List of countries and territories where English is an official language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a list of countries and territories where English is an official language used in citizen interactions with government officials. As of 2026, there are 58 sovereign states and 28 non-sovereign entities where English is an official language. Many administrative divisions have declared English an official language at the local or regional level.

English language distribution
  Majority native language
  Official or administrative language, but not majority language

Most states where English is an official language are former territories of the British Empire. Exceptions include Rwanda and Burundi, which were formerly German and then Belgian colonies; Cameroon, where only part of the country was under the British mandate; and Liberia, the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau, which were American territories. English is the sole official language of the Commonwealth of Nations and of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). English is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Caribbean Community, the Union of South American Nations, and many other international organisations.

The United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Antigua and Barbuda, and the United States[a] do not have English as a de jure official language, but it is the de facto working language for their governments.

Sovereign states

English is a de jure official language

More information Country, ISO code ...
Country ISO code Geographic region Population[b] Primary language?
The Bahamas[1] BHS Caribbean 403,680 Yes (English-based creole)
Barbados[2] BRB Caribbean 282,682 Yes (English-based creole)
Belize[3] BLZ Central America 288,000 Yes (English-based creole)
Botswana[3] BWA Africa 2,549,207 Yes
Burundi[4] BDI Africa 10,114,505 No (Kirundi)
Cameroon[1] CMR Africa 22,534,532 No (co-official with French, primary only in the Northwest Region and Southwest Region)
Canada CAN North America 40,267,385 Yes (co-official with French)
Dominica[1] DMA Caribbean 65,744 No (French-based creole)
Eswatini[1] SWZ Africa 1,141,000 No (Swazi)
Fiji[1] FJI Oceania 828,000 Yes (used as lingua franca)
The Gambia[1] GMB Africa 1,709,000 Yes
Ghana[1] GHA Africa 35,297,060 Yes (used as lingua franca)
Grenada[1] GRD Caribbean 111,000 Yes (English-based creole)
Guyana[5] GUY South America 738,000 Yes (English-based creole)
India[3][6] IND Asia 1,468,675,319 No (designated as official working language. Used in government, education, and business) but often serves as a Lingua Franca
Ireland[7][8] IRL Europe 5,327,721 Yes (Irish is co-official)
Jamaica[9] JAM Caribbean 2,714,000 Yes (English-based creole)
Kenya[1] KEN Africa 57,927,713 Yes (used in business and education)
Kiribati[1] KIR Oceania 95,000 No (Gilbertese)
Lesotho[1] LSO Africa 2,008,000 No (Sesotho)
Liberia[1] LBR Africa 3,750,000 Yes
Malawi[10] MWI Africa 16,407,000 Yes (lingua franca)
Malta MLT Europe 537,000 Yes (co-official with Maltese)
Marshall Islands[1] MHL Oceania 59,000 No (Marshallese)
Micronesia[1] FSM Oceania 110,000 Yes
Namibia[1] NAM Africa 2,074,000 No (lingua franca)
Nauru[11] NRU Oceania 10,000 No (but widely spoken)
Nigeria[1][12] NGA Africa 182,202,000 Yes (used as official language)
Pakistan[1] PAK Asia 256,660,152 No (but official and educational)
Palau[3] PLW Oceania 20,000 No (Palauan)
Papua New Guinea[13][14] PNG Oceania 7,059,653 Yes (official and educational)
Philippines PHL Asia 110,864,327 Yes (co-official with Filipino)
Rwanda[15][16][17] RWA Africa 13,240,439 No (but used in business and education)
Saint Kitts and Nevis[18] KNA Caribbean 50,000 Yes (English-based creole)
Saint Lucia[1] LCA Caribbean 165,000 No (French-based creole)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[19] VCT Caribbean 120,000 Yes (English-based creole)
Samoa[20] WSM Oceania 188,000 No (Samoan)
Seychelles[1] SYC Africa / Indian Ocean 87,000 No (French-based creole)
Sierra Leone[1] SLE Africa 6,190,280 Yes (English-based creole)
Singapore SGP Asia 5,469,700 Yes (lingua franca)
Solomon Islands[1] SLB Oceania 507,000 Yes
South Africa[21] ZAF Africa 65,019,298 Yes (official, educational and lingua franca in formal economy)
South Sudan[22] SSD Africa 12,340,000 Yes
Sudan[1] SDN Africa 40,235,000 Yes (co-official with Arabic)
Tanzania[1] TZA Africa 51,820,000 No (Swahili)
Tonga[23] TON Oceania 100,000 No (Tongan)
Trinidad and Tobago[1] TTO Caribbean 1,333,000 Yes (English-based creoles)
Tuvalu[3] TUV Oceania 11,000 No (Tuvaluan)
Uganda[24] UGA Africa 47,053,690 Yes
Vanuatu[25] VUT Oceania 226,000 Yes (English-based creole)
Zambia[1] ZMB Africa 16,212,000 Yes (lingua franca)
Zimbabwe[1] ZWE Africa 15,178,957 Yes (lingua franca)
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English is a predominant language without de jure designation as official

In these countries, English is conventionally spoken by both the government and main population, despite it having no de jure official status at national level.

More information Country, ISO code ...
Country ISO code Geographic region Population Primary language?
Antigua and Barbuda[26] ATG Caribbean 85,000 Yes (English-based creole)
Australia AUS Oceania 26,461,166 Yes
New Zealand[27] NZL Oceania 5,109,702 Yes
United Kingdom GBR Europe 68,138,484 Yes
United States[a] USA North America 339,665,118 Yes
Close

English is a de facto working language

While English is not recognised as de jure official in these countries, it is used as a working language in administration and many professional sectors, as well as being a primary language in the education system.

More information Country, ISO code ...
Country ISO code Geographic region Population[b]
Bangladesh[30] BAN Asia 169,828,911
Brunei[31] BRN Asia 440,715
Eritrea[32] ERI Africa 6,234,000
Israel[33][34][35] ISR Asia / Middle East 8,051,200
Malaysia[36] MYS Asia 32,730,000
Mauritius[37] MUS Africa / Indian Ocean 1,262,000
Sri Lanka[38][39] LKA Asia 20,277,597
Timor-Leste[40] TLS Asia 1,340,513
United Arab Emirates[41] ARE Asia / Middle East 9,809,000
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Non-sovereign entities

English is a de jure official language

More information Entity, Sovereign state ...
Entity Sovereign state Region Population[b] Primary language?
Akrotiri and Dhekelia United Kingdom Europe 15,700 No (Greek)
American Samoa[c] United States Oceania 67,700 No (Samoan)
Anguilla[1] United Kingdom Caribbean 18,090 No (English-based creole)
Bermuda[d][1] United Kingdom North Atlantic 65,000 Yes
Cayman Islands[3] United Kingdom Caribbean 47,000 Yes (English-based creole)
Cook Islands[1][e] New Zealand Oceania 20,000 No (Māori)
Curaçao[42] Netherlands Caribbean 150,563 No (Portuguese-based creole)
Falkland Islands and South Georgia[citation needed] United Kingdom South America 3,000 Yes
Gibraltar[1] United Kingdom Europe 33,000 Yes
Guam[f] United States Oceania 173,000 Yes (co-official with Chamorro)
Hong Kong[g][1] China Asia 7,097,600 No (co-official with Chinese)[43]
Isle of Man[h] United Kingdom Europe 80,058 Yes
Jersey[i][1] United Kingdom Europe 89,300 Yes
Niue[1][e] New Zealand Oceania 1,600 No (Niuean)
Norfolk Island[1] Australia Oceania 1,828 No (English-based creole)
Northern Mariana Islands[citation needed][j] United States Oceania 53,883 Yes (co-official with Chamorro)
Pitcairn Islands[k][1] United Kingdom Oceania 50 Yes (English-based creole)
Puerto Rico[l] United States Caribbean 3,991,000 No (co-official with Spanish as the primary language)
Sint Maarten[44] Netherlands Caribbean 40,900 Yes
Turks and Caicos Islands[1] United Kingdom North Atlantic 26,000 No (English-based creole)
United States Virgin Islands[m] United States Caribbean 111,000 No (English-based creole)
Virgin Islands, British[1] United Kingdom Caribbean 23,000 No (English-based creole)
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English is a de facto official language

More information Entity, Sovereign state ...
Entity Sovereign state Region Population[b]
British Indian Ocean Territory[citation needed] United Kingdom Indian Ocean 3,000
Guernsey[n] United Kingdom Europe 61,811
Montserrat[1] United Kingdom Caribbean 5,900
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha[3] United Kingdom South Atlantic 5,660
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English is a de facto official, but not a primary language

More information Entity, Sovereign state ...
Entity Sovereign state Region Population[b]
Christmas Island[o][1] Australia Southeast Asia 1,508
Cocos (Keeling) Islands[p][1] Australia Southeast Asia 596
Tokelau[45] New Zealand Oceania 1,400
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Country subdivisions

In these country subdivisions, English has de jure official status, but English is not official in their respective countries at the national level.

More information Subdivision, Country ...
Country subdivisions where English is a de jure official language
Subdivision Country Region Population
San Andrés y Providencia[46] Colombia South America 75,167
Sarawak[47][48][49] Malaysia Asia 2,471,140
Saba[50] Netherlands Caribbean 1,991
Sint Eustatius[50] 3,897
Scotland[51] United Kingdom Europe 5,424,800
Wales[52] 3,125,000
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U.S. states

As of 2025, 32 out of the 50 states of the United States have designated English as their official language.

More information Subdivision, Region ...
U.S. states where English is a de jure official language
Subdivision Region Population
Alabama[53] North America 4,833,722
Alaska[54] 735,132
Arizona[55] 6,626,624
Arkansas[53] 2,959,373
California[53] 38,332,521
Colorado[53] 5,268,367
Florida[53] 21,299,325
Georgia[53] 10,519,475
Hawaii[53] Oceania 1,404,054
Idaho[53] North America 1,612,136
Illinois[53] 12,882,135
Indiana[53] 6,570,902
Iowa[53] 3,090,416
Kansas[53] 2,893,957
Kentucky[53] 4,395,295
Louisiana[53] 4,657,757
Massachusetts[56] 6,794,422
Mississippi[53] 2,991,207
Missouri[53] 6,083,672
Montana[53] 1,015,165
Nebraska[53] 1,868,516
New Hampshire[53] 1,323,459
North Carolina[53] 9,848,060
North Dakota[53] 723,393
Oklahoma[57] 3,850,568
South Carolina[53] 4,774,839
South Dakota[53] 844,877
Tennessee[53] 6,495,978
Utah[53] 2,900,872
Virginia[53] 8,260,405
West Virginia[58] 1,844,128
Wyoming[53] 582,658
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See also

Footnotes

  1. [a]
    In the United States of America, English is the working language of the federal government, but there is no official language by law. Executive Order 14224 of 2025, declaring English official, is recognized by federal agencies.[28] Thirty-two states recognize English as official by law.[29]) See also Languages of the United States.
  2. [b]
    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.
  3. [c]
    American Samoa is an unincorporated U.S. territory.
  4. [d]
    Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory.
  5. [e]
    The Cook Islands and Niue are associated states of New Zealand that lack general recognition.
  6. [f]
    Guam is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States
  7. [g]
    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).
  8. [h]
    The Isle of Man is a British Crown dependency.
  9. [i]
    Jersey is a British Crown dependency.
  10. [j]
    The Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the United States.
  11. [k]
    Pitcairn Islands is a British Overseas Territory.
  12. [l]
    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".
  13. [m]
    The US Virgin Islands is an insular area of the United States.
  14. [n]
    Guernsey is a British Crown dependency.
  15. [o]
    Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia.
  16. [p]
    Cocos (Keeling) Islands is an external territory of Australia.

References

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