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The following is a list of countries and territories where English is an official language used in citizen interactions with government officials. As of 2024 [update] , there are 57 sovereign states and 28 non-sovereign entities where English is an official language. Many administrative divisions have declared English an official language at the local or regional level.
Most states where English is an official language are former territories of the British Empire. Exceptions include Rwanda and Burundi [also should be on map], which were formerly German and then Belgian colonies; Cameroon, where only part of the country was under the British mandate; and Liberia, the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, which were American territories. English is the sole official language of the Commonwealth of Nations and of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). English is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Caribbean Community, the Union of South American Nations, and many other international organisations. Although English is not de jure an official language at the national level in the United States, most states and territories within the United States have English as an official language, and only Puerto Rico uses a language other than English as a primary working language.
The United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, where the overwhelming majority of native English speakers reside, do not have English as an official language de jure , but English is considered their de facto official language because it dominates in these countries.[ citation needed ]
Country | code | Geographic region | Population [lower-alpha 1] | Primary language? |
---|---|---|---|---|
Antigua and Barbuda [ citation needed ] | ATG | Caribbean | 85,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
The Bahamas [1] | BHS | Caribbean | 331,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
Barbados [2] | BRB | Caribbean | 294,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
Belize [3] | BLZ | Central America | 288,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
Botswana [3] | BWA | Africa | 1,882,000 | Yes |
Burundi [4] | BDI | Africa | 10,114,505 | No |
Cameroon [1] | CMR | Africa | 22,534,532 | No (co-official with French, but only spoken primarily in the Northwest and Southwest of the country) |
Canada | CAN | North America | 38,048,738 | Yes (Co-official with French, and a predominant language nationwide except for Quebec (where French is the predominant language) and Nunavut (where Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun are the predominant languages)) |
Dominica [1] | DMA | Caribbean | 73,000 | Yes (French-based creole language) |
Eswatini [1] | SWZ | Africa | 1,141,000 | No |
Fiji [1] | FJI | Oceania | 828,000 | Yes (used as lingua franca, mostly and widely spoken, educational, commerce, and government) |
The Gambia [1] | GMB | Africa | 1,709,000 | Yes |
Ghana [1] | GHA | Africa | 27,000,000 | Yes (used as lingua franca) |
Grenada [1] | GRD | Caribbean | 111,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
Guyana [5] | GUY | South America | 738,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
India [3] [6] | IND | Asia | 1,428,627,663 | No (but official and educational) |
Ireland [7] [8] | IRL | Europe | 4,900,000 | Yes (Irish is co-official) |
Jamaica [9] | JAM | Caribbean | 2,714,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
Kenya [1] | KEN | Africa | 45,010,056 | Yes (used in business and education) |
Kiribati [1] | KIR | Oceania | 95,000 | No |
Lesotho [1] | LSO | Africa | 2,008,000 | No |
Liberia [1] | LBR | Africa | 3,750,000 | Yes |
Malawi [10] | MWI | Africa | 16,407,000 | Yes (used as lingua franca) |
Malta [1] | MLT | Europe | 537,000 | No (but official and in business and education) |
Marshall Islands [1] | MHL | Oceania | 59,000 | No |
Micronesia [1] | FSM | Oceania | 110,000 | Yes |
Namibia [1] | NAM | Africa | 2,074,000 | No (used as lingua franca) |
Nauru [11] | NRU | Oceania | 10,000 | No (but widely spoken) |
Nigeria [1] [12] | NGA | Africa | 182,202,000 | Yes (used as official language) |
Pakistan [1] | PAK | Asia | 212,742,631 | No (but official and educational) |
Palau [3] | PLW | Oceania | 20,000 | No |
Papua New Guinea [13] [14] | PNG | Oceania | 7,059,653 | Yes (official and educational) |
Philippines | PHL | Asia | 110,864,327 | No (but official, educational, used in government, and used as lingua franca) |
Rwanda [15] | RWA | Africa | 13,240,439 | No |
Saint Kitts and Nevis [16] | KNA | Caribbean | 50,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
Saint Lucia [1] | LCA | Caribbean | 165,000 | Yes (French-based creole language) |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines [17] | VCT | Caribbean | 120,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
Samoa [18] | WSM | Oceania | 188,000 | No |
Seychelles [1] | SYC | Africa / Indian Ocean | 87,000 | No |
Sierra Leone [1] | SLE | Africa | 6,190,280 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
Singapore | SGP | Asia | 5,469,700 | Yes (official language, lingua franca, mostly and widely spoken, and educational) |
Solomon Islands [1] | SLB | Oceania | 507,000 | Yes |
South Africa [19] | ZAF | Africa | 54,956,900 | Yes (official, educational and lingua franca in formal economy) |
South Sudan [20] | SSD | Africa | 12,340,000 | Yes |
Sudan [1] | SDN | Africa | 40,235,000 | No |
Tanzania [1] | TZA | Africa | 51,820,000 | Yes (used in business and education) |
Tonga [21] | TON | Oceania | 100,000 | No |
Trinidad and Tobago [1] | TTO | Caribbean | 1,333,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
Tuvalu [3] | TUV | Oceania | 11,000 | No |
Uganda [22] | UGA | Africa | 47,053,690 | Yes |
Vanuatu [23] | VUT | Oceania | 226,000 | No |
Zambia [1] | ZMB | Africa | 16,212,000 | Yes (used as lingua franca) |
Zimbabwe [1] | ZWE | Africa | 15,178,957 | Yes |
In these countries, English is conventionally spoken by both the government and main population, despite it having no de jure official status at national level.
ISO code | Country | Geographic region | Population | Primary language? |
---|---|---|---|---|
AUS | Australia | Oceania | 26,461,166 | Yes |
NZL | New Zealand [24] | Oceania | 5,109,702 | Yes |
GBR | United Kingdom | Europe | 68,138,484 | Yes |
USA | United States | North America | 339,665,118 | Yes |
In these countries, English is spoken in government or education, but it is not recognised as de jure official, nor a primary language spoken by the main population
Country | ISO code | Geographic region | Population [lower-alpha 1] |
---|---|---|---|
Bangladesh [25] | BAN | Asia | 172,954,319 |
Bhutan [26] | BTN | Asia | 727,145 |
Brunei [27] | BRN | Asia | 440,715 |
Israel [28] [29] [30] | ISR | Asia / Middle East | 8,051,200 |
Malaysia [31] | MYS | Asia | 32,730,000 |
Mauritius [32] | MUS | Africa / Indian Ocean | 1,262,000 |
Qatar [33] | QAT | Asia / Middle East | 2,675,522 |
Sri Lanka [34] [35] | LKA | Asia | 20,277,597 |
Timor-Leste [36] | TLS | Asia | 1,340,513 |
United Arab Emirates [37] | ARE | Asia / Middle East | 9,809,000 |
Entity | Sovereign state | Region | Population [lower-alpha 1] | Primary language? |
---|---|---|---|---|
Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus [ citation needed ] | United Kingdom | Europe | 15,700 | No |
American Samoa [lower-alpha 2] | United States | Oceania | 67,700 | No (official language) |
Anguilla [1] | United Kingdom | Caribbean | 18,090 | No (English-based creole language) |
Bermuda [lower-alpha 3] [1] | United Kingdom | North America | 65,000 | Yes |
British Virgin Islands [1] | United Kingdom | Caribbean | 23,000 | No (English-based creole language) |
Cayman Islands [3] | United Kingdom | Caribbean | 47,000 | Yes (English-based creole language) |
Cook Islands [1] [lower-alpha 4] | New Zealand | Oceania | 20,000 | No |
Curaçao [38] | Netherlands | Caribbean | 150,563 | No |
Falkland Islands and South Georgia [ citation needed ] | United Kingdom | South America | 3,000 | Yes |
Gibraltar [1] | United Kingdom | Europe | 33,000 | No (Both English and Llanito are spoken on a daily basis as the primary languages) |
Guam [lower-alpha 5] | United States | Oceania | 173,000 | Yes (co-official with Chamorro) |
Hong Kong [lower-alpha 6] [1] | China | Asia | 7,097,600 | No (but de jure and de facto co-official with Chinese [39] ) |
Isle of Man [lower-alpha 7] | United Kingdom | Europe | 80,058 | Yes |
Jersey [lower-alpha 8] [1] | United Kingdom | Europe | 89,300 | Yes |
Niue [1] [lower-alpha 4] | New Zealand | Oceania | 1,600 | No |
Norfolk Island [1] | Australia | Oceania | 1,828 | No (English-based creole language) |
Northern Mariana Islands [ citation needed ] [lower-alpha 9] | United States | Oceania | 53,883 | Yes (co-official with Chamorro) |
Pitcairn Islands [lower-alpha 10] [1] | United Kingdom | Oceania | 50 | Yes |
Puerto Rico [lower-alpha 11] | United States | Caribbean | 3,991,000 | No (co-official with Spanish as the primary language) |
Rotuma [ citation needed ] | Fiji | Oceania | 1,594 | No |
Sint Maarten [40] | Netherlands | Caribbean | 40,900 | No (English-based creole language) |
Turks and Caicos Islands [1] | United Kingdom | Caribbean | 26,000 | No (English-based creole language) |
U.S. Virgin Islands [lower-alpha 12] | United States | Caribbean | 111,000 | No (English-based creole language) |
Entity | Sovereign state | Region | Population [lower-alpha 1] |
---|---|---|---|
Barbuda [ citation needed ] | Antigua and Barbuda | Caribbean | 1,300 |
British Indian Ocean Territory [ citation needed ] | United Kingdom | Indian Ocean | 3,000 |
Guernsey [lower-alpha 13] | United Kingdom | Europe | 61,811 |
Montserrat [1] | United Kingdom | Caribbean | 5,900 |
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha [3] | United Kingdom | South Atlantic | 5,660 |
Entity | Sovereign state | Region | Population [lower-alpha 1] |
---|---|---|---|
Christmas Island [lower-alpha 14] [1] | Australia | Southeast Asia | 1,508 |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands [lower-alpha 15] [1] | Australia | Southeast Asia | 596 |
Tokelau [41] | New Zealand | Oceania | 1,400 |
In these country subdivisions, English has de jure official status, but English is not official in their respective countries at the national level.
Subdivision | Country | Region | Population |
---|---|---|---|
San Andrés y Providencia [42] | Colombia | South America | 75,167 |
Sarawak [43] [44] [45] | Malaysia | Asia | 2,471,140 |
Saba [46] | Netherlands | Caribbean | 1,991 |
Sint Eustatius [46] | 3,897 | ||
Scotland [47] | United Kingdom | Europe | 5,424,800 |
Wales [48] | 3,125,000 | ||
Alabama [49] | United States | North America | 4,833,722 |
Alaska [50] | 735,132 | ||
Arizona [51] | 6,626,624 | ||
Arkansas [49] | 2,959,373 | ||
California [49] | 38,332,521 | ||
Colorado [49] | 5,268,367 | ||
Florida [49] | 21,299,325 | ||
Georgia [49] | 10,519,475 | ||
Hawaii [49] | Oceania | 1,404,054 | |
Idaho [49] | North America | 1,612,136 | |
Illinois [49] | 12,882,135 | ||
Indiana [49] | 6,570,902 | ||
Iowa [49] | 3,090,416 | ||
Kansas [49] | 2,893,957 | ||
Kentucky [49] | 4,395,295 | ||
Louisiana [49] | 4,657,757 | ||
Massachusetts [52] | 6,794,422 | ||
Mississippi [49] | 2,991,207 | ||
Missouri [49] | 6,083,672 | ||
Montana [49] | 1,015,165 | ||
Nebraska [49] | 1,868,516 | ||
New Hampshire [49] | 1,323,459 | ||
North Carolina [49] | 9,848,060 | ||
North Dakota [49] | 723,393 | ||
Oklahoma [53] | 3,850,568 | ||
South Carolina [49] | 4,774,839 | ||
South Dakota [49] | 844,877 | ||
Tennessee [49] | 6,495,978 | ||
Utah [49] | 2,900,872 | ||
Virginia [49] | 8,260,405 | ||
West Virginia [54] | 1,844,128 | ||
Wyoming [49] | 582,658 |
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase, it comes from the old meaning of "wealth", which is "well-being", and is itself a loose translation of the Latin res publica. The term literally meant "common well-being". In the 17th century, the definition of "commonwealth" expanded from its original sense of "public welfare" or "commonweal" to mean "a state in which the supreme power is vested in the people; a republic or democratic state".
De facto describes practices that exist in reality, regardless of whether they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with de jure.
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A federation is an entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governing status of the component states, as well as the division of power between them and the central government, is constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a unilateral decision, neither by the component states nor the federal political body without constitutional amendment.
A capital city or just capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational division, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the government's offices and meeting places; the status as capital is often designated by its law or constitution. In some jurisdictions, including several countries, different branches of government are in different settlements, sometimes meaning multiple official capitals. In some cases, a distinction is made between the official (constitutional) capital and the seat of government, which is in another place.
An official language is a language having certain rights to be used in defined situations. These rights can be created in written form or by historic usage.
A dependent territory, dependent area, or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a sovereign state and remains politically outside the controlling state's integral area. As such, a dependent territory includes a range of non-integrated not fully to non-independent territory types, from associated states to non-self-governing territories.
The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the largest language by number of speakers, the third largest language by number of native speakers and the most widespread language geographically. The countries in which English is the native language of most people are sometimes termed the Anglosphere. Speakers of English are called Anglophones.
A national language is a language that has some connection—de facto or de jure—with a nation. The term is applied quite differently in various contexts. One or more languages spoken as first languages in the territory of a country may be referred to informally or designated in legislation as national languages of the country. National languages are mentioned in over 150 world constitutions.
A dominion was any of several largely self-governing countries of the British Empire, once known collectively as the British Commonwealth of Nations. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of colonial self-governance increased unevenly over the late 19th century through the 1930s. Vestiges of empire lasted in some dominions well into the late 20th century. With the evolution of the British Empire following the 1945 conclusion of the Second World War into the modern Commonwealth of Nations, finalised in 1949, the dominions became independent states, either as Commonwealth republics or Commonwealth realms.
The decolonisation of Oceania occurred after World War II when nations in Oceania achieved independence by transitioning from European colonial rule to full independence.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Article 8. National language and official languages The National language is Ikinyarwanda. The official languages are Ikinyarwanda, English and French
Article 6. Official Language (1) The official language of Uganda is English
In addition to the Māori language, New Zealand Sign Language is also an official language of New Zealand. The New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 permits the use of NZSL in legal proceedings, facilitates competency standards for its interpretation and guides government departments in its promotion and use. English, the medium for teaching and learning in most schools, is a de facto official language by virtue of its widespread use. For these reasons, these three languages have special mention in the New Zealand Curriculum.
In 1948, the newly independent state of Israel took over the old British regulations that had set English, Arabic, and Hebrew as official languages for Mandatory Palestine but, as mentioned, dropped English from the list. In spite of this, official language use has maintained a de facto role for English, after Hebrew but before Arabic.
English is not considered official but it plays a dominant role in the educational and public life of Israeli society. [...] It is the language most widely used in commerce, business, formal papers, academia, and public interactions, public signs, road directions, names of buildings, etc. English behaves 'as if' it were the second and official language in Israel.
In terms of English, there is no connection between the declared policies and statements and de facto practices. While English is not declared anywhere as an official language, the reality is that it has a very high and unique status in Israel. It is the main language of the academy, commerce, business, and the public space.