Languages spoken in Myanmar (Burma)
Asia · Capital: Naypyidaw · Population 51.3 million
The official language of Myanmar (Burma) is Burmese. An estimated 64% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 32.8 million people. After Burmese, the most widely spoken are Shan at 6.4% and Rohingya at 1.7%. Burmese belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family. Burmese is not recorded in any of Myanmar (Burma)'s five neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Myanmar (Burma), and their shares add up to 72.1% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 0.7 of them.
What languages are spoken in Myanmar (Burma)?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| BurmeseSino-Tibetan | 64% | Official | 32.8 million |
| Shan | 6.4% | Spoken | 3.3 million |
| Rohingya | 1.7% | Spoken | 872,385 |
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 Myanmar (Burma)?
The official language of Myanmar (Burma) is Burmese. Burmese is spoken by an estimated 64% of the population, or roughly 32.8 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 Burmese in Myanmar (Burma)?
An estimated 64% of Myanmar (Burma)'s 51.3 million people speak Burmese, which works out at roughly 32.8 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 Myanmar (Burma)
- Capital
- Naypyidaw
- Population
- 51.3 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 676,578 km²
- Currency
- MMK
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- MM / MMR / 104
Which countries border Myanmar (Burma)?
Myanmar (Burma) shares a land border with five countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Laos, and Thailand. None of them records Burmese, the most widely spoken language in Myanmar (Burma), so the land borders here are also language borders.
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.