List of countries where English is an official language

Map of nations using English as an official language or as the predominant language

The following is a list of sovereign states and non-sovereign entities where English is an official language, i.e., the language of government. In 2012, there were 60 sovereign states and 28 non-sovereign entities where English was an official language.

The majority of countries where English is an official language are former colonies of the British Empire. Notable exceptions include Rwanda, which was a former Belgian colony, and Eritrea, which was an Italian colony where the British Empire spanned its control only in World War II and shortly after (1941-1952). English is the sole official language of the Commonwealth of Nations. English is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union and the International Olympic Committee. Although English is not an official language in the United States many states and regions within the U.S. do have English as an official language.

Sovereign states

Countries where English is a de jure/official language

Country	Region	Population1
Antigua and Barbuda[1]	Caribbean	85,000
Bahamas[1]	Caribbean	331,000
Barbados[2]	Caribbean	294,000
Belize [3]	Central America / Caribbean	288,000
Botswana [3]	Africa	1,882,000
Cameroon[1]	Africa	18,549,000
Canada[1]	North America	33,531,000
Cook Islands14[1]	Oceania	20,200
Dominica[1]	Caribbean	73,000
Fiji[1]	Oceania	827,900
Gambia[1]	Africa	1,709,000
Ghana[1]	Africa	23,478,000
Grenada[1]	Caribbean	106,000
Guyana[4]	South America / Caribbean	738,000
India [3][5]	Asia	1,247,540,000
Ireland[6]	Europe	4,581,269
Jamaica[7]	Caribbean	2,714,000
Kenya[1]	Africa	37,538,000
Kiribati[1]	Oceania	95,000
Lesotho[1]	Africa	2,008,000
Liberia[1]	Africa	3,750,000
Malawi[8]	Africa	13,925,000
Malta[1]	Europe	412,600
Marshall Islands[1]	Oceania	59,000
Mauritius[1]	Africa / Indian Ocean	1,262,000
Federated States of Micronesia[1]	Oceania	111,000
Namibia[1]	Africa	2,074,000
Nauru[9]	Oceania	10,000
New Zealand[1]	Oceania	4,294,350
Nigeria[1][10]	Africa	148,093,000
Niue14[1]	Oceania	1,600
Pakistan[1]	Asia	165,449,000
Palau [3]	Oceania	20,000
Papua New Guinea[11][12]	Oceania	6,331,000
Philippines[13][1]	Asia	90,457,200
Rwanda[1]	Africa	9,725,000
Saint Kitts and Nevis[14]	Caribbean	50,000
Saint Lucia[1]	Caribbean	165,000
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[15]	Caribbean	120,000
Samoa[16]	Oceania	188,359
Seychelles[1]	Africa / Indian Ocean	87,000
Sierra Leone[1]	Africa	5,866,000
Singapore[17]	Asia	5,312,400[18]
Solomon Islands[1]	Oceania	506,992
Somaliland15	Africa	3,500,000
South Africa[19]	Africa	47,850,700
South Sudan[20]	Africa	8,260,490
Sudan[1]	Africa	31,894,000
Swaziland[1]	Africa	1,141,000
Tanzania[1]	Africa	40,454,000
Tonga[21]	Oceania	100,000
Trinidad and Tobago[1]	Caribbean	1,333,000
Tuvalu[3]	Oceania	11,000
Uganda[1]	Africa	30,884,000
Vanuatu[22]	Oceania	226,000
Zambia[1]	Africa	11,922,000
Zimbabwe[1]	Africa	13,349,000

Countries where English is the de facto language

Country	Region	Population1
Australia[23]	Australia / Oceania	22,930,576
United Kingdom	Europe	61,612,300
United States	North America	309,442,000

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

Country	Region	Population1
Israel[24][25][26]	Asia / Middle East	8,051,200

Non-sovereign entities

Entity	Region	Population1
American Samoa11	Oceania	67,700
Anguilla[1]	Caribbean	13,000
Bermuda9[1]	North America	65,000
British Virgin Islands[1]	Caribbean	23,000
Cayman Islands [3]	Caribbean	47,000
Christmas Island12[1]	Australia	1,508
Cocos (Keeling) Islands[1]	Australia	596
Curaçao[27]	Caribbean	150,563
Falkland Islands	South Atlantic	3,000
Gibraltar[1]	Europe	29,257
Guam4	Oceania	173,000
Guernsey10	Europe	61,811
Hong Kong2[1]	Asia	7,097,600
Isle of Man8	Europe	80,058
Jersey6[1]	Europe	89,300
Montserrat[3]	Caribbean	5,900
Norfolk Island[1]	Australia	1,828
Northern Mariana Islands7	Oceania	53,883
Pitcairn Islands13[1]	Oceania	50
Puerto Rico3	Caribbean	3,991,000
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha[3]	South Atlantic	5,660
Sint Maarten[28]	Caribbean	40,900
San Andrés y Providencia, Colombia [29]	Caribbean	59,573
Tokelau[3]	Oceania	1,400
Turks and Caicos Islands[1]	Caribbean	26,000
U.S. Virgin Islands5	Caribbean	111,000

See also

• Anglosphere
  • Anglo-America
• Commonwealth of Nations
  • English in the Commonwealth of Nations
• British Overseas Territories
• List of countries by English-speaking population
• British Empire

Footnotes

^1 The population figures are based on the sources in List of countries by population, with information as of 23 January 2009 (UN estimates, et al.), and refer to the population of the country and not necessarily to the number of inhabitants that speak English in the country in question.

^2 Hong Kong is a former British Crown colony (1843-1981) and British Dependent Territory (1981-1997); it is currently a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (1997- present)

^3 Puerto Rico is, historically and culturally, connected to the Spanish-speaking Caribbean; Spanish is also an official language on the island. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated United States territory referred to as a "Commonwealth"

^4 Guam is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States

^5 The US Virgin Islands is an insular area of the United States

^6 Jersey is a British Crown dependency

^7 The Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the United States

^8 Isle of Man is a British Crown dependency

^9 Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory

^10 Guernsey is a British Crown dependency

^11 American Samoa is an unincorporated U.S. territory

^12 Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia

^13 Pitcairn Islands is a British Overseas Territory

^14 The Cook Islands and Niue are associated states of New Zealand that lack general recognition.

^15 Somaliland is a de facto state, recognized internationally as an autonomous region of Somalia.

References

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v t e English-speaking world Click on a coloured area to see an article about English in that country or region   Further links Articles Anglosphere History of the English language British Empire English in the Commonwealth of Nations Lists List of countries by English-speaking population List of countries where English is an official language   Countries and territories where English is the national language or the native language of the majority Africa Saint Helena Americas Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda The Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda British Virgin Islands Canada Cayman Islands Dominica Falkland Islands Grenada Guyana Jamaica Montserrat Saba Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands United States United States Virgin Islands Europe Guernsey Ireland Isle of Man Jersey United Kingdom Oceania Australia New Zealand Norfolk Island Pitcairn Islands   Countries and territories where English is an official language, but not the majority first language Africa Botswana Cameroon Ethiopia Eritrea The Gambia Ghana Kenya Lesotho Liberia Malawi Mauritius Namibia Nigeria Rwanda Sierra Leone Somaliland South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Americas Puerto Rico Asia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Hong Kong India Malaysia Pakistan Philippines Singapore Europe Gibraltar Malta Oceania American Samoa Cook Islands Fiji Guam Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia Nauru Niue Northern Mariana Islands Palau Papua New Guinea Samoa Solomon Islands Tokelau Tuvalu Vanuatu Dependencies shown in italics.