of them.
What languages are spoken in the Marshall Islands?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| EnglishIndo-European | 93% | Official | 39,449 |
| Marshallese | 73% | Official | 30,965 |
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 the Marshall Islands?
In the Marshall Islands, two languages have official status: English and Marshallese. English is spoken by an estimated 93% of the population, or roughly 39,449 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 the Marshall Islands?
An estimated 93% of the Marshall Islands's 42,418 people speak English, which works out at roughly 39,449 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 the Marshall Islands
- Capital
- Majuro
- Population
- 42,418
- Continent
- Oceania
- Area
- 181 km²
- Currency
- USD
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- MH / MHL / 584
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.