Languages spoken in Taiwan
Asia · Capital: Taipei · Population 23.6 million
In Taiwan, three languages have official status: Chinese, Min Nan Chinese, and Hakka Chinese. Chinese is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 95% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 22.4 million people. After Chinese, the most widely spoken are Min Nan Chinese at 57% and Hakka Chinese at 11%. Chinese belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family. In total, three languages are recorded in Taiwan, and their shares add up to 163% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.6 of them.
What languages are spoken in Taiwan?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChineseSino-Tibetan | 95% | Official | 22.4 million |
| Min Nan ChineseSino-Tibetan | 57% | Official | 13.4 million |
| Hakka ChineseSino-Tibetan | 11% | Official | 2.6 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 Taiwan?
In Taiwan, three languages have official status: Chinese, Min Nan Chinese, and Hakka Chinese. Chinese is spoken by an estimated 95% of the population, or roughly 22.4 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 Chinese in Taiwan?
An estimated 95% of Taiwan's 23.6 million people speak Chinese, which works out at roughly 22.4 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 Taiwan
- Capital
- Taipei
- Population
- 23.6 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 36,193 km²
- Currency
- TWD
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- TW / TWN / 158
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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.