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Jun 12, 2018 · It is the official language of 6 sovereign nations and of 6 dependent regions. These countries and 1 of the regions make up the Council for German Orthography, which regulates the written rules of the language. Below is a look at some of the countries and territories where German is an official language (outside of Germany). Belgium
- Amber Pariona
- German-Speaking Countries in Europe
- Other European Countries That Recognized The German Language
- German-Speaking Countries in Africa
- Other German-Speaking Countries
1. Germany
Germanyhas the most significant number of German speakers of any country worldwide. German is the country’s official language, and it is spoken as the native tongue and first language by more than 95 percent of the population. The remaining percent is allocated to Sorbian, the country’s second language. In addition to its historical events, castles, and tourist attractions in Germany, you travel around the country, and many German-speaking residents greet you. Still, quite a few dialects are...
2. Austria
Outside Germany, Austria is the most widely known country that features German as its official national language-speaking country. Austrians speak German as their official language and are the most widely known in Central and Western Europe besides Germany. Its sole official language is Standard Austrian German. It is spoken by about 98% of the Austrian population, about 8 million people. Like in Germany, various regional dialects have some differences but are still in German. The southern pr...
3. Switzerland
Among the main German-speaking countries in Europe is Switzerland. The nation is recognized as the main player in the predominantly German-speaking parts of Europe. On its territory, there are about 5.3 million native German speakers, who make up 64% of Switzerland’s population. Switzerlandis a peculiar but scenic country that uses four official languages. These are German, French, Italian, and Romansh. Even though the country has four languages, German is considered a second language. See Re...
7. Italy
The charming province of South Tyrol in Northern Italy is among the places in Europe that recognize German as an official language. The province is bordered by Austria, a German-speaking country that links South Tyrol to speak the language too. Seventy percent of the region’s population, about 350,00, were German native speakers. Italy is a European Union country with some of the population speaking German, particularly in the Northern region of Italy. See Related: Best Things to Do in Leipzig
8. France
This lovely nation isn’t recognized as an official German-speaking country by Germany, but a small number of people in France speak German. The Alsatian dialect is spoken in the Alsace region. It’s Alemannic German from Alsace, which is spoken by 1.2% of the population in France and 750,000 people in this region. The southeastern part of France is home to a number of German speakers. Many Alsatian and Lorraine Franconian dialects are spoken in the regions. About 1% of the population speaks it...
9. Czech Republic
The scenic landlocked country nation in Central Europe is among the countries that recognize German and use the German language in some parts of its region. The Czech Republic borders the state of Germanyand other German-speaking countries, which links to why a number of the country’s population speak German. About 64% of the Czech population speaks Czech, and about 0.2% speak German, so it’s a minority language. But that doesn’t mean that people don’t know German. A relatively small populati...
17. Namibia
Namibia is one of the African countriesthat speaks German as a co-official language or is better suited as a first language. German is not the country’s official language, although the government acknowledges it as a national language. Between 1884 and 1915, Namibia was a German colony, and the German language shaped the country’s culture. In Namibia, German was re-established as an official language. In South Africa, German was also reinstated as an official language, but Afrikaans is the co...
18. South Africa
You might be wondering how the German language reaches Africa. There’s a significant number of South Africans descended from Germans. There are German waves of immigration in South Africa that influence the culture of the country and its language. For the years that Germans resided in the country, its influence is deeply rooted in its language and history. However, South Africa’s main language is Afrikaans. Though most locals speak their native mother tongue, you will hear some of them speak...
Aside from Europe and Africa, the German language reaches other countries. You might be bewildered about which these countries are. During World War II, many early German settlers were looking for somewhere to stay in Australia. Some Australians are bilingual in German. If you go to Germany, you may be surprised to hear some people speaking their n...
Nov 20, 2023 · The following six countries are where German is primarily spoken: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. All of them are in Europe. And in fact, German is the most widely spoken language in the European Union, where it’s one of 24 official languages.
People also ask
Which countries speak German?
Where is German an official language?
Is German a common language in Germany?
How many people speak German?
- Austria. Austria ( Österreich) should quickly come to mind. Germany's neighbor to the south has a population of about 8.5 million. Most Austrians speak German, as that is the official language.
- Switzerland. Most of the 8 million citizens of Switzerland (die Schweiz) speak German. The rest speak French, Italian or Romansh. Switzerland's largest city is Zurich, but the capital is Bern, with the federal courts headquartered in French-speaking Lausanne.
- Liechtenstein. Then there's the "postage stamp" country of Liechtenstein, tucked in between Austria and Switzerland. Its nickname comes from both its diminutive size (62 square miles) and its philatelic activities.
- Luxembourg. Most people forget Luxembourg (Luxemburg, without the o, in German), situated on Germany's western border. Although French is used for street and place names and for official business, most of Luxembourg's citizens speak a dialect of German called Lëtztebuergesch in daily life, and Luxembourg is considered a German-speaking country.
Officially, there are six German speaking countries in Europe: Germany – more than 80 million speakers. Austria – 8 million speakers. Switzerland – 4.6 million speakers. Belgium – 75.000 speakers.
The six countries that have German as their official language, in alphabetical order, are: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Over 78% of the world’s total German speakers live in Germany.
Approximate distribution of native German speakers (assuming a rounded total of 95 million) worldwide: [7] [8] [2] [note 1] The German language is spoken in a number of countries and territories in Europe, where it is used both as an official language and as a minority language in various countries.
