Languages spoken in Vanuatu
Oceania · Capital: Port Vila · Population 318,007
In Vanuatu, three languages have official status: Bislama, English, and French. Bislama is the most widely spoken language, with an estimated 90% of the population speaking it as a first or additional language, or roughly 286,206 people. After Bislama, the most widely spoken are English at 83% and French at 31%. In total, three languages are recorded in Vanuatu, and their shares add up to 204% of the population, which implies the average resident speaks about 2.0 of them.
What languages are spoken in Vanuatu?
| Language | Share of population | Status | Estimated speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bislama | 90% | Official | 286,206 |
| EnglishIndo-European | 83% | Official | 263,946 |
| FrenchIndo-European | 31% | Official | 98,582 |
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 Vanuatu?
In Vanuatu, three languages have official status: Bislama, English, and French. Bislama is spoken by an estimated 90% of the population, or roughly 286,206 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 Bislama in Vanuatu?
An estimated 90% of Vanuatu's 318,007 people speak Bislama, which works out at roughly 286,206 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 Vanuatu
- Capital
- Port Vila
- Population
- 318,007
- Continent
- Oceania
- Area
- 12,189 km²
- Currency
- VUV
- Languages recorded
- 3
- Land borders
- None
- ISO codes
- VU / VUT / 548
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.