Home › All Countries › Countries With the Most Official Languages Countries With the Most Official Languages Linguistic diversity varies enormously across countries. Papua New Guinea holds the world record with over 800 living languages — more than any other nation. Indonesia follows with over 700 languages, while Nigeria has over 500. This remarkable diversity often reflects complex histories of migration, isolation, and cultural development. Countries with the most languages tend to be those with diverse ethnic groups, rugged geography that isolates communities, or long histories of human habitation.
Complete ranking # Country Capital Population Area Region 1 Zimbabwe Harare 17.07M 390,757 km² Africa 2 South Africa Pretoria 63.10M 1,221,037 km² Africa 3 Namibia Windhoek 3.02M 825,615 km² Africa 4 DR Congo Kinshasa 112.83M 2,344,858 km² Africa 5 Switzerland Bern 9.08M 41,284 km² Europe 6 Bolivia Sucre 11.37M 1,098,581 km² Americas 7 Spain Madrid 49.32M 505,992 km² Europe 8 Singapore Singapore 6.11M 710 km² Asia 9 Equatorial Guinea Ciudad de la Paz 1.67M 28,051 km² Africa 10 Mauritius Port Louis 1.24M 2,040 km² Africa 11 Guernsey St. Peter Port 64.8K 78 km² Europe 12 Curaçao Willemstad 156.1K 444 km² Americas 13 Belize Belmopan 417.6K 22,966 km² Americas 14 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo 3.42M 51,209 km² Europe 15 Peru Lima 34.35M 1,285,216 km² Americas 16 Rwanda Kigali 14.10M 26,338 km² Africa 17 Tokelau Fakaofo 2.6K 12 km² Oceania 18 Comoros Moroni 919.9K 1,862 km² Africa 19 Belgium Brussels 11.83M 30,528 km² Europe 20 Caribbean Netherlands Kralendijk 32.0K 328 km² Americas 21 Sint Maarten Philipsburg 41.3K 34 km² Americas 22 Luxembourg Luxembourg 682.0K 2,586 km² Europe 23 Papua New Guinea Port Moresby 11.78M 462,840 km² Oceania 24 Jersey Saint Helier 103.3K 116 km² Europe 25 Eritrea Asmara 3.61M 117,600 km² Africa 26 Norway Oslo 5.61M 386,224 km² Europe 27 Republic of the Congo Brazzaville 6.14M 342,000 km² Africa 28 Western Sahara El Aaiún 600.9K 266,000 km² Africa 29 New Zealand Wellington 5.32M 268,838 km² Oceania 30 Fiji Suva 900.9K 18,272 km² Oceania 31 Seychelles Victoria 122.7K 452 km² Africa 32 Guam Hagåtña 153.8K 549 km² Oceania 33 Vanuatu Port Vila 321.4K 12,189 km² Oceania 34 Afghanistan Kabul 43.84M 652,230 km² Asia 35 Iraq Baghdad 46.12M 438,317 km² Asia 36 Northern Mariana Islands Saipan 47.3K 464 km² Oceania 37 India New Delhi 1.42B 3,287,263 km² Asia 38 Sri Lanka Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte 21.76M 65,610 km² Asia 39 Cyprus Nicosia 1.44M 9,251 km² Europe 40 Nauru Yaren 11.7K 21 km² Oceania 41 Haiti Port-au-Prince 11.87M 27,750 km² Americas 42 Norfolk Island Kingston 2.2K 36 km² Oceania 43 Lesotho Maseru 2.12M 30,355 km² Africa 44 Sudan Khartoum 51.66M 1,886,068 km² Africa 45 Italy Rome 58.93M 301,336 km² Europe 46 Botswana Gaborone 2.36M 582,000 km² Africa 47 Philippines Manila 114.12M 342,353 km² Asia 48 Paraguay Asunción 6.11M 406,752 km² Americas 49 Argentina Buenos Aires 46.74M 2,780,400 km² Americas 50 Guinea-Bissau Bissau 1.78M 36,125 km² Africa 51 Chad N'Djamena 19.34M 1,284,000 km² Africa 52 Canada Ottawa 41.65M 9,984,670 km² Americas 53 Isle of Man Douglas 84.5K 572 km² Europe 54 Kiribati South Tarawa 120.7K 811 km² Oceania 55 Tajikistan Dushanbe 10.50M 143,100 km² Asia 56 Samoa Apia 205.6K 2,842 km² Oceania 57 Aruba Oranjestad 107.6K 180 km² Americas 58 Lebanon Beirut 5.49M 10,452 km² Asia 59 Puerto Rico San Juan 3.20M 8,870 km² Americas 60 Central African Republic Bangui 6.47M 622,984 km² Africa 61 Djibouti Djibouti 1.07M 23,200 km² Africa 62 Cook Islands Avarua 15.0K 236 km² Oceania 63 Uzbekistan Tashkent 37.86M 447,400 km² Asia 64 Tonga Nuku'alofa 100.2K 747 km² Oceania 65 Timor-Leste Dili 1.39M 14,874 km² Asia 66 Czechia Prague 10.88M 78,865 km² Europe 67 Pakistan Islamabad 241.50M 796,095 km² Asia 68 Malta Valletta 574.3K 316 km² Europe 69 Ireland Dublin 5.46M 70,273 km² Europe 70 Tanzania Dodoma 68.15M 947,303 km² Africa 71 Morocco Rabat 36.83M 446,550 km² Africa 72 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur 34.23M 330,803 km² Asia 73 Finland Helsinki 5.65M 338,455 km² Europe 74 Israel Jerusalem 10.13M 21,937 km² Asia 75 Malawi Lilongwe 20.73M 118,484 km² Africa 76 Kosovo Pristina 1.59M 10,908 km² Europe 77 Turkmenistan Ashgabat 7.06M 488,100 km² Asia 78 Kyrgyzstan Bishkek 7.28M 199,951 km² Asia 79 Kazakhstan Astana 20.43M 2,724,900 km² Asia 80 Somalia Mogadishu 19.66M 637,657 km² Africa 81 Burundi Gitega 12.33M 27,834 km² Africa 82 Palau Ngerulmud 16.7K 459 km² Oceania 83 Eswatini Mbabane 1.24M 17,364 km² Africa 84 Marshall Islands Majuro 42.4K 181 km² Oceania 85 Faroe Islands Tórshavn 54.9K 1,393 km² Europe 86 Macau — 685.9K 30 km² Asia 87 Kenya Nairobi 53.33M 580,367 km² Africa 88 American Samoa Pago Pago 49.7K 199 km² Oceania 89 Vatican City Vatican City 882 0.49 km² Europe 90 Hong Kong City of Victoria 7.53M 1,104 km² Asia 91 Jamaica Kingston 2.83M 10,991 km² Americas 92 Madagascar Antananarivo 31.73M 587,041 km² Africa 93 Belarus Minsk 9.11M 207,600 km² Europe 94 Uganda Kampala 45.91M 241,550 km² Africa 95 Cameroon Yaoundé 29.44M 475,442 km² Africa 96 Niue Alofi 1.7K 260 km² Oceania 97 Tuvalu Funafuti 10.6K 26 km² Oceania 98 Denmark Copenhagen 6.01M 43,094 km² Europe 99 Montserrat Plymouth 4.4K 102 km² Americas 100 Bahrain Manama 1.59M 765 km² Asia 101 North Macedonia Skopje 1.82M 25,713 km² Europe 102 Austria Vienna 9.20M 83,871 km² Europe 103 San Marino City of San Marino 34.1K 61 km² Europe 104 Montenegro Podgorica 623.3K 13,812 km² Europe 105 Sweden Stockholm 10.61M 450,295 km² Europe 106 North Korea Pyongyang 25.95M 120,538 km² Asia 107 Cocos (Keeling) Islands West Island 593 14 km² Oceania 108 Ivory Coast Yamoussoukro 31.72M 322,463 km² Africa 109 Guinea Conakry 14.36M 245,857 km² Africa 110 Saint Lucia Castries 184.1K 616 km² Americas 111 Indonesia Jakarta 284.44M 1,904,569 km² Asia 112 United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi 11.29M 83,600 km² Asia 113 Mauritania Nouakchott 4.93M 1,030,700 km² Africa 114 Niger Niamey 26.31M 1,267,000 km² Africa 115 Nepal Kathmandu 29.91M 147,181 km² Asia 116 Anguilla The Valley 16.0K 91 km² Americas 117 Barbados Bridgetown 267.8K 430 km² Americas 118 British Virgin Islands Road Town 39.5K 151 km² Americas 119 Costa Rica San José 5.31M 51,100 km² Americas 120 Cuba Havana 9.75M 109,884 km² Americas 121 Nigeria Abuja 223.80M 923,768 km² Africa 122 Oman Muscat 5.34M 309,500 km² Asia 123 Brazil Brasília 213.42M 8,515,767 km² Americas 124 El Salvador San Salvador 6.03M 21,041 km² Americas 125 Suriname Paramaribo 616.5K 163,820 km² Americas 126 Slovenia Ljubljana 2.13M 20,273 km² Europe 127 United States Washington, D.C. 340.11M 9,525,067 km² Americas 128 Jordan Amman 11.73M 89,342 km² Asia 129 Mayotte Mamoudzou 320.9K 374 km² Africa 130 United States Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie 87.1K 347 km² Americas 131 Latvia Riga 1.83M 64,559 km² Europe 132 Ghana Accra 33.74M 238,533 km² Africa 133 São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé 209.6K 964 km² Africa 134 Turks and Caicos Islands Cockburn Town 50.8K 948 km² Americas 135 Moldova Chișinău 2.75M 33,847 km² Europe 136 Bulgaria Sofia 6.44M 110,879 km² Europe 137 Palestine Ramallah 5.48M 6,220 km² Asia 138 United States Minor Outlying Islands Washington DC 0 34.2 km² Americas 139 Sierra Leone Freetown 9.08M 71,740 km² Africa 140 Wallis and Futuna Mata-Utu 11.6K 142 km² Oceania 141 Iceland Reykjavik 391.8K 103,000 km² Europe 142 Taiwan Taipei 23.32M 36,197 km² Asia 143 Vietnam Hanoi 101.34M 331,212 km² Asia 144 British Indian Ocean Territory Diego Garcia 0 60 km² Africa 145 Ethiopia Addis Ababa 111.65M 1,104,300 km² Africa 146 Yemen Sana'a 32.68M 527,968 km² Asia 147 Martinique Fort-de-France 349.9K 1,128 km² Americas 148 Russia Moscow 146.03M 17,098,246 km² Europe 149 Bermuda Hamilton 64.1K 54 km² Americas 150 Pitcairn Islands Adamstown 35 47 km² Oceania 151 South Sudan Juba 15.79M 619,745 km² Africa 152 Ukraine Kyiv 32.86M 603,550 km² Europe 153 Bangladesh Dhaka 169.83M 147,570 km² Asia 154 Estonia Tallinn 1.37M 45,227 km² Europe 155 Algeria Algiers 47.40M 2,381,741 km² Africa 156 Japan Tokyo 123.21M 377,930 km² Asia 157 Dominican Republic Santo Domingo 10.77M 48,671 km² Americas 158 Mongolia Ulan Bator 3.54M 1,564,110 km² Asia 159 Maldives Malé 515.1K 300 km² Asia 160 Åland Islands Mariehamn 30.7K 1,580 km² Europe 161 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Kingstown 110.9K 389 km² Americas 162 Uruguay Montevideo 3.50M 181,034 km² Americas 163 Falkland Islands Stanley 3.7K 12,173 km² Americas 164 Réunion Saint-Denis 896.2K 2,511 km² Africa 165 Chile Santiago 20.21M 756,102 km² Americas 166 Togo Lomé 8.10M 56,785 km² Africa 167 Hungary Budapest 9.54M 93,028 km² Europe 168 Burkina Faso Ouagadougou 24.07M 272,967 km² Africa 169 Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain 1.37M 5,130 km² Americas 170 Saint Martin Marigot 31.5K 53 km² Americas 171 Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Jamestown 5.7K 394 km² Africa 172 Cayman Islands George Town 84.7K 264 km² Americas 173 Bouvet Island — 0 49 km² Antarctic 174 Nicaragua Managua 6.80M 130,373 km² Americas 175 Bahamas Nassau 398.2K 13,943 km² Americas 176 Guadeloupe Basse-Terre 378.6K 1,628 km² Americas 177 New Caledonia Nouméa 264.6K 18,575 km² Oceania 178 Germany Berlin 83.49M 357,114 km² Europe 179 Solomon Islands Honiara 750.3K 28,896 km² Oceania 180 Benin Porto-Novo 13.22M 112,622 km² Africa 181 Guyana Georgetown 773.0K 214,969 km² Americas 182 Slovakia Bratislava 5.41M 49,037 km² Europe 183 Micronesia Palikir 105.6K 702 km² Oceania 184 Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint-Pierre 5.8K 242 km² Americas 185 Guatemala Guatemala City 18.08M 108,889 km² Americas 186 Zambia Lusaka 19.69M 752,612 km² Africa 187 Croatia Zagreb 3.87M 56,594 km² Europe 188 Colombia Bogotá 53.06M 1,141,748 km² Americas 189 French Polynesia Papeetē 279.5K 4,167 km² Oceania 190 Syria Damascus 25.62M 185,180 km² Asia 191 Greece Athens 10.40M 131,990 km² Europe 192 Dominica Roseau 67.4K 751 km² Americas 193 Georgia Tbilisi 4.00M 69,700 km² Asia 194 Saint Kitts and Nevis Basseterre 51.3K 261 km² Americas 195 Romania Bucharest 19.04M 238,391 km² Europe 196 Poland Warsaw 37.39M 312,679 km² Europe 197 Liberia Monrovia 5.25M 111,369 km² Africa 198 Gambia Banjul 2.42M 10,689 km² Africa 199 Greenland Nuuk 56.5K 2,166,086 km² Americas 200 Svalbard and Jan Mayen Longyearbyen 2.5K 61,399 km² Europe 201 Iran Tehran 85.96M 1,648,195 km² Asia 202 Venezuela Caracas 28.52M 916,445 km² Americas 203 Lithuania Vilnius 2.89M 65,300 km² Europe 204 Mali Bamako 22.40M 1,240,192 km² Africa 205 Liechtenstein Vaduz 40.9K 160 km² Europe 206 Australia Canberra 27.54M 7,692,024 km² Oceania 207 Azerbaijan Baku 10.24M 86,600 km² Asia 208 Senegal Dakar 18.59M 196,722 km² Africa 209 Panama Panama City 4.06M 75,417 km² Americas 210 Kuwait Kuwait City 4.88M 17,818 km² Asia 211 Mozambique Maputo 34.09M 801,590 km² Africa 212 Tunisia Tunis 11.97M 163,610 km² Africa 213 French Southern and Antarctic Lands Port-aux-Français 400 7,747 km² Antarctic 214 Angola Luanda 36.17M 1,246,700 km² Africa 215 Libya Tripoli 7.46M 1,759,540 km² Africa 216 Netherlands Amsterdam 18.10M 41,865 km² Europe 217 Grenada St. George's 109.0K 344 km² Americas 218 Egypt Cairo 107.27M 1,002,450 km² Africa 219 United Kingdom London 69.28M 244,376 km² Europe 220 Andorra Andorra la Vella 88.4K 468 km² Europe 221 Christmas Island Flying Fish Cove 1.7K 135 km² Oceania 222 Ecuador Quito 18.10M 276,841 km² Americas 223 Myanmar Naypyidaw 51.32M 676,578 km² Asia 224 Gibraltar Gibraltar 38.0K 6 km² Europe 225 Qatar Doha 3.17M 11,586 km² Asia 226 Saudi Arabia Riyadh 35.30M 2,149,690 km² Asia 227 Mexico Mexico City 130.58M 1,964,375 km² Americas 228 Serbia Belgrade 6.57M 77,589 km² Europe 229 Albania Tirana 2.36M 28,748 km² Europe 230 South Georgia King Edward Point 0 3,903 km² Antarctic 231 Heard Island and McDonald Islands — 0 412 km² Antarctic 232 Honduras Tegucigalpa 9.89M 112,492 km² Americas 233 Portugal Lisbon 10.75M 92,090 km² Europe 234 Bhutan Thimphu 784.0K 38,394 km² Asia 235 Antigua and Barbuda Saint John's 103.6K 442 km² Americas 236 Cambodia Phnom Penh 17.58M 181,035 km² Asia 237 Armenia Yerevan 3.08M 29,743 km² Asia 238 France Paris 66.35M 543,908 km² Europe 239 Cape Verde Praia 491.2K 4,033 km² Africa 240 Saint Barthélemy Gustavia 10.6K 21 km² Americas 241 Gabon Libreville 2.47M 267,668 km² Africa 242 Laos Vientiane 7.65M 236,800 km² Asia 243 Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan 455.5K 5,765 km² Asia 244 French Guiana Cayenne 292.4K 83,534 km² Americas 245 Turkey Ankara 85.66M 783,562 km² Asia 246 China Beijing 1.41B 9,706,961 km² Asia 247 Monaco Monaco 38.4K 2.02 km² Europe 248 Thailand Bangkok 65.86M 513,120 km² Asia 249 South Korea Seoul 51.16M 100,210 km² Asia 250 Antarctica — 1.3K 14,000,000 km² Antarctic
Frequently Asked Questions Which country has the most languages? Papua New Guinea has the most languages in the world with over 800 living languages spoken by a population of about 9 million people. Many of these languages have very few speakers.
Why do some countries have so many languages? Geographic isolation (mountains, islands, dense forests), long periods of human habitation, diverse ethnic groups, and historical patterns of migration all contribute to linguistic diversity.
