Languages spoken in Senegal
Africa · Capital: Dakar · Population 18.8 million
The official language of Senegal is French. Wolof is used as a de facto official language. A further six languages hold official status at regional level: Fula, Serer, Jola-Fonyi, Saafi-Saafi, Mandjak, and Balanta-Ganja. Wolof is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 70% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 13.2 million people. After Wolof, the most widely spoken are French at 26% and Fula at 21%. Wolof belongs to the Niger-Congo language family. Wolof is not recorded in any of Senegal's five neighbours. In total, eight languages are recorded in Senegal, and their shares add up to 133.5% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.3 of them.
What languages are spoken in Senegal?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| WolofNiger-Congo | 70% | De facto official | 13.2 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 26% | Official | 4.9 million |
| FulaNiger-Congo | 21% | Official (regional) | 4 million |
| Serer | 11% | Official (regional) | 2.1 million |
| Jola-Fonyi | 2.6% | Official (regional) | 490,035 |
| Saafi-SaafiNiger-Congo | 1.5% | Official (regional) | 282,713 |
| MandjakNiger-Congo | 0.8% | Official (regional) | 145,126 |
| Balanta-GanjaNiger-Congo | 0.6% | Official (regional) | 114,970 |
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 Senegal?
The official language of Senegal is French. Wolof is also used as a de facto official language. A further six languages are official at regional or state level: Fula, Serer, Jola-Fonyi, Saafi-Saafi, Mandjak, and Balanta-Ganja. Wolof is spoken by an estimated 70% of the population, or roughly 13.2 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 Wolof in Senegal?
An estimated 70% of Senegal's 18.8 million people speak Wolof, which works out at roughly 13.2 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 Senegal
- Capital
- Dakar
- Population
- 18.8 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 196,722 km²
- Currency
- XOF
- Languages recorded
- 8
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- SN / SEN / 686
Which countries border Senegal?
Senegal shares a land border with five countries: the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Mauritania. None of them records Wolof, the most widely spoken language in Senegal, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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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.