Languages spoken in Timor-Leste
Asia · Capital: Dili · Population 1.5 million
In Timor-Leste, two languages have official status: Portuguese and Tetum. Portuguese is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 59% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 889,077 people. The only other recorded language is Tetum, at 59% of the population. Portuguese belongs to the Indo-European language family. Portuguese is not recorded in any of Timor-Leste's one neighbour. In total, two languages are recorded in Timor-Leste, and their shares add up to 118% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.2 of them.
What languages are spoken in Timor-Leste?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| PortugueseIndo-European | 59% | Official | 889,077 |
| Tetum | 59% | Official | 889,077 |
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 Timor-Leste?
In Timor-Leste, two languages have official status: Portuguese and Tetum. Portuguese is spoken by an estimated 59% of the population, or roughly 889,077 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 Portuguese in Timor-Leste?
An estimated 59% of Timor-Leste's 1.5 million people speak Portuguese, which works out at roughly 889,077 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 Timor-Leste
- Capital
- Dili
- Population
- 1.5 million
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 14,874 km²
- Currency
- USD
- Languages recorded
- 2
- Land borders
- 1
- ISO codes
- TL / TLS / 626
Which countries border Timor-Leste?
Timor-Leste shares a land border with one country: Indonesia. None of them records Portuguese, the most widely spoken language in Timor-Leste, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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.