Languages spoken in New Zealand
Oceania · Capital: Wellington · Population 5.2 million
In New Zealand, three languages have official status: Māori, Tokelauan, and Niuean. English is used as a de facto official language. English is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 98.2% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 5.1 million people. After English, the most widely spoken are Māori at 2.8% and Tokelauan at <0.1%. English belongs to the Indo-European language family. In total, four languages are recorded in New Zealand, and their shares add up to 101% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.0 of them.
What languages are spoken in New Zealand?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| EnglishIndo-European | 98.2% | De facto official | 5.1 million |
| MāoriAustronesian | 2.8% | Official | 144,514 |
| Tokelauan | <0.1% | Official | 1,136 |
| Niuean | <0.1% | Official | 1,120 |
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 New Zealand?
In New Zealand, three languages have official status: Māori, Tokelauan, and Niuean. English is also used as a de facto official language. English is spoken by an estimated 98.2% of the population, or roughly 5.1 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers. A de facto official language is one used throughout government and public life without being named as official in law.
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 New Zealand?
An estimated 98.2% of New Zealand's 5.2 million people speak English, which works out at roughly 5.1 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 New Zealand
- Capital
- Wellington
- Population
- 5.2 million
- Continent
- Oceania
- Area
- 270,467 km²
- Currency
- NZD
- Languages recorded
- 4
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- NZ / NZL / 554
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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.