Languages spoken in Somalia
Africa · Capital: Mogadishu · Population 19.7 million
In Somalia, two languages have official status: Somali and Arabic. Somali is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 78% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 15.3 million people. After Somali, the most widely spoken are Arabic at 34% and Swahili at 2%. Somali belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. Somali is also spoken in all three of its neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Somalia, and their shares add up to 114% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.1 of them.
What languages are spoken in Somalia?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SomaliAfro-Asiatic | 78% | Official | 15.3 million |
| ArabicAfro-Asiatic | 34% | Official | 6.7 million |
| SwahiliNiger-Congo | 2% | Spoken | 393,100 |
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 Somalia?
In Somalia, two languages have official status: Somali and Arabic. Somali is spoken by an estimated 78% of the population, or roughly 15.3 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 Somali in Somalia?
An estimated 78% of Somalia's 19.7 million people speak Somali, which works out at roughly 15.3 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 Somalia
- Capital
- Mogadishu
- Population
- 19.7 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 637,657 km²
- Currency
- SOS
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 3
- ISO codes
- SO / SOM / 706
Which countries border Somalia?
Somalia shares a land border with three countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Somali, the most widely spoken language in Somalia, is also spoken in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya.
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.