Languages spoken in the United Kingdom
Europe · Capital: London · Population 68.5 million
The official language of the United Kingdom is English. A further two languages hold official status at regional level: Welsh and Irish. An estimated 98.4% of the population speaks it as a first or additional language, or roughly 67.4 million people. After English, the most widely spoken are Spanish at 8% and French at 8%. English belongs to the Indo-European language family. English is also spoken in one of its one neighbour: Ireland. In total, 13 languages are recorded in the United Kingdom, and their shares add up to 140.4% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 1.4 of them.
What languages are spoken in the United Kingdom?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| EnglishIndo-European | 98.4% | Official | 67.4 million |
| SpanishIndo-European | 8% | Spoken | 5.5 million |
| FrenchIndo-European | 8% | Spoken | 5.5 million |
| GermanIndo-European | 4% | Spoken | 2.7 million |
| PolishIndo-European | 4% | Spoken | 2.7 million |
| PunjabiIndo-European | 3.6% | Spoken | 2.5 million |
| UrduIndo-European | 3.5% | Spoken | 2.4 million |
| TamilDravidian | 3.2% | Spoken | 2.2 million |
| GujaratiIndo-European | 2.9% | Spoken | 2 million |
| Scots | 2.5% | Spoken | 1.7 million |
| WelshIndo-European | 1.3% | Official (regional) | 889,968 |
| RomanianIndo-European | 0.8% | Spoken | 547,673 |
| IrishIndo-European | 0.1% | Official (regional) | 102,689 |
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 the United Kingdom?
The official language of the United Kingdom is English. A further two languages are official at regional or state level: Welsh and Irish. English is spoken by an estimated 98.4% of the population, or roughly 67.4 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 English in the United Kingdom?
An estimated 98.4% of the United Kingdom's 68.5 million people speak English, which works out at roughly 67.4 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 the United Kingdom
- Capital
- London
- Population
- 68.5 million
- Continent
- Europe
- Area
- 242,900 km²
- Currency
- GBP
- Languages recorded
- 13
- Land borders
- 1
- ISO codes
- GB / GBR / 826
Which countries border the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom shares a land border with one country: Ireland. English, the most widely spoken language in the United Kingdom, is also spoken in Ireland.
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.