Languages · Africa
What Language Do They Speak in Benin?
The official language of Benin is French. In total about 45 living languages are spoken there, the most common being French (34%), Fon (25%) and Ci Gbe (13%).
1
Official language
45
Living languages · #38
0
Regional official languages
4
Endangered languages
Official languages of Benin
Most spoken languages in Benin
Languages commonly listed for Benin
Languages of neighbouring countries
All languages of Benin (45)
| Language | Speakers here | Family | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| French | 4,997,014 · 34% | Indo-European | Official |
| Fon | 3,674,275 · 25% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Ci Gbe | 1,900,000 · 13% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Defi Gbe | 1,900,000 · 13% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Bini | 1,000,000 · 7% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Yoruba | 984,705 · 7% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Ede Ica | 800,000 · 5% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Ede Ije | 800,000 · 5% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Gun | 650,000 · 4% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Borgu Fulfulde | 600,000 · 4% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Baatonum | 560,000 · 4% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Aja (Benin) | 550,000 · 4% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Kotafon Gbe | 400,000 · 3% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Maxi Gbe | 340,000 · 2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Yom | 300,000 · 2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Weme Gbe | 270,000 · 2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Dendi (Benin) | 260,000 · 2% | Songhay | Safe |
| Ayizo Gbe | 230,000 · 2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Southern Nago | 200,000 · 1% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Saxwe Gbe | 170,000 · 1% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Eastern Xwla Gbe | 160,000 · 1% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Boko (Benin) | 150,000 · 1% | Mande | Safe |
| Ditammari | 150,000 · 1% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Mbelime | 131,000 · 0.89% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Ifè | 130,000 · 0.88% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Biali | 100,000 · 0.68% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Ede Idaca | 100,000 · 0.68% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Xwela Gbe | 85,000 · 0.58% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Lukpa | 70,000 · 0.48% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Mokole | 66,000 · 0.45% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Nateni | 66,000 · 0.45% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Tofin Gbe | 66,000 · 0.45% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Waama | 50,000 · 0.34% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Anii | 44,091 · 0.3% | Atlantic-Congo | Threatened |
| Kura Ede Nago | 30,000 · 0.2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Miyobe | 22,000 · 0.15% | Atlantic-Congo | Vulnerable |
| Tchumbuli | 2,500 · 0.02% | Atlantic-Congo | Moribund |
| Notre | 1,500 · 0.01% | Atlantic-Congo | Threatened |
| Aguna | — | Atlantic-Congo | Vulnerable |
| Ede Cabe | — | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Foodo | — | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Gbesi Gbe | — | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Kyanga | — | Mande | Threatened |
| Northern Nago | — | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Western Xwla Gbe | — | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
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Frequently asked questions
What language do they speak in Benin?
The official language of Benin is French. In total about 45 living languages are spoken there, the most common being French (34%), Fon (25%) and Ci Gbe (13%).
What is the official language of Benin?
French.
Is English spoken in Benin?
English is not widely spoken in Benin — learn a few words of French before you go.
How many languages are spoken in Benin?
About 45 living languages — #38 in the world for linguistic diversity. 4 of them are endangered.
Data: Languages of the World dataset (MIT) — ISO 639-3, Glottolog (CC BY 4.0), Unicode CLDR, Google LinguaMeta (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata; country lists: samayo/country-json (MIT).