Languages spoken in Ukraine
Europe · Capital: Kyiv · Population 35.7 million
The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. Russian is used as a de facto official language. Ukrainian is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 65% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 23.2 million people. After Ukrainian, the most widely spoken are Russian at 46% and Polish at 2.4%. Ukrainian belongs to the Indo-European language family. Ukrainian is also spoken in two of its seven neighbours: Moldova and Slovakia. In total, five languages are recorded in Ukraine, and their shares add up to 114.8% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.1 of them.
What languages are spoken in Ukraine?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| UkrainianIndo-European | 65% | Official | 23.2 million |
| RussianIndo-European | 46% | De facto official | 16.4 million |
| PolishIndo-European | 2.4% | Spoken | 855,883 |
| BelarusianIndo-European | 0.8% | Spoken | 295,993 |
| RomanianIndo-European | 0.5% | Spoken | 185,441 |
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 Ukraine?
The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. Russian is also used as a de facto official language. Ukrainian is spoken by an estimated 65% of the population, or roughly 23.2 million people, counting both first-language and additional speakers. A de facto official language is one used throughout government and public life without being named as official in law.
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 Ukrainian in Ukraine?
An estimated 65% of Ukraine's 35.7 million people speak Ukrainian, which works out at roughly 23.2 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 Ukraine
- Capital
- Kyiv
- Population
- 35.7 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 603,500 km²
- Currency
- UAH
- Languages recorded
- 5
- Land borders
- 7
- ISO codes
- UA / UKR / 804
Which countries border Ukraine?
Ukraine shares a land border with seven countries: Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Slovakia. Ukrainian, the most widely spoken language in Ukraine, is also spoken in Moldova and Slovakia.
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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.