List of countries and territories where English is an official language explained

The following is a list of countries and territories where English is an official language used in citizen interactions with government officials., there are 57 sovereign states and 28 non-sovereign entities where English is an official language. Many administrative divisions have declared English an official language at the local or regional level.

Most states where English is an official language are former territories of the British Empire.Exceptions include Rwanda and Burundi[also should be on map], which were formerly German and then Belgian colonies;Cameroon, where only part of the country was under the British mandate;and Liberia, the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, which were American territories.English is the sole official language of the Commonwealth of Nations and of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). English is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Caribbean Community, the Union of South American Nations, and many other international organisations. Although English is not de jure an official language at the national level in the United States, most states and territories within the United States have English as an official language, and only Puerto Rico uses a language other than English as a primary working language. The United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, where the overwhelming majority of native English speakers reside, do not have English as an official language de jure, but English is considered their de facto official language because it dominates in these countries.

Sovereign states

English is a de jure official language

CountrycodeGeographic regionPopulationPrimary language?
style=text-align:leftAntigua and Barbudastyle=text-align:centerATGCaribbean85,000
style=text-align:leftThe Bahamas[1] style=text-align:centerBHSCaribbean331,000
style=text-align:leftBarbados[2] style=text-align:centerBRBCaribbean294,000
style=text-align:leftBelize[3] style=text-align:centerBLZCentral America288,000
style=text-align:leftBotswanastyle=text-align:centerBWAAfrica1,882,000
style=text-align:leftBurundi[4] style=text-align:centerBDIAfrica10,114,505
style=text-align:leftCameroonstyle=text-align:centerCMRAfrica22,534,532
style=text-align:leftCanadastyle=text-align:centerCANNorth America38,048,738
style=text-align:leftDominicastyle=text-align:centerDMACaribbean73,000
style=text-align:leftEswatinistyle=text-align:centerSWZAfrica1,141,000
style=text-align:leftFijistyle=text-align:centerFJIOceania828,000
style=text-align:leftThe Gambiastyle=text-align:centerGMBAfrica1,709,000
style=text-align:leftGhanastyle=text-align:centerGHAAfrica27,000,000
style=text-align:leftGrenadastyle=text-align:centerGRDCaribbean111,000
style=text-align:leftGuyana[5] style=text-align:centerGUYSouth America738,000
style=text-align:leftIndia[6] style=text-align:centerINDAsia1,428,627,663
style=text-align:leftIreland[7] [8] style=text-align:centerIRLEurope4,900,000
style=text-align:leftJamaica[9] style=text-align:centerJAMCaribbean2,714,000
style=text-align:leftKenyastyle=text-align:centerKENAfrica45,010,056
style=text-align:leftKiribatistyle=text-align:centerKIROceania95,000
style=text-align:leftLesothostyle=text-align:centerLSOAfrica2,008,000
style=text-align:leftLiberiastyle=text-align:centerLBRAfrica3,750,000
style=text-align:leftMalawi[10] style=text-align:centerMWIAfrica16,407,000
style=text-align:leftMaltastyle=text-align:centerMLTEurope537,000
style=text-align:leftMarshall Islandsstyle=text-align:centerMHLOceania59,000
style=text-align:leftMicronesiastyle=text-align:centerFSMOceania110,000
style=text-align:leftNamibiastyle=text-align:centerNAMAfrica2,074,000
style=text-align:leftNauru[11] style=text-align:centerNRUOceania10,000
style=text-align:leftNigeria[12] style=text-align:centerNGAAfrica182,202,000
style=text-align:leftPakistanstyle=text-align:centerPAKAsia212,742,631
style=text-align:leftPalaustyle=text-align:centerPLWOceania20,000
style=text-align:leftPapua New Guinea[13] [14] style=text-align:centerPNGOceania7,059,653
style=text-align:leftPhilippinesstyle=text-align:centerPHLAsia110,864,327
style=text-align:leftRwanda[15] style=text-align:centerRWAAfrica13,240,439
style=text-align:leftSaint Kitts and Nevis[16] style=text-align:centerKNACaribbean50,000
style=text-align:leftSaint Luciastyle=text-align:centerLCACaribbean165,000
style=text-align:leftSaint Vincent and the Grenadines[17] style=text-align:centerVCTCaribbean120,000
style=text-align:leftSamoa[18] style=text-align:centerWSMOceania188,000
style=text-align:leftSeychellesstyle=text-align:centerSYCAfrica / Indian Ocean87,000
style=text-align:leftSierra Leonestyle=text-align:centerSLEAfrica6,190,280
style=text-align:leftSingaporestyle=text-align:centerSGPAsia5,469,700
style=text-align:leftSolomon Islandsstyle=text-align:centerSLBOceania507,000
style=text-align:leftSouth Africa[19] style=text-align:centerZAFAfrica54,956,900
style=text-align:leftSouth Sudan[20] style=text-align:centerSSDAfrica12,340,000
style=text-align:leftSudanstyle=text-align:centerSDNAfrica40,235,000
style=text-align:leftTanzaniastyle=text-align:centerTZAAfrica51,820,000
style=text-align:leftTonga[21] style=text-align:centerTONOceania100,000
style=text-align:leftTrinidad and Tobagostyle=text-align:centerTTOCaribbean1,333,000
style=text-align:leftTuvalustyle=text-align:centerTUVOceania11,000
style=text-align:leftUganda[22] style=text-align:centerUGAAfrica47,053,690
style=text-align:leftVanuatu[23] style=text-align:centerVUTOceania226,000
style=text-align:leftZambiastyle=text-align:centerZMBAfrica16,212,000
style=text-align:leftZimbabwestyle=text-align:centerZWEAfrica15,178,957

English is a predominant language

In these countries, English is conventionally spoken by both the government and main population, despite it having no de jure official status at national level.

CountryISO codeGeographic regionPopulationPrimary language?
style=text-align:leftAustraliastyle=text-align:centerAUSOceania26,461,166
style=text-align:leftNew Zealand[24] style=text-align:centerNZLOceania5,109,702
style=text-align:leftUnited Kingdomstyle=text-align:centerGBREurope68,138,484
style=text-align:leftUnited Statesstyle=text-align:centerUSANorth America339,665,118

English is a de facto working language

In these countries, English is spoken in government or education, but it is not recognised as de jure official, nor a primary language spoken by the main population

CountryISO codeGeographic regionPopulation
style=text-align:leftBangladesh[25] style=text-align:centerBANAsia172,954,319
style=text-align:leftBhutan[26] style=text-align:centerBTNAsia727,145
style=text-align:leftBrunei[27] style=text-align:centerBRNAsia440,715
style=text-align:leftIsrael[28] [29] [30] style=text-align:centerISRAsia / Middle East8,051,200
style=text-align:leftMalaysia[31] style=text-align:centerMYSAsia32,730,000
style=text-align:leftMauritius[32] style=text-align:centerMUSAfrica / Indian Ocean1,262,000
style=text-align:leftQatar[33] style=text-align:centerQATAsia / Middle East2,675,522
style=text-align:leftSri Lanka[34] [35] style=text-align:centerLKAAsia20,277,597
style=text-align:leftTimor-Leste[36] style=text-align:centerTLSAsia1,340,513
style=text-align:leftUnited Arab Emirates[37] style=text-align:centerAREAsia / Middle East9,809,000

Non-sovereign entities

English is a de jure official language

EntitySovereign stateRegionPopulationPrimary language?
Akrotiri and Dhekelia in CyprusUnited KingdomEurope15,700No
American SamoaUnited StatesOceania67,700No (official language)
AnguillaUnited KingdomCaribbean18,090No (English-based creole language)
BermudaUnited KingdomNorth America65,000Yes
British Virgin IslandsUnited KingdomCaribbean23,000No (English-based creole language)
Cayman IslandsUnited KingdomCaribbean47,000Yes (English-based creole language)
Cook IslandsNew ZealandOceania20,000No
Curaçao[38] NetherlandsCaribbean150,563No
Falkland Islands and South GeorgiaUnited KingdomSouth America3,000Yes
GibraltarUnited KingdomEurope33,000No (Both English and Llanito are spoken on a daily basis as the primary languages)
GuamUnited StatesOceania173,000Yes (co-official with Chamorro)
Hong KongChinaAsia7,097,600No (but de jure and de facto co-official with Chinese[39])
Isle of ManUnited KingdomEurope80,058Yes
JerseyUnited KingdomEurope89,300Yes
NiueNew ZealandOceania1,600No
Norfolk IslandAustraliaOceania1,828No (English-based creole language)
Northern Mariana IslandsUnited StatesOceania53,883Yes (co-official with Chamorro)
Pitcairn IslandsUnited KingdomOceania50Yes
Puerto RicoUnited StatesCaribbean3,991,000No (co-official with Spanish as the primary language)
RotumaFijiOceania1,594No
Sint Maarten[40] NetherlandsCaribbean40,900No (English-based creole language)
Turks and Caicos IslandsUnited KingdomCaribbean26,000No (English-based creole language)
U.S. Virgin IslandsUnited StatesCaribbean111,000No (English-based creole language)

English is a de facto official language

EntitySovereign stateRegionPopulation
BarbudaAntigua and BarbudaCaribbean1,300
British Indian Ocean TerritoryUnited KingdomIndian Ocean3,000
GuernseyUnited KingdomEurope61,811
MontserratUnited KingdomCaribbean5,900
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaUnited KingdomSouth Atlantic5,660

English is a de facto official, but not a primary language

EntitySovereign stateRegionPopulation
Christmas IslandAustraliaSoutheast Asia1,508
Cocos (Keeling) IslandsAustraliaSoutheast Asia596
Tokelau[41] New ZealandOceania1,400

Country subdivisions

In these country subdivisions, English has de jure official status, but English is not official in their respective countries at the national level.

Country subdivisions where English is a de jure official language
SubdivisionCountryRegionPopulation
San Andrés y Providencia[42] ColombiaSouth America75,167
Sarawak[43] [44] [45] MalaysiaAsia2,471,140
Saba[46] NetherlandsCaribbean1,991
Sint Eustatius3,897
Scotland[47] United KingdomEurope5,424,800
Wales[48] 3,125,000
Alabama[49] United StatesNorth America4,833,722
Alaska[50] 735,132
Arizona[51] 6,626,624
Arkansas2,959,373
California38,332,521
Colorado5,268,367
Florida21,299,325
Georgia10,519,475
HawaiiOceania1,404,054
IdahoNorth America1,612,136
Illinois12,882,135
Indiana6,570,902
Iowa3,090,416
Kansas2,893,957
Kentucky4,395,295
Louisiana4,657,757
Massachusetts[52] 6,794,422
Mississippi2,991,207
Missouri6,083,672
Montana1,015,165
Nebraska1,868,516
New Hampshire1,323,459
North Carolina9,848,060
North Dakota723,393
Oklahoma[53] 3,850,568
South Carolina4,774,839
South Dakota844,877
Tennessee6,495,978
Utah2,900,872
Virginia8,260,405
West Virginia[54] 1,844,128
Wyoming582,658

See also

Notes and References

  1. Official language; Web site: Field Listing - Languages . https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004519/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2098.html . dead . June 13, 2007 . 2009-01-11 . The World Factbook . Central Intelligence Agency.
  2. Web site: Society . Government Information Service (Barbados) . 2009-01-18 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090213230116/http://barbados.gov.bb/society.htm . 2009-02-13.
  3. English usage; Web site: Field Listing - Languages. https://web.archive.org/web/20070613004519/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2098.html . dead . June 13, 2007 . . The World Factbook . 2009-01-11 .
  4. News: English is now official language of Burundi . IWACU English News . 17 July 2014 . 17 December 2016.
  5. Web site: National Profile . Government Information Agency (Guyana) . 2009-01-18 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080820045506/http://gina.gov.gy/natprofile/gnprof.html . 2008-08-20.
  6. Book: N. Krishnaswamy. Lalitha Krishnaswamy. The story of English in India. 6 January 2006. Foundation Books. 978-81-7596-312-2. 3.14 English Becomes a Second Language. https://books.google.com/books?id=mBpFLdcEG7IC&pg=PA103.
  7. http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/Historical_Information/The_Constitution/Bunreacht_na_hEireann_SEP2015.pdf The Constitution
  8. Web site: Archived copy . 2013-01-02 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160106183351/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf . 2016-01-06.
  9. http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Jamaica/jam62.html The Constitution of Jamaica
  10. Web site: Opportunities for investment and Trade in Malawi ? the Warm Heart of Africa . Malawi Investment Promotion Agency . Government of Malawi . 2009-01-18 . August 2005 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090225085932/http://www.malawi.gov.mw/investments/INVESTOR%27S%20GUIDE%20TO%20MALAWI.doc . 2009-02-25.
  11. Web site: Nauru . New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade . 2009-01-18 . 2008-12-03. English and Nauruan are official.
  12. News: Country profile: Nigeria. April 30, 2008. BBC News. November 10, 2008.
  13. Web site: General Information on Papua New Guinea . 2009-01-18 . Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090131205730/http://www.pngtourism.org.pg/png/export/sites/TPA/ForTheTraveller/Index.html . January 31, 2009.
  14. Web site: Country profile: Papua New Guinea . https://web.archive.org/web/20021215160127/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1246074.stm . dead . December 15, 2002 . . 2008-11-28 .
  15. Web site: Rwanda's Constitution of 2003 with Amendments through 2015. Comparative Constitutions Project. constituteproject.org. 5–6 . Article 8. National language and official languages The National language is Ikinyarwanda. The official languages are Ikinyarwanda, English and French . 16 October 2022.
  16. Web site: Primary Schools . 2009-01-18 . Government of St Christopher (St Kitts) and Nevis . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090103042228/http://www.gov.kn/content.asp?cuItem=609&mp=1 . 2009-01-03.
  17. Web site: St. Vincent and the Grenadines Profile . https://web.archive.org/web/20101112181635/http://www.gov.vc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=101 . dead. 2010-11-12 . Agency for Public Information (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) . 2011-06-18.
  18. Web site: Legislations: List of Acts and Ordinances . 2009-01-18 . The Parliament of Samoa . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20061001221522/http://www.parliament.gov.ws/legislations.cfm?sel=con . October 1, 2006. Languages for official legislation are Samoan and English.
  19. Web site: Constitution of the Republic of South Africa . Constitutional Court of South Africa . 2009-01-11 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090116012952/http://www.concourt.gov.za/site/constitution/english-web/ch1.html . 2009-01-16.
  20. Web site: The Constitution of Southern Sudan . Southern Sudan Civil Society Initiative . 2011-07-09.
  21. Web site: The United Nations / Universal Periodic Review by the United Nations Human Rights Council . Kingdom of Tonga . March 2008 . 2009-01-18 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090125103242/http://pmo.gov.to/guide-to-gov-mainmenu-26/tonga-a-the-world-mainmenu-72/the-united-nations-mainmenu-126.html . January 25, 2009. English and Tongan are listed as official.
  22. Web site: Constitution of Uganda. International Labour Organization. ilo.org. 6 . Article 6. Official Language (1) The official language of Uganda is English . 16 October 2022.
  23. Web site: Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu . 2009-01-18 . Government of the Republic of Vanuatu . 1980 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090124133359/http://vanuatugovernment.gov.vu/government/library/constitution.html . 2009-01-24.
  24. New Zealand Government . International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Fifth Periodic Report of the Government of New Zealand . 21 December 2007 . 89 . In addition to the Māori language, New Zealand Sign Language is also an official language of New Zealand. The New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 permits the use of NZSL in legal proceedings, facilitates competency standards for its interpretation and guides government departments in its promotion and use. English, the medium for teaching and learning in most schools, is a de facto official language by virtue of its widespread use. For these reasons, these three languages have special mention in the New Zealand Curriculum. . 21 April 2015 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150124193521/http://mfat.govt.nz/downloads/humanrights/5th-ICCPR-report.pdf . 24 January 2015.
  25. Book: Historical Evolution of English in Bangladesh . 10 November 2023 . 1 March 2019 . Mohammad Nurul Islam . 9–.
  26. English has been the primary language of instruction for five decades in Bhutan, at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Dendup, Tashi and Angkana Onthanee. 2020. "Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning on English Communicative Ability of 4th Grade Students in Bhutan." International Journal of Instruction, v13 n1(Jan) p255-266. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1239314.pdf
  27. Book: Mouton De Gruyter . Wei, Li: Applied Linguistics Review. 2011 2 . 27 February 2013 . 31 May 2011 . Walter de Gruyter . 978-3-11-023933-1 . 100–.
  28. Book: Spolsky, Bernard. Round Table on Language and Linguistics . 1999. Georgetown University Press. Washington, D.C. . 0-87840-132-6. 169–70. In 1948, the newly independent state of Israel took over the old British regulations that had set English, Arabic, and Hebrew as official languages for Mandatory Palestine but, as mentioned, dropped English from the list. In spite of this, official language use has maintained a de facto role for English, after Hebrew but before Arabic..
  29. Book: Bat-Zeev Shyldkrot, Hava. Hava. Bat-Zeev Shyldkrot . Dorit. Diskin Ravid. Dorit Ravid. Perspectives on Language and Development: Essays in Honor of Ruth A. Berman. https://books.google.com/books?id=xMzx6xFB0IgC&pg=PA90. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 2004. 90. Part I: Language and Discourse . 1-4020-7911-7. English is not considered official but it plays a dominant role in the educational and public life of Israeli society. [...] It is the language most widely used in commerce, business, formal papers, academia, and public interactions, public signs, road directions, names of buildings, etc. English behaves 'as if' it were the second and official language in Israel..
  30. Book: Shohamy, Elana. Language Policy: Hidden Agendas and New Approaches. 2006. Routledge. 0-415-32864-0. 72?73. In terms of English, there is no connection between the declared policies and statements and de facto practices. While English is not declared anywhere as an official language, the reality is that it has a very high and unique status in Israel. It is the main language of the academy, commerce, business, and the public space..
  31. National Language Act 1963/67. Act. Dewan Rakyat. 32. 1967.
  32. Web site: The Constitution of the Republic of Mauritius.
  33. Book: Baker. Colin. Jones. Sylvia Prys. Encyclopedia of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education. Multilingual Matters. 1998. 429. 978-1853593628.
  34. English is a "De facto national working language, used in government." Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2013. "Sri Lanka." Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Seventeenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online edition: https://www.ethnologue.com/country/LK Accessed 30 March 2014.
  35. Under the constitution of 1978, Sinhala and Tamil are the official languages of Sri Lanka, but English is "the link language." Any person is entitled "to receive communications from, and to communicate and transact business with, any official in his official capacity" in English, to receive an English translation of "any official register, record, publication or other document," and "to communicate and transact business in English." English translations must be made for "all laws and subordinate legislation," "all Orders, Proclamations, rules, by-laws, regulations and notifications." Web site: THE CONSTITUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA: Chapter IV . 1978 . 30 March 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030203101808/http://www.priu.gov.lk/Cons/1978Constitution/Chapter_04_Amd.html . 2003-02-03 . dead.
  36. Web site: Constitution of The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste . The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste . 2023-06-20. Portuguese and Tetum are listed as official, English and Indonesia are listed as official working languages.
  37. Hanani . Fatiha . Impact of English on Young Arabs' Use of Arabic in the UAE . December 2009 . Master of Arts . .
  38. Web site: LANDSVERORDENING van de 28ste maart 2007 houdende vaststelling van de officiele talen (Landsverordening officiele talen) . Government of the Netherlands . nl . 21 August 2013.
  39. Official Languages Ordinance.
  40. According to Art. 1 para 2. Constitution of Sint Maarten : "The official languages are Dutch and English"
  41. Web site: Associated Countries and External Territories: Tokelau . Commonwealth Secretariat . 20 March 2014 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140324184730/http://secretariat.thecommonwealth.org/YearbookInternal/140411/140415/tokelau/ . 24 March 2014.
  42. Web site: Consulta de la Norma . alcaldiabogota.gov.co.
  43. Web site: Sarawak makes English official language along with BM. themalaymailonline.com. 2 September 2022 .
  44. Web site: Sarawak to recognise English as official language besides Bahasa Malaysia. BorneoPost Online - Borneo, Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305082141/http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/11/18/sarawak-to-recognise-english-as-official-language-besides-bahasa-malaysia/. 2016-03-05.
  45. Web site: Sarawak adopts English as official language. thesundaily.my.
  46. English can be used in relations with the government
    Web site: Invoeringswet openbare lichamen Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba . nl . wetten.nl . 2012-10-14.
  47. Web site: Scottish Facts and Information . Scotland.org . March 19, 2014 . Scottish Government.
  48. Web site: National Assembly for Wales (Official Languages) Act 2012 . Legislation.gov.uk . 2012 . March 19, 2014 . National Assembly for Wales.
  49. Web site: Language Legislation in the U.S.A. . languagepolicy.net . June 24, 2008 . April 27, 2011 . Crawford, James.
  50. Web site: Alaska Supreme Court Upholds State's Official English Law . Business Wire . November 5, 2007 . April 28, 2011.
  51. Web site: Arizona makes English official . Washington Times . November 8, 2006 . April 28, 2011.
  52. Web site: Official English Map . 2016-03-18 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160320113624/https://proenglish.org/official-english/state-profiles.html . 2016-03-20.
  53. Web site: Oklahoma elections: Republican-backed measures win approval . The Oklahoman . NewsOK . November 3, 2010 . April 28, 2011 . Slipke, Darla.
  54. Web site: West Virginia is the 32nd State to pass Official English . Pro English . March 5, 2016 . March 28, 2017.

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