Top 10 Most Spoken Languages In Africa

In Africa, there are so many languages spoken mostly. These languages are used for interaction, Communication, and transaction which leads to the growth of the continent.

Though there are over 100 spoken languages in Africa, this article in focusing on just the top 10. This article will make you know that apart from each country’s lingua franca, there are so many other countries that speak the same language.

Each time you are asked a question about the top 10 most spoken languages in Africa, no need of cracking your brain because this article is here to answer your question.

The table below has a list of the top 10 most spoken languages in Africa.

1. English

English is the most spoken language in Africa. The language serves as a means of interaction, communication, and method of a business transaction, and is widely used on social media platforms.

However, English makes communication easier and it is used by over 150 million speakers. Most local languages come after English and this made English a Lingua Franca in most African countries.

2. French

French is the second language on the list of the top 10 most spoken languages in Africa. It is a language adopted from the colonial masters during colonization.

During the period of the colonization, the colonial masters introduced French to African countries, and today French is spoken by over 24 countries.

With over 120 million people speaking French, French is considered the second most spoken language in Africa.

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3. Swahili

Swahili which originated from other languages like Arabic is one of the most spoken languages in Africa.

If one already knows Arabic, Swahili is considered not difficult to learn. Some of the countries that speak Swahili are Uganda, Tanzania, Congo, Kenya, and so on.

In most of these countries that speak Swahili, the language is used to give school instruction and other of their daily activities.

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4. Arabic

Arabic is a language used globally and mostly in African countries. The language is used in countries like Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Eritrea, Algeria, and so many others.

However, there is a Modern Standard of Arabic that is used as a medium of communication by Arabic Speakers. The dialect is used to write the language present in media and books.

Therefore Arabic is among the top 10 most spoken languages in Africa.

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5. Amharic

Amharic is one of the most used languages in Ethiopia. The language is spoken by over 20 million speakers.

Though Amharic is not too familiar in some countries, it is used firmly by other countries as their major spoken language.

Amharic is the fifth most spoken language in the world and the second most popular language in Ethiopia.

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6. Yoruba

Yoruba is a language spoken in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, and is one of the most spoken languages in Africa. The language is used as a means of business and other interaction in some west African countries.

Currently, it is used by over 50 million speakers and this made it among the top list of the most used languages in Africa.

Moreover, there are some other countries parts speak Yoruba but not as their main language. Some of these countries include Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and so on.

7. Oromo

On the list of significant languages spoken by African countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Egypt, and so on is Oromo. It is a widely used language that is most spoken in the African continent.

In Ethiopia, the people of Oromo account for more than 40% of the country’s population. However, the language is used by approximately 30 million speakers and the language is used to teach reading and writing.

So Oromo is one of the most spoken languages in Africa.

8. Hausa

In Nigeria, Hausa is considered one of Nigeria’s official languages. The language is not only spoken in Nigeria but also in some other African continents like Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Germany, Chad, CAR, Eritrea, and so on.

Hausa is considered one of the most advanced languages in Africa as a whole. It is the only Nigerian language that has a foreign broadcast station.

However, the Hausa Language uses Boko, and the Latin alphabet is among the most spoken languages in Africa.

9. Igbo

Igbo is a language spoken in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea. The language gained prominence from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

Most Igbo speakers are bilingual for it is the primary literature taught in Nigerian Schools.

Moreover, Igbo is considered one of the largest Ethnic groups in Africa with over 20 million speakers with more than 20 dialects.

10. Portuguese

Rounding off the list of the top 10 most spoken languages in Africa is Portuguese which is an official dialect of more than five African countries.

It is the working language of the African Union and Southern African Development Community.

It is used as a mother tongue for more than 12 million people and as a second or supporting language by more than 20 million speakers.

Brief Summary of the top 10 most spoken languages in Africa:

• English
• French
• Swahili
• Arabic
• Amharic
• Yoruba
• Oromo
• Hausa
• Igbo
• Portuguese