Languages spoken in Puerto Rico
North America · Capital: San Juan · Population 3.2 million
In Puerto Rico, two languages have official status: Spanish and English. Spanish is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 95% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 3 million people. The only other recorded language is English, at 50% of the population. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family. In total, two languages are recorded in Puerto Rico, and their shares add up to 145% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.4 of them.
What languages are spoken in Puerto Rico?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpanishIndo-European | 95% | Official | 3 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 50% | Official | 1.6 million |
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 Puerto Rico?
In Puerto Rico, two languages have official status: Spanish and English. Spanish is spoken by an estimated 95% of the population, or roughly 3 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 Spanish in Puerto Rico?
An estimated 95% of Puerto Rico's 3.2 million people speak Spanish, which works out at roughly 3 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 Puerto Rico
- Capital
- San Juan
- Population
- 3.2 million
- Continent
- North America
- Area
- 8,870 km²
- Currency
- USD
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- PR / PRI / 630
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.