Languages spoken in Mongolia
Asia · Capital: Ulaanbaatar · Population 3.3 million
The official language of Mongolia is Mongolian. An estimated 93% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 3.1 million people. After Mongolian, the most widely spoken are Kazakh at 7.2% and Chinese at 1.4%. Mongolian belongs to the Mongolic language family. Mongolian is also spoken in one of its two neighbours: China. In total, three languages are recorded in Mongolia, and their shares add up to 101.6% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.0 of them.
What languages are spoken in Mongolia?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| MongolianMongolic | 93% | Official | 3.1 million |
| KazakhTurkic | 7.2% | Spoken | 236,281 |
| ChineseSino-Tibetan | 1.4% | Spoken | 45,944 |
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 Mongolia?
The official language of Mongolia is Mongolian. Mongolian is spoken by an estimated 93% of the population, or roughly 3.1 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 Mongolian in Mongolia?
An estimated 93% of Mongolia's 3.3 million people speak Mongolian, which works out at roughly 3.1 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 Mongolia
- Capital
- Ulaanbaatar and Ulan Bator
- Population
- 3.3 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 1,564,110 km²
- Currency
- MNT
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- MN / MNG / 496
Which countries border Mongolia?
Mongolia shares a land border with two countries: China and Russia. Mongolian, the most widely spoken language in Mongolia, is also spoken in China.
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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.