Languages spoken in Spain
Europe · Capital: Madrid · Population 47.3 million
The official language of Spain is Spanish. A further four languages hold official status at regional level: Catalan, Galician, Basque, and Asturian. An estimated 99% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 46.8 million people. After Spanish, the most widely spoken are English at 24% and Catalan at 17%. Spanish belongs to the Indo-European language family. Spanish is also spoken in three of its four neighbours: Andorra, France, and Portugal. In total, six languages are recorded in Spain, and their shares add up to 150.3% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.5 of them.
What languages are spoken in Spain?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpanishIndo-European | 99% | Official | 46.8 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 24% | Spoken | 11.3 million |
| CatalanIndo-European | 17% | Official (regional) | 8 million |
| GalicianIndo-European | 7% | Official (regional) | 3.3 million |
| BasqueLanguage Isolate | 2% | Official (regional) | 945,608 |
| AsturianIndo-European | 1.3% | Official (regional) | 614,645 |
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 Spain?
The official language of Spain is Spanish. A further four languages are official at regional or state level: Catalan, Galician, Basque, and Asturian. Spanish is spoken by an estimated 99% of the population, or roughly 46.8 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 Spain?
An estimated 99% of Spain's 47.3 million people speak Spanish, which works out at roughly 46.8 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 Spain
- Capital
- Madrid
- Population
- 47.3 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 505,992 km²
- Currency
- EUR
- Languages recorded
- 6
- Land borders
- 4
- ISO codes
- ES / ESP / 724
Which countries border Spain?
Spain shares a land border with four countries: Andorra, France, Morocco, and Portugal. Spanish, the most widely spoken language in Spain, is also spoken in Andorra, France, and Portugal.
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.