Top 10 most spoken languages in africa 2022
According to Ethnologue, a reliable source for language statistics, here are the top 10 most spoken languages in Africa as of 2022:
- Arabic: Spoken by approximately 150 million people, Arabic is the most widely spoken language in Africa. It is the official language of several countries, including Egypt, Sudan, and Morocco.
- Hausa: With around 50 million speakers, Hausa is the second most spoken language in Africa. It is widely spoken in Nigeria, Niger, and other West African countries.
- Yoruba: Spoken by around 30 million people, Yoruba is a major language in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Benin.
- Shona: With approximately 20 million speakers, Shona is a widely spoken language in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
- Swahili: Spoken by around 15 million people, Swahili is an official language in several East African countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.
- Zulu: With around 12 million speakers, Zulu is a major language in South Africa, particularly in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
- Amharic: Spoken by around 10 million people, Amharic is the official language of Ethiopia and is widely spoken in the country.
- Igbo: With approximately 9 million speakers, Igbo is a major language in Nigeria, particularly in the southeastern states.
- Oromo: Spoken by around 8 million people, Oromo is a widely spoken language in Ethiopia, particularly in the Oromia Region.
- Somali: With around 7 million speakers, Somali is an official language in Somalia and is widely spoken in the Horn of Africa.
Please note that these numbers are estimates and may vary depending on the source and criteria used to define a "speaker" of a language. Additionally, language use and proficiency can vary widely within each country and region.