Languages spoken in Tanzania
Africa · Capital: Dodoma · Population 67.5 million
In Tanzania, two languages have official status: Swahili and English. Swahili is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 90% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 60.7 million people. After Swahili, the most widely spoken are English at 69% and Sukuma at 8.7%. Swahili belongs to the Niger-Congo language family. Swahili is also spoken in three of its eight neighbours: Congo - Kinshasa, Kenya, and Uganda. In total, eight languages are recorded in Tanzania, and their shares add up to 178.4% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.8 of them.
What languages are spoken in Tanzania?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SwahiliNiger-Congo | 90% | Official | 60.7 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 69% | Official | 46.5 million |
| Sukuma | 8.7% | Spoken | 5.9 million |
| Nyamwezi | 3.3% | Spoken | 2.2 million |
| Makonde | 2.5% | Spoken | 1.7 million |
| Bena | 1.7% | Spoken | 1.1 million |
| Shambala | 1.7% | Spoken | 1.1 million |
| Masai | 1.5% | Spoken | 1 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 Tanzania?
In Tanzania, two languages have official status: Swahili and English. Swahili is spoken by an estimated 90% of the population, or roughly 60.7 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 Swahili in Tanzania?
An estimated 90% of Tanzania's 67.5 million people speak Swahili, which works out at roughly 60.7 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 Tanzania
- Capital
- Dodoma
- Population
- 67.5 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 945,087 km²
- Currency
- TZS
- Languages recorded
- 8
- Land borders
- 8
- ISO codes
- TZ / TZA / 834
Which countries border Tanzania?
Tanzania shares a land border with eight countries: Burundi, Congo - Kinshasa, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. Swahili, the most widely spoken language in Tanzania, is also spoken in Congo - Kinshasa, Kenya, and Uganda.
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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.