Languages of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is a multilingual country, with 25 languages.^[1] English is the de facto official language, and Krio is the most widely spoken.

Other major languages include Mende, which is spoken by 29.5% of the population as a mother tongue, and also as a lingua franca in southern Sierra Leone, and Temne, which is spoken by 24.7% as a mother tongue, and also as a lingua franca in northern Sierra Leone. Other languages include Kono, Kissi, Kuranko, Limba, Fula (Pular), and Susu.

Although English, as the official language, is spoken in schools, government administration, and the media, Krio is spoken as a lingua franca in virtually all parts of Sierra Leone. Krio, an English-based creole language, is the mother tongue of 10.5% of the population, but is spoken by 90% of Sierra Leoneans.^[2]

See also

• Sierra Leonean Sin Language

References

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