Languages of Niger

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Depending on how they are counted, Niger has between 8 and 20 indigenous languages. The discrepancy comes from the fact that several are closely related, and can be grouped together or considered apart.

French, inherited from the colonial period, is the official language. It is spoken mainly as a second/additional language by a relatively small percentage of the population.

The usual categorization of languages of Niger mentions eight national languages. These, their language families, the approximate percentage of the population that speak them, and their approximate home regions are as follows:

Language	Family	Approx %	Main region
Hausa	Afro-Asiatic / Chadic	49.6	South, central
Zarma & Songhai	Nilo-Saharan	25.5	Southwest
Tamajeq	Afro-Asiatic / Berber	08.4	North
Fulfulde	Niger-Congo / Atlantic	08.3	All
Kanuri	Nilo-Saharan	04.8	Southeast
Colloquial Arabic	Afro-Asiatic / Semitic	01.2	North
Gurmantche	Niger-Congo / Volta-Congo	00.?	Southwest corner
Toubou	Nilo-Saharan	00.?	East

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