Languages spoken in Uganda
Africa · Capital: Kampala · Population 49.3 million
In Uganda, two languages have official status: Swahili and English. Swahili is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 75% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 37 million people. After Swahili, the most widely spoken are Ganda at 13% and Nyankole at 6.3%. Swahili belongs to the Niger-Congo language family. Swahili is also spoken in three of its five neighbours: Congo - Kinshasa, Kenya, and Tanzania. In total, 11 languages are recorded in Uganda, and their shares add up to 125.3% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.3 of them.
What languages are spoken in Uganda?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| SwahiliNiger-Congo | 75% | Official | 37 million |
| GandaNiger-Congo | 13% | Spoken | 6.4 million |
| Nyankole | 6.3% | Spoken | 3.1 million |
| Chiga | 5.4% | Spoken | 2.7 million |
| Soga | 5.3% | Spoken | 2.6 million |
| EnglishIndo-European | 3.9% | Official | 1.9 million |
| Teso | 3.9% | Spoken | 1.9 million |
| LangoNilo-Saharan | 3.8% | Spoken | 1.9 million |
| Acoli | 3.7% | Spoken | 1.8 million |
| MasaabaNiger-Congo | 2.9% | Spoken | 1.4 million |
| KinyarwandaNiger-Congo | 2.1% | 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 Uganda?
In Uganda, two languages have official status: Swahili and English. Swahili is spoken by an estimated 75% of the population, or roughly 37 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 Uganda?
An estimated 75% of Uganda's 49.3 million people speak Swahili, which works out at roughly 37 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 Uganda
- Capital
- Kampala
- Population
- 49.3 million
- Continent
- Africa
- Area
- 241,550 km²
- Currency
- UGX
- Languages recorded
- 11
- Land borders
- 5
- ISO codes
- UG / UGA / 800
Which countries border Uganda?
Uganda shares a land border with five countries: Congo - Kinshasa, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Tanzania. Swahili, the most widely spoken language in Uganda, is also spoken in Congo - Kinshasa, Kenya, and Tanzania.
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.