Languages · Africa
What Language Do They Speak in Lesotho?
The official languages of Lesotho are Southern Sotho and English. In total about 5 living languages are spoken there, the most common being Southern Sotho (98%), English (27%) and Zulu (14%).
2
Official languages
5
Living languages · #140
0
Regional official languages
0
Endangered languages
Official languages of Lesotho
Most spoken languages in Lesotho
Southern Sotho Official
98%English Official
27%14%
2%
0.99%
Share of the population who speak the language (first or second language).
Languages commonly listed for Lesotho
Languages of neighbouring countries
All languages of Lesotho (5)
| Language | Speakers here | Family | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Sotho | 2,182,999 · 98% | Atlantic-Congo | Official |
| English | 601,438 · 27% | Indo-European | Official |
| Zulu | 311,857 · 14% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Swati | 53,461 · 2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Xhosa | 22,052 · 0.99% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
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Frequently asked questions
What language do they speak in Lesotho?
The official languages of Lesotho are Southern Sotho and English. In total about 5 living languages are spoken there, the most common being Southern Sotho (98%), English (27%) and Zulu (14%).
What is the official language of Lesotho?
Southern Sotho and English.
Is English spoken in Lesotho?
Yes — English is official in Lesotho, spoken by about 27% of people.
How many languages are spoken in Lesotho?
About 5 living languages — #140 in the world for linguistic diversity.
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).