Kiswahili Tops List of Africa’s Most Spoken Languages

A new linguistic overview has highlighted Kiswahili as the most widely spoken language in Africa, with an estimated 230 million speakers across the continent.

The findings underscore the linguistic diversity of Africa, where over 2,000 languages are spoken across 54 countries.

According to the latest estimates, Nigerian Pidgin ranks second with 121 million speakers, reflecting its role as a unifying lingua franca across Nigeria and parts of West Africa.

Hausa, another major West African language, follows closely with 120 million speakers, cementing its position as one of the most influential indigenous languages in the region.

Egyptian Arabic comes in fourth with 119 million speakers, while Amharic, Ethiopia’s official language, holds the fifth spot with 57 million speakers.

Other languages rounding out the top 10 include Yoruba (50 million), Sudanese Arabic (48 million), Igbo (45 million), Fulani (41.6 million), and Oromo (37.4 million).

Further down the list are Algerian Arabic (31 million), Berber (32 million), IsiZulu (28 million), Moroccan Arabic (21 million), and Malagasy (20 million) reflecting the deep historical, cultural, and colonial influences that have shaped Africa’s linguistic map.

Experts say the prominence of Kiswahili, Hausa, and Nigerian Pidgin demonstrates how trade, migration, and cultural exchange have driven language evolution and unity across diverse regions.

With growing interest in promoting African languages in education, media, and technology, linguists believe this diversity remains one of the continent’s richest assets and a bridge to greater continental integration.