Spanish is a globally spoken language that is continuously expanding with over 500 million native speakers scattered across the globe. The language is among the top five global leading languages in terms of population, widespread adoption, and geographic extension. Spanish holds official status within the United Nations for its usage and the role of a bridge in global diplomacy and international affairs. Being the third most used language in the digital world, it’s no secret that the Spanish language can be your gateway to connect with a huge audience. The Internet is massively shifting the modes of communication and interaction toward digital ways, providing a reliable platform for global collaboration. Additionally, the impact of the Spanish language on the internet identifies the pressing demand for Spanish translation services. Before delving into the learning process, it’s important to analyze its origin, extent, and global use.
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Spanish Language: Origin
Spanish originates from the Castile region of Spain which is why it is referred to as Castilian or Castellano. The language also has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula “Vulgar Latin”. In addition to Europe, the Spanish language has strong recognition in the United States. Almost 13% of the overall population natively understands and speaks Spanish, making it the second most used language in the United States. However, this article revolves around the list of countries in Europe that speak Spanish.
Spanish Speaking Countries in Europe
Spanish is an incredibly diverse language with its speakers spread all around the world. However, the language statistics show a huge volume of native speakers from European countries. You might easily predict some famous countries, but you will be surprised to find some lesser-known countries in our list as well.
What is the Only Country with Spanish as the Official Language in Europe?
Although the list of Spanish-speaking countries in Europe is extensive, we will start with Spain as it is the birthplace of the language and has a great historical background. Having almost 94% native speakers, Spain is the only country with Spanish as the official language. The country is home to approximately 50 million native Spanish speakers, making the language by far the most prevalent on the continent.
Spain is a famous tourist hotspot and the second most visited place after France. Furthermore, Spaniards portray Spanish culture globally instead of Mexican culture which has also been a part of their history. This represents the extent of the Spanish language and culture not only in Spain but also throughout Europe.
1. Andorra
Andorra is among the smallest countries in Europe with a population of around 80000 as of 2023. Although the population of Andorra is not even close to major Spanish speaking countries in Europe, it has almost 35% of Spanish speakers. This ratio earns Andorra second rank in our list after Spain, which has the highest percentage of Spanish speakers, 94%. Andorran is the leading ethnic group in Andorra followed by Spanish, Portuguese, and French, to name a few.
2. France
This is what you were expecting in place of Andarro as France also has a substantial population of Spanish speakers. French is the official language of 88% of its overall population, defining its rich culture. After French, Spanish is the second widely adopted language with a proficiency rate of 9.06%. Apart from being the two of the most popular languages in the world, are they similar? Both languages have shared some origins and are classified as the language of romance. Residents in France have a basic understanding of both cultures.
3. Portugal
Portugal secures the fourth spot in our extensive roster of European Spanish speaking countries. Being the oldest country in Europe, Portugal has embraced different cultures and norms over time. Its official language, Portuguese, also originated from the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Portuguese is the native language of the majority of its population; however, 6.98% speak Spanish as their native language.
Portugal has a traditional folklore culture and its residents cheerfully participate in cultural activities like art, drama, music, and many more.
4. Italy
If you think Italian is the only popular language in Italy, then you might be wrong. Undoubtedly, the Italian language is predominant and has several Italian dialects, but a huge portion still embraces Spanish as their native language. Not only because the country offers educational opportunities to Spanish and other students but also due to the geographical proximity of both nations. Every time you pass through the streets in Italy, you will often see people communicating in Spanish and French other than Italian.
5. Sweden
The official language of Sweden, Swedish, belongs to the northern Germanic language and has a lot of similarities with Danish and Norwegian. Having more than 10 million native speakers, Swedish is the fourth most spoken Germanic language. Apart from Sweden, the language has great influence in Finland and is represented as the official language of Finns. However, the country has a diverse population who share different languages and cultures.
In Sweden, it won’t be wrong to say that the Spanish language has its dedicated audience. Although Swedish is easy to understand and learn, native Spanish speakers always prefer to carry their base language and culture. This is why Sweden still has a 4.78% population of Spanish which has continuously grown over the years due to work opportunities and travel exposure.
6. Ireland
Although Ireland has its distinct language and cultural background, its population is a blend of different cultures and languages. In addition to Irish, the country has also officially adopted English. This language and cultural diversity captured the interest of European business companies and empowered them to establish their office in Ireland as well. Apart from its official languages, Ireland also has 3.65% Spanish speakers.
7. Denmark
Denmark has almost 86% ethnic Danes population but the country and its people still welcome people from all regions, races, and cultures. Similarly, the country has nearly 2 lac Spanish speakers, accounting for over 3.29% of the overall population.
9. Netherlands
With over 3.24% Spanish proficiency rate, the Netherlands also serves a huge audience who speak and understand Spanish. As the country is directly involved in economic reforms within the European Union, it has a diverse population who possess different languages and dialects.
10. Belgium
Belgian culture is the perfect representation of Belgian history and background. The culture is adopted by all residents and immigrants irrespective of the language they speak.
Dutch-speaking Belgians and French-speaking Belgians are the two major communities in the country. However, Belgium has 3.19% of native Spanish speakers, identifying the impact of the Spanish language in this multi-cultural land.
11. Romania
Having a population of nearly 20 million, Romania also serves different cultures and languages. Among these languages, Spanish is spoken by 2.54% of the country’s overall population.
12. Germany
Germany has a population of 83.31 million as of recent stats in 2023. Surprisingly, our data shows that Germany’s population decreased by 114000 compared to 2022 statistics. However, the country has a 2.5% Spanish proficiency rate.
13. Austria
Austria has a population of 9 million out of which 2.45% natively speak Spanish.
14. Luxembourg
Luxembourg is a relatively small area of land with a population of 645000. Its major languages are French and German; however, Spanish is also adopted by a significant portion, accounting for 2.43% of its overall population.
15. Finland
Finland has a population of 5.54 million who fluently communicate in two official languages Finnish and Swedish. As the people belong to different languages and cultures, Finland also has 2.39% of native Spanish speakers.
16. Slovenia
Slovenia is a small piece of land, having a population of 2.11 million out of which 2.25% are Spanish-speaking people.
17. Croatia
Croatia’s population also saw a decline of 0.54% from last year. In 2023, its estimated population is 400817 including 1.67% native Spanish speakers.
18. United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has a population of 67.7 million as of 2023 statistics. The United Kingdom is the hub for international communities and businesses from different countries have established strong alliances with UK-based companies. It won’t be wrong to say that the country has a diverse population from each language or culture. The United Kingdom has over 4 million Spanish speakers which is only 1.6% of its entire population.
19. Bulgaria
Bulgaria’s population is recorded at around 6.7 million which also includes 1.28% native Spanish speakers.
20. Cyprus
Cyprus has a huge population of 1230 million out of which 1% speaks Spanish.
21. Latvia
Latvia’s estimated population is 1.83 million and approximately 0.98% are native Spanish speakers.
22. Greece
Greece has a population of 10.3 million and 0.88% of its entire population speak Spanish as their native language.
23. Lithuania
The population of Lithuania stands at around 2.7 million out of which 0.76% adopt Spanish as their native language.
24. Malta
Malta has only 535064 people and 0.73% of this population understand and prefer Spanish.
25. Poland
According to recent data, Poland recorded a population of more than 41 million in 2023. Among its diverse language range, Poland has 0.68% Spanish-speaking people.
26. Hungary
Hungary’s population has observed a massive rise in recent years as the current stats show more than 10.1 million people. With the majority of the population speaking its official language Hungarian, Spanish still has some influence in this country. 0.55% of its population own Spanish as their native language.
27. Slovakia
The population of Slovakia stands at 5.7 million and 0.41% of that population are Spanish-speaking people.
28. Estonia
Estonia; the land of opportunities for tech giants and international students, recorded a population of 1.32 million in 2023. In recent years, Estonia has welcomed a huge portion of students and tech experts as the country is performing exemplary in digital development. Estonia has 0.35% Spanish people which will increase in coming years as well.
29. Czech Republic
The Czech Republic ranks 29 in the list as the country has only a 0.25% Spanish audience. According to 2023 data, its overall population observed a decline and was recorded at 10.4 million people.
This comprehensive list of Spanish-speaking countries showcases the influence and power of the Spanish language in the European region. Although only one European nation has adopted Spanish as its official language, Spanish still has a huge population residing across Europe.
How Many Countries in Europe Speak Spanish?
As the world is getting smaller, it’s fair enough to say that Spanish speakers can be found in every corner of the world. However, Europe is a major hub for all businesses and industries, and people from different languages often travel to this region. You will barely find someone who does not speak international languages. In Europe, the Spanish language is not only spoken by locals but also a large number of immigrants also speak Spanish. Spain identified it as their official language. Andorra, France, and more than 25 European countries have a huge audience for the Spanish language. Moreover, it is continuously growing due to international immigrants and trade relations with global countries.
After taking a quick sneak peek at the list, you have gained insights into the scope of the Spanish language and the percentage of native speakers in each European country.
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