Languages spoken in Tunisia
Africa · Capital: Tunis · Population 12 million
In Tunisia, two languages have official status: Arabic and French. Tunisian Arabic is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 90% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 10.8 million people. Tunisian Arabic itself holds no official status in Tunisia, despite being the most widely spoken. After Tunisian Arabic, the most widely spoken are Arabic at 90% and French at 53%. Tunisian Arabic is not recorded in any of Tunisia's two neighbours. In total, three languages are recorded in Tunisia, and their shares add up to 233% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 2.3 of them.
What languages are spoken in Tunisia?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tunisian Arabic | 90% | Spoken | 10.8 million |
| ArabicAfro-Asiatic | 90% | Official | 10.8 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 53% | Official | 6.4 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 Tunisia?
In Tunisia, two languages have official status: Arabic and French. Arabic is spoken by an estimated 90% of the population, or roughly 10.8 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers. That is not the most widely spoken language in the country: Tunisian Arabic is, at 90%.
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 Tunisian Arabic in Tunisia?
An estimated 90% of Tunisia's 12 million people speak Tunisian Arabic, which works out at roughly 10.8 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 Tunisia
- Capital
- Tunis
- Population
- 12 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 163,610 km²
- Currency
- TND
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- 2
- ISO codes
- TN / TUN / 788
Which countries border Tunisia?
Tunisia shares a land border with two countries: Algeria and Libya. None of them records Tunisian Arabic, the most widely spoken language in Tunisia, so the land borders here are also language borders.
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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.