List of endangered languages in Africa

Language Endangerment Status
by UNESCO *Atlas of the World's*
*Languages in Danger* category
Language Endangerment Status by UNESCO Atlas of the World's; Languages in Danger category
Extinct (EX)
Extinct (EX) ;	(lists);
Endangered
Critically Endangered (CR) ; Severely Endangered (SE) ; Definitely Endangered (DE) ; Vulnerable (VU) ;	(list); (list); (list); (list);
Safe
Safe (NE) ;	no list;
	Other categories
Revived (RE) ; Constructed (CL) ;	(list); (list);
	Related topics Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger ; Endangered Languages Project ; Ethnologue ; Unclassified language ; List of languages by total number of speakers ;
	; UNESCO Atlas of the World's; Languages in Danger categories
	v ; t ; e ;

Last updated September 05, 2025

An endangered language is a language that it is at risk of falling out of use, generally because it has few surviving speakers. If it loses all of its native people, it becomes an extinct language. UNESCO defines four levels of language endangerment between "safe" (not endangered) and "extinct":^[1]

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent. At about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area.^[2] With about 922 million people (as of 2005)^[3] in 61 territories, it accounts for about 16.1% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. There are 64 countries, including Madagascar and all the island groups.

Algeria

**Algeria**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Judezmo language	Severely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Morocco, Romania, Turkey, Serbia	lad
Korandje language	Severely endangered^[1]		kcy
Shenwa language	Vulnerable^[1]		cnu
Tagargrent language	Severely endangered^[1]		oua
Tamahaq language	Vulnerable^[1]		thv
Tamazight language	Critically endangered^[1]	(Arzew)	rif
Tamzabit language	Vulnerable^[1]	Ghardaïa	mzb
Tasnusit language	Severely endangered^[1]	Amazigh of Aït Snouss, in Tlemcen
Tayurayt language	Vulnerable^[1]
Taznatit language	Severely endangered^[1]		grr
Tidikelt language	Critically endangered^[1]		tia
Tugurt language	Severely endangered^[1]		tjo
Zenatiya language	Critically endangered^[1]

Angola

**Angola**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Bolo language	Definitely endangered^[1]		blv

Benin

**Benin**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Tchumbuli language	Critically endangered^[1]		bga

Botswana

**Botswana**
Language	Status	ISO 639-3
Danisi language	Critically endangered^[1]	shg
Kua language	Definitely endangered^[1]	tyu
Taa language	Definitely endangered^[1]	nmn
Ts'èxa language	Definitely endangered^[1]
Yeyi language	Definitely endangered^[1]	yey
Gui language	Vulnerable^[1]	gwj
Xaise language	Critically endangered^[1]	shg
ǁAni language	Definitely endangered^[1]	hnh
ǁGana language	Vulnerable^[1]	gnk
ǂHoa language	Critically endangered^[1]	huc

Burkina Faso

**Burkina Faso**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Pana language	Definitely endangered^[1]		png

Cameroon

**Cameroon**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Akum language	Critically endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Nigeria	aku
Bakole language	Critically endangered^[1]		kme
Baldemu language	Critically endangered^[1]		bdn
Bati language	Severely endangered^[1]		btc
Beezen language	Severely endangered^[1]		bnz
Bubia language	Severely endangered^[1]		bbx
Bung language	Critically endangered^[1]		bqd
Busuu language	Critically endangered^[1]		bju
Cambap language	Critically endangered^[1]		twn
Dimbong language	Critically endangered^[1]		dii
Eman language	Severely endangered^[1]		emn
Gyele language	Definitely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Equatorial Guinea	gyi
Hijuk language	Critically endangered^[1]		hij
Hya language	Severely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Nigeria	hya
Isu language Language	Severely endangered^[1]		szv
Iyive language	Severely endangered^[1]		uiv
Kendem language	Severely endangered^[1]		kvm
Kuk language	Definitely endangered^[1]		kfm
Kung language	Severely endangered^[1]		kfl
Majera language	Critically endangered^[1]		xmj
Maslam language	Severely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Chad	msv
Mono language (Cameroon)	Critically endangered^[1]		mnr
Ndai language	Critically endangered^[1]		gke
Njerep language	Critically endangered^[1]
Nubaca language	Severely endangered^[1]		baf
Somyev language	Critically endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Nigeria	kgt
Tuotomb language	Severely endangered^[1]		ttf
Yasa language	Definitely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Equatorial Guinea	yko
Zina (Jina) Language	Severely endangered^{[ citation needed ]}		ISO 639-3 Jia

Central African Republic

**Central African Republic**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Birri language	Critically endangered^[1]		bvq
Geme language	Critically endangered^[1]		geq
Ngombe language	Definitely endangered^[1]		nmj
Ukhwejo language	Severely endangered^[1]		ukh
Yulu language	Vulnerable^[1]	Also spoken in: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan	yul

Chad

**Chad**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Besme language	Severely endangered^[1]		bes
Boor language	Critically endangered^[1]		bvf
Fania language	Severely endangered^[1]		fni
Fongoro language	Severely endangered^[1]		fgr
Gadang language	Definitely endangered^[1]		gdk
Goundo language	Critically endangered^[1]		goy
Jaya language	Severely endangered^[1]		jyy
Jonkor Bourmataguil language	Severely endangered^[1]		jeu
Karang language	Vulnerable^[1]		kth
Kendeje language	Definitely endangered^[1]		klf
Koke language	Severely endangered^[1]		kou
Kujarge language	Definitely endangered^[1]		vkj
Kulfa language	Definitely endangered^[1]		kxj
Laal language	Critically endangered^[1]		gdm
Mabiri language	Critically endangered^[1]		muj
Mambai language	Severely endangered^[1]		mcs
Maslam language	Severely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Cameroon	msv
Massalat language	Critically endangered^[1]		mdg
Mbara language	Severely endangered^[1]		mpk
Miltu language	Critically endangered^[1]		mlj
Noy language	Critically endangered^[1]		noy
Saba language	Definitely endangered^[1]		saa
Sarwa language	Definitely endangered^[1]		swy
Tamki language	Critically endangered^[1]		tax
Toram language	Severely endangered^[1]		trj
Ubi language	Severely endangered^[1]		ubi
Zirenkel language	Definitely endangered^[1]		zrn

Democratic Republic of the Congo

**Democratic Republic of the Congo**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Beeke language	Severely endangered^[1]		bkf
Kari language	Severely endangered^[1]		kbj
Ngbinda language	Critically endangered^[1]		nbd
Yulu language	Vulnerable^[1]	Also spoken in: Central African Republic, Sudan	yul

Egypt

**Egypt**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Domari language	Severely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Syria	rmt
Siwi language	Definitely endangered^[1]		siz

Equatorial Guinea

**Equatorial Guinea**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Benga language	Definitely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Gabon	bng
Gyele language	Definitely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Cameroon	gyi
Yasa language	Definitely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Cameroon	yko

Eritrea

**Eritrea**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Dahaalik language	Critically endangered^[1]

Ethiopia

**Ethiopia**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
'Ongota language	Critically endangered^[1]		bxe
Anfillo language	Critically endangered^[1]		myo
Arbore language	Definitely endangered^[1]		arv
Argobba language	Critically endangered^[1]		agj
Bambassi language	Definitely endangered^[1]		myf
Bayso language	Definitely endangered^[1]		bsw
Bussa language	Vulnerable^[1]		dox
Chara language	Vulnerable^[1]		cra
Dimme language	Vulnerable^[1]		dim
Gats'ama - Ganjule - Harro language	Definitely endangered^[1]		kcx
Hozo language	Definitely endangered^[1]		hoz
K'emant language	Severely endangered^[1]		ahg
Karo language	Critically endangered^[1]		kxh
Komo language	Definitely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Sudan	xom
Kwama language	Vulnerable^[1]		kmq
Kwegu language	Critically endangered^[1]		xwg
Mursi language	Vulnerable^[1]		muz
Nayi language	Vulnerable^[1]		noz
Opuuo language	Critically endangered^[1]		lgn
Oyda language	Vulnerable^[1]		oyd
Shabo language	Severely endangered^[1]		sbf
Tsamay language	Definitely endangered^[1]		tsb
Yem language	Vulnerable^[1]		jnj
Zay language	Severely endangered^[1]		zwa

Gabon

**Gabon**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Benga language	Definitely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Equatorial Guinea	bng
Bwisi language	Definitely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Congo	bwz
Kaande language	Severely endangered^[1]		kbs
Mahongwe language	Severely endangered^[1]		mhb
Sake language	Severely endangered^[1]		sak
Sighu language	Severely endangered^[1]		sxe
Tchitchege language	Definitely endangered^[1]		tck
Vumbu language	Definitely endangered^[1]		vum

Ghana

**Ghana**
Language	Status	ISO 639-3
Animere language	Critically endangered^[1]	anf
Kamara language	Definitely endangered^[1]	jmr
Konni language	Vulnerable^[1]	kma
Tafi language	Vulnerable^[1]	tcd
Tuwuli language	Vulnerable^[1]	bov

Guinea

**Guinea**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Badiaranke language	Severely endangered^[1]		pbp
Baga Manduri language	Definitely endangered^[1]		bmb
Baga Mboteni language	Critically endangered^[1]		bgm
Baga Sitemu language	Severely endangered^[1]		bsp
Baga Pokur language	Definitely endangered^[1]		bcg
Mani language	Critically endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Sierra Leone	buy
Nalu language	Definitely endangered^[1]		naj

Guinea-Bissau

**Guinea-Bissau**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Cobiana language	Critically endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Senegal	kcj
Ediamat language	Vulnerable^[1]		eja
Kasanga language	Critically endangered^[1]		ccj

Kenya

**Kenya**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Bong'om language	Definitely endangered^[1]		spy
Boni language	Definitely endangered^[1]		bob
Burji language	Vulnerable^[1]		bji
Dahalo language	Severely endangered^[1]		dal
Omotik language	Critically endangered^[1]		omt
Suba language	Vulnerable^[1]	Also spoken in: Tanzania	sxb, ssc

Lesotho

**Lesotho**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Phuthi language	Definitely endangered^[1]		ssw

Libya

**Libya**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Awjila language	Severely endangered^[1]		auj
Domari language	Severely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria	rmt
Ghadames language	Vulnerable^[1]		gha
Nafusi language	Severely endangered^[1]		jbn
Tamahaq language	Definitely endangered^[1]		thv

Mali

**Mali**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Banka language	Definitely endangered^[1]		bxw
Tamaceq language	Definitely endangered^[1]		taq

Mauritania

**Mauritania**
Language	Status	ISO 639-3
Imeraguen language	Definitely endangered^[1]	ime
Nemadi language	Critically endangered^[1]
Zenaga language	Severely endangered^[1]	zen

Morocco

**Morocco**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Figuig language	Vulnerable^[1]
Ghomara language	Critically endangered^[1]		gho
Judezmo language	Severely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Turkey, Serbia	lad
Moroccan Judeo-Arabic language	Severely endangered^[1]		aju
Sanhaja of Srair language	Critically endangered^[1]		sjs
Tamazight language	Definitely endangered^[1]	(Beni Iznassen)	rif

Namibia

**Namibia**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Khwe language	Definitely endangered^[1]		xuu

Niger

**Niger**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Tamajeq language	Vulnerable^[1]		thz
Tetserret language	Severely endangered^[1]

Nigeria

**Nigeria**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Akum language	Critically endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Cameroon	aku
Bade language	Vulnerable^[1]		bde
Bakpinka language	Critically endangered^[1]		bbs
Defaka language	Critically endangered^[1]		afn
Duguza language	Definitely endangered^[1]		dza
Dulbu language	Critically endangered^[1]		dbo
Fyem language	Severely endangered^[1]		pym
Geji cluster	Severely endangered^[1]		gji
Gera language	Vulnerable^[1]		gew
Gura language	Severely endangered^[1]		gvm
Gurdu-Mbaaru language	Severely endangered^[1]		grd
Gyem language	Critically endangered^[1]		gye
Hya language	Severely endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Cameroon	hya
Ilue language	Critically endangered^[1]		ilv
Jilbe language	Critically endangered^[1]		jie
Kiong language	Critically endangered^[1]		kkm
Kona language	Severely endangered^[1]		juo
Kudu-Camo language	Critically endangered^[1]		kov
Luri language	Critically endangered^[1]		ldd
Mvanip language	Critically endangered^[1]		mcj
Ndunda language	Severely endangered^[1]		nuh
Ngwaba language	Severely endangered^[1]		ngw
Polci cluster	Definitely endangered^[1]		plj
Reshe language	Vulnerable^[1]		res
Sambe language	Critically endangered^[1]
Somyev language	Critically endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Cameroon	kgt
Yangkam language	Critically endangered^[1]		bsx

Senegal

**Senegal**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Bainouk-Gunyaamolo language	Vulnerable^[1]		bcz
Bainouk-Samik language	Severely endangered^[1]		bcb
Bandial language	Vulnerable^[1]		bqj
Bassari language	Vulnerable^[1]		bsc
Bayot language	Vulnerable^[1]		bda
Cobiana language	Critically endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Guinea-Bissau	kcj
Gusilay language	Vulnerable^[1]		gsl
Jola-Kassa language	Vulnerable^[1]		csk
Karone language	Vulnerable^[1]		krx
Kwatay language	Severely endangered^[1]		cwt
Mancagne language	Vulnerable^[1]		knf
Menik language	Definitely endangered^[1]		tnr
Mlomp language	Critically endangered^[1]		mlo
Noon language	Vulnerable^[1]		snf
Paloor language	Vulnerable^[1]		fap

Sierra Leone

**Sierra Leone**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Bom language	Severely endangered^[1]		bmf
Kim language	Critically endangered^[1]		krm
Mani language	Critically endangered^[1]	Also spoken in: Guinea	buy

South Africa

**South Africa**
Language	Status	ISO 639-3
Korana language	Critically endangered^[1]	kqz
Nǀuu language	Critically endangered^[1]	ngh
Xiri language	Critically endangered^[1]	xii

Sudan

Tanzania

**Tanzania**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Akie language	Critically endangered^[1]		oki
Burunge language	Vulnerable^[1]		bds
Dhaiso language	Definitely endangered^[1]		dhs
Gweno language	Critically endangered^[1]		gwe
Hadza language	Vulnerable^[1]		hts
Kami language	Severely endangered^[1]		kcu
Segeju language	Severely endangered^[1]		seg
Suba language	Vulnerable^[1]	Also spoken in: Kenya	sxb, ssc
Vidunda language	Vulnerable^[1]		vid
Zaramo language	Definitely endangered^[1]		zaj

Tunisia

**Tunisia**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Tamazight language	Severely endangered^[1]
Judeo-Tunisian Arabic language	Critically endangered^[1]		ajt

Uganda

**Uganda**
Language	Status	ISO 639-3
Amba language	Vulnerable^[1]	rwm
Ik language	Severely endangered^[1]	ikx
Soo language	Critically endangered^[1]	teu

Western Sahara

**Western Sahara**
Language	Status	Comments	ISO 639-3
Zenaga language	Critically endangered^[1]		zen

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 Moseley, Christopher, ed. (2010). Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. Memory of Peoples (3rd ed.). Paris: UNESCO Publishing. ISBN 978-92-3-104096-2 . Retrieved 2015-04-11.
↑ Sayre, April Pulley. (1999) Africa, Twenty-First Century Books. ISBN 0-7613-1367-2.
↑ "World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision" Archived 2010-08-19 at the Wayback Machine United Nations (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, population division)

References

Ladefoged, P. (1992). Another view of endangered languages. Language, 68(4), 809–811.
Adegbija, E. (2001). Saving threatened languages in Africa: A case study of Oko. Multilingual Matters, 284–308.
Fishman, J. A. (Ed.). (2001). Can threatened languages be saved?: Reversing language shift, revisited: A 21st century perspective (Vol. 116). Multilingual Matters.
Mous, M. (2003). Loss of linguistic diversity in Africa. AMSTERDAM STUDIES IN THE THEORY AND HISTORY OF LINGUISTIC SCIENCE SERIES 4, 157–170.
Omoniyi, T. (2003). Local policies and global forces: Multiliteracy and Africa's indigenous languages. Language policy, 2(2), 133.
Blench, R. (2007). Endangered languages in West Africa. Language diversity endangered, 181, 140.
Sands, B. (2009). Africa's linguistic diversity. Language and Linguistics Compass, 3(2), 559–580.
Brenzinger, M. (Ed.). (2012). Language death: Factual and theoretical explorations with special reference to East Africa(Vol. 64). Walter de Gruyter.
Wamalwa, E. W., & Stephen, O. (2013). Language endangerment and language maintenance: Can endangered indigenous languages of Kenya be electronically preserved?.
Sands, B. (2017). The challenge of documenting Africa's least known languages. Africa's endangered languages: Documentary and theoretical approaches, 11–38.

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[UNESCO-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 Moseley, Christopher, ed. (2010). Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. Memory of Peoples (3rd ed.). Paris: UNESCO Publishing. ISBN 978-92-3-104096-2 . Retrieved 2015-04-11.

[Sayre-2] Sayre, April Pulley. (1999) Africa, Twenty-First Century Books. ISBN 0-7613-1367-2.

[3] "World Population Prospects: The 2006 Revision" Archived 2010-08-19 at the Wayback Machine United Nations (Department of Economic and Social Affairs, population division)

[1]

[2]

[3]

Language Endangerment Status by UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger category
Extinct (EX)
Extinct (EX)	(lists)
Endangered
Critically Endangered (CR) Severely Endangered (SE) Definitely Endangered (DE) Vulnerable (VU)	(list) (list) (list) (list)
Safe
Safe (NE)	no list
Other categories
Revived (RE) Constructed (CL)	(list) (list)
Related topics Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger Endangered Languages Project Ethnologue Unclassified language List of languages by total number of speakers
UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger categories
v t e