Which countries speak Arabic? The full list of Arabic-speaking countries
Quick answer: Arabic is an official language in the 22 member states of the Arab League and is also widely used in Chad and Eritrea. Around 400 million people speak it, making it one of the six official UN languages.
How many countries speak Arabic?
Arabic is the official or co-official language of the 22 Arab League members. It is also widely used in Chad and Eritrea, and in Israel it was an official language until 2018.
Arabic-speaking countries by region
The Arab world stretches from the Atlantic to the Arabian Sea:
- Gulf: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen
- Levant: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine
- Iraq
- North Africa: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Sudan
- East Africa and islands: Somalia, Djibouti, Comoros
Modern Standard Arabic and dialects
Modern Standard Arabic (fusha) is used in news, books and official settings everywhere. Daily speech uses regional dialects: Gulf, Levantine, Egyptian, Iraqi and Maghrebi Arabic can differ a lot in vocabulary and pronunciation. Egyptian Arabic is the most widely understood, thanks to Egyptian films and TV.
The largest Arabic-speaking countries
Egypt has the most speakers, with over 100 million people, followed by Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
Arabic around the world
Arabic is one of the six official languages of the United Nations, and World Arabic Language Day is celebrated every year on 18 December. It is written from right to left, and its alphabet has 28 letters.
How Arabic spread
Arabic began in the Arabian Peninsula. From the 7th century it spread with the expansion of Islam across the Middle East and North Africa, becoming the language of government, science and literature from Baghdad to Córdoba. Many scientific words in European languages, such as algebra, algorithm and zenith, come from Arabic texts of this period.
The Arabic script
Arabic is written from right to left in a cursive script, where most letters join and change shape depending on their position in the word. Short vowels are usually not written, but can be shown with small marks. The script is also used, with extra letters, for Persian, Urdu and Pashto.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Direction | Right to left |
| Letters | 28 |
| Vowels | Long vowels written, short vowels usually not |
| Other languages using the script | Persian, Urdu, Pashto, Kurdish (Sorani) |
Arabic speakers outside the Arab world
Large Arabic-speaking communities live in Europe, the Americas and West Africa. Arabic is also studied by millions of Muslims worldwide as the language of the Quran.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries speak Arabic?
22 countries have Arabic as an official language: the members of the Arab League.
Which country has the most Arabic speakers?
Egypt, with more than 100 million people.
Is Arabic an official UN language?
Yes. Arabic is one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
What is the difference between fusha and dialects?
Fusha (Modern Standard Arabic) is the shared formal language; dialects are the everyday spoken forms that vary by country.
How many letters are in the Arabic alphabet?
28.
When is World Arabic Language Day?
18 December.
Which Arabic dialect is most widely understood?
Egyptian Arabic, largely thanks to Egyptian films and music.
Is Arabic hard to learn?
The script takes some practice, but its regular word patterns help learners.
Which languages use the Arabic script?
Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Pashto and Sorani Kurdish.