Languages spoken in Poland
Europe · Capital: Warsaw · Population 38.7 million
The official language of Poland is Polish. A further one language holds official status at regional level: German. An estimated 96% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 37.2 million people. After Polish, the most widely spoken are English at 33% and German at 19%. Polish belongs to the Indo-European language family. Polish is also spoken in two of its seven neighbours: Slovakia and Ukraine. In total, five languages are recorded in Poland, and their shares add up to 166.6% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.7 of them.
What languages are spoken in Poland?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| PolishIndo-European | 96% | Official | 37.2 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 33% | Spoken | 12.8 million |
| GermanIndo-European | 19% | Official (regional) | 7.4 million |
| RussianIndo-European | 18% | Spoken | 7 million |
| BelarusianIndo-European | 0.6% | Spoken | 224,729 |
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 Poland?
The official language of Poland is Polish. A further one language is official at regional or state level: German. Polish is spoken by an estimated 96% of the population, or roughly 37.2 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 Polish in Poland?
An estimated 96% of Poland's 38.7 million people speak Polish, which works out at roughly 37.2 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 Poland
- Capital
- Warsaw
- Population
- 38.7 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 312,679 km²
- Currency
- PLN
- Languages recorded
- 5
- Land borders
- 7
- ISO codes
- PL / POL / 616
Which countries border Poland?
Poland shares a land border with seven countries: Belarus, Czechia, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. Polish, the most widely spoken language in Poland, is also spoken in Slovakia and Ukraine.
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.