Languages · Africa
What Language Do They Speak in Zambia?
The official language of Zambia is English. In total about 33 living languages are spoken there, the most common being Bemba (Zambia) (34%), Chichewa (19%) and English (16%).
1
Official language
33
Living languages · #45
0
Regional official languages
5
Endangered languages
Official languages of Zambia
Most spoken languages in Zambia
19%
English Official
16%6%
Nsenga
3%Lala-Bisa
3%3%
Mambwe-Lungu
2%Lunda
2%Kaonde
2%Lamba
2%Share of the population who speak the language (first or second language).
All languages of Zambia (33)
| Language | Speakers here | Family | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bemba (Zambia) | 7,071,694 · 34% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Chichewa | 3,951,829 · 19% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| English | 3,327,856 · 16% | Indo-European | Official |
| Tonga (Zambia) | 2,287,901 · 11% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Lozi | 1,143,950 · 6% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Nsenga | 623,973 · 3% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Lala-Bisa | 582,374 · 3% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Tumbuka | 540,776 · 3% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Mambwe-Lungu | 500,000 · 2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Lunda | 395,182 · 2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Kaonde | 395,182 · 2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Lamba | 396,395 · 2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Lala | 396,395 · 2% | Austronesian | Safe |
| Luvale | 311,986 · 2% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Mbunda | 260,000 · 1% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Nyamwanga | 230,000 · 1% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Lenje | 242,241 · 1% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Ila | 110,000 · 0.53% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Sala | 110,000 · 0.53% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Aushi | 100,000 · 0.48% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Nkoya | 36,000 · 0.17% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Soli | 34,000 · 0.16% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Mashi (Zambia) | 22,000 · 0.11% | Atlantic-Congo | Threatened |
| Simaa | 17,000 · 0.08% | Atlantic-Congo | Vulnerable |
| Totela | 14,000 · 0.07% | Atlantic-Congo | Threatened |
| Nyiha (Malawi) | 5,000 · 0.02% | Atlantic-Congo | Threatened |
| Luyana | 2,900 · 0.01% | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Kxoe | 1,800 · 0.01% | Khoe-Kwadi | Vulnerable |
| Mbowe | 460 · 0% | Atlantic-Congo | Vulnerable |
| Bwile | — | Atlantic-Congo | Threatened |
| Fwe | — | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Nyika (Malawi and Zambia) | — | Atlantic-Congo | Safe |
| Yauma | — | Bookkeeping | Threatened |
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Frequently asked questions
What language do they speak in Zambia?
The official language of Zambia is English. In total about 33 living languages are spoken there, the most common being Bemba (Zambia) (34%), Chichewa (19%) and English (16%).
What is the official language of Zambia?
English.
Is English spoken in Zambia?
Yes — English is official in Zambia, spoken by about 16% of people.
How many languages are spoken in Zambia?
About 33 living languages — #45 in the world for linguistic diversity. 5 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).