List of countries and territories where English is an official language facts for kids
English is a super important language spoken all over the world! It's used by people from different countries to talk to each other, especially in business, education, and government.
This article lists countries and places where English is an official language. This means it's recognized by the government for things like laws, schools, and talking to citizens. As of 2020, English was an official language in 58 independent countries and 28 other areas. Many smaller regions within countries also use English officially.
Many places where English is official used to be part of the British Empire. But there are exceptions! For example, Rwanda and Burundi were once German and Belgian colonies. Cameroon only had a small part under British rule. And countries like Liberia, the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau were once American territories.
English is the only official language for groups like the Commonwealth of Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It's also one of the official languages for big international groups like the United Nations and the European Union.
Even though English isn't officially declared a national language in the United States, most states and territories there use it as an official language. Only Puerto Rico mainly uses another language. Countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand don't officially say English is their language, but everyone knows it is because almost everyone speaks it there.
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Countries Where English is Official
This section lists independent countries where English is an official language.
English is an Official Language by Law
In these countries, English is officially recognized by their laws as an official language.
| Country | Code | Region | Population | Is it the main language? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | ATG | Caribbean | 85,000 | Yes (but many speak an English-based creole) |
| The Bahamas | BHS | Caribbean | 331,000 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Barbados | BRB | Caribbean | 294,000 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Belize | BLZ | Central America | 288,000 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Botswana | BWA | Africa | 1,882,000 | Yes |
| Burundi | BDI | Africa | 10,114,505 | No |
| Cameroon | CMR | Africa | 22,534,532 | No (French is also official, English is mainly spoken in two regions) |
| Canada | CAN | North America | 38,048,738 | Yes (French is also official, but English is main language almost everywhere except Quebec) |
| Dominica | DMA | Caribbean | 73,000 | Yes (many speak a French-based creole) |
| Eswatini | SWZ | Africa | 1,141,000 | No |
| Fiji | FJI | Oceania | 828,000 | Yes (used for communication between different groups, in schools, business, and government) |
| The Gambia | GMB | Africa | 1,709,000 | Yes |
| Ghana | GHA | Africa | 27,000,000 | Yes (used as a common language for many different groups) |
| Grenada | GRD | Caribbean | 111,000 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Guyana | GUY | South America | 738,000 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| India | IND | Asia | 1,393,500,000 | No (but it's official and used in education) |
| Ireland | IRL | Europe | 4,900,000 | Yes (Irish is also official) |
| Jamaica | JAM | Caribbean | 2,714,000 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Kenya | KEN | Africa | 45,010,056 | Yes (used in business and education) |
| Kiribati | KIR | Oceania | 95,000 | No |
| Lesotho | LSO | Africa | 2,008,000 | No |
| Liberia | LBR | Africa | 3,750,000 | Yes |
| Malawi | MWI | Africa | 16,407,000 | Yes (used as a common language) |
| Malta | MLT | Europe | 537,000 | No (but it's official and used in business and education) |
| Marshall Islands | MHL | Oceania | 59,000 | No |
| Micronesia | FSM | Oceania | 110,000 | Yes |
| Namibia | NAM | Africa | 2,074,000 | No (used as a common language) |
| Nauru | NRU | Oceania | 10,000 | No (but many people speak it) |
| Nigeria | NGA | Africa | 182,202,000 | Yes (used as an official language) |
| Pakistan | PAK | Asia | 212,742,631 | No (but it's official and used in education) |
| Palau | PLW | Oceania | 20,000 | No |
| Papua New Guinea | PNG | Oceania | 7,059,653 | Yes (official and used in education) |
| Philippines | PHL | Asia | 110,864,327 | No (but it's official, used in education, government, and as a common language) |
| Rwanda | RWA | Africa | 13,240,439 | No |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | KNA | Caribbean | 50,000 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Saint Lucia | LCA | Caribbean | 165,000 | Yes (many speak a French-based creole) |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | VCT | Caribbean | 120,000 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Samoa | WSM | Oceania | 188,000 | No |
| Seychelles | SYC | Africa / Indian Ocean | 87,000 | No |
| Sierra Leone | SLE | Africa | 6,190,280 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Singapore | SGP | Asia | 5,469,700 | Yes (official, common language, widely spoken, and used in education) |
| Solomon Islands | SLB | Oceania | 507,000 | Yes |
| South Africa | ZAF | Africa | 54,956,900 | Yes (official, used in education and as a common language in formal business) |
| South Sudan | SSD | Africa | 12,340,000 | Yes |
| Sudan | SDN | Africa | 40,235,000 | No |
| Tanzania | TZA | Africa | 51,820,000 | Yes (used in business and education) |
| Tonga | TON | Oceania | 100,000 | No |
| Trinidad and Tobago | TTO | Caribbean | 1,333,000 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Tuvalu | TUV | Oceania | 11,000 | No |
| Uganda | UGA | Africa | 47,053,690 | Yes |
| Vanuatu
= Oceania |
226,000 | No | ||
| Zambia | ZMB | Africa | 16,212,000 | Yes (used as a common language) |
| Zimbabwe | ZWE | Africa | 15,178,957 | Yes |
English is the Main Language (Not by Law)
In these countries, English is spoken by almost everyone, including the government. However, it's not officially declared an official language by law.
| Country | Code | Region | Population | Is it the main language? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | AUS | Oceania | 26,461,166 | Yes |
| New Zealand | NZL | Oceania | 5,109,702 | Yes |
| United Kingdom | GBR | Europe | 68,138,484 | Yes |
| United States | USA | North America | 339,665,118 | Yes |
English is Used for Work (Not Main Language)
In these countries, English is used by the government or in schools, but it's not officially recognized by law, and most people don't speak it as their main language.
| Country | Code | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | BAN | Asia | 172,954,319 |
| Bhutan | BTN | Asia | 727,145 |
| Brunei | BRN | Asia | 440,715 |
| Israel | ISR | Asia / Middle East | 8,051,200 |
| Malaysia | MYS | Asia | 32,730,000 |
| Mauritius | MUS | Africa / Indian Ocean | 1,262,000 |
| Qatar | QAT | Asia / Middle East | 2,675,522 |
| Sri Lanka | LKA | Asia | 20,277,597 |
| Timor-Leste | TLS | Asia | 1,340,513 |
| United Arab Emirates | ARE | Asia / Middle East | 9,809,000 |
Other Places Where English is Official
This section lists places that are not independent countries but where English is an official language.
English is an Official Language by Law
These are territories where English is officially recognized by their laws.
| Place | Belongs to | Region | Population | Is it the main language? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus | United Kingdom | Europe | 15,700 | No |
| American Samoa | United States | Oceania | 67,700 | No (but it's an official language) |
| Anguilla | United Kingdom | Caribbean | 18,090 | No (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Bermuda | United Kingdom | North America | 65,000 | Yes |
| British Virgin Islands | United Kingdom | Caribbean | 23,000 | No (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Cayman Islands | United Kingdom | Caribbean | 47,000 | Yes (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Cook Islands | New Zealand | Oceania | 20,000 | No |
| Curaçao | Netherlands | Caribbean | 150,563 | No |
| Falkland Islands and South Georgia | United Kingdom | South America | 3,000 | Yes |
| Gibraltar | United Kingdom | Europe | 33,000 | No (Both English and Llanito are spoken daily) |
| Guam | United States | Oceania | 173,000 | Yes (Chamorro is also official) |
| Hong Kong | China | Asia | 7,097,600 | No (but it's officially used along with Chinese) |
| Isle of Man | United Kingdom | Europe | 80,058 | Yes |
| Jersey | United Kingdom | Europe | 89,300 | Yes |
| Niue | New Zealand | Oceania | 1,600 | No |
| Norfolk Island | Australia | Oceania | 1,828 | No (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Northern Mariana Islands | United States | Oceania | 53,883 | Yes (Chamorro is also official) |
| Pitcairn Islands | United Kingdom | Oceania | 50 | Yes |
| Puerto Rico | United States | Caribbean | 3,991,000 | No (Spanish is the main language, English is also official) |
| Rotuma | Fiji | Oceania | 1,594 | No |
| Sint Maarten | Netherlands | Caribbean | 40,900 | No (many speak an English-based creole) |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | United Kingdom | Caribbean | 26,000 | No (many speak an English-based creole) |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | United States | Caribbean | 111,000 | No (many speak an English-based creole) |
English is Used for Work (Not Main Language)
These are territories where English is used by the government or in schools, but it's not officially recognized by law, and most people don't speak it as their main language.
| Place | Belongs to | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Island | Australia | Southeast Asia | 1,508 |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | Australia | Southeast Asia | 596 |
| Tokelau | New Zealand | Oceania | 1,400 |
Regions Within Countries
In these regions, English is an official language, even though it might not be official in the whole country they belong to.
| Region | Country | Geographic Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Andrés y Providencia | Colombia | South America | 75,167 |
| Sarawak | Malaysia | Asia | 2,471,140 |
| Saba | Netherlands | Caribbean | 1,991 |
| Sint Eustatius | 3,897 | ||
| Scotland | United Kingdom | Europe | 5,424,800 |
| Wales | 3,125,000 | ||
| California | United States | North America | 38,332,521 |
| Florida | North America | 21,299,325 | |
| Hawaii | Oceania | 1,404,054 |
See also
- English-only movement
- Anglo-America
- Commonwealth of Nations
- Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
- British Overseas Territories
- English-speaking world
- List of countries by English-speaking population
- List of languages by total number of speakers
- British Empire
