Languages spoken in Serbia
Europe · Capital: Belgrade · Population 6.7 million
The official language of Serbia is Serbian. A further two languages hold official status at regional level: Hungarian and Romanian. An estimated 100% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 6.7 million people. After Serbian, the most widely spoken are Albanian at 19% and Hungarian at 4.8%. Serbian belongs to the Indo-European language family. Serbian is also spoken in three of its eight neighbours: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo. In total, four languages are recorded in Serbia, and their shares add up to 125.9% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.3 of them.
What languages are spoken in Serbia?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SerbianIndo-European | 100% | Official | 6.7 million |
| AlbanianIndo-European | 19% | Spoken | 1.3 million |
| HungarianUralic | 4.8% | Official (regional) | 319,306 |
| RomanianIndo-European | 2.1% | Official (regional) | 139,696 |
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 Serbia?
The official language of Serbia is Serbian. A further two languages are official at regional or state level: Hungarian and Romanian. Serbian is spoken by an estimated 100% of the population, or roughly 6.7 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 Serbian in Serbia?
An estimated 100% of Serbia's 6.7 million people speak Serbian, which works out at roughly 6.7 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 Serbia
- Capital
- Belgrade
- Population
- 6.7 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 77,474 km²
- Currency
- RSD
- Languages recorded
- 4
- Land borders
- 8
- ISO codes
- RS / SRB / 688
Which countries border Serbia?
Serbia shares a land border with eight countries: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, and Kosovo. Serbian, the most widely spoken language in Serbia, is also spoken in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo.
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.