Czech Republic

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Czech Republic (CZ)

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ECRML
Signed
2000
Ratified
2006
In Force
2007
FCNM
Signed
1995
Ratified
1997
In Force
1998
Country Description
The Czech Republic is one of six countries in this database that does not legally have an official language, only a ‘de facto’ one: Czech. Historically, Czech was known as Bohemian and the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown included Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia. Lower Silesian is still spoken in the Czech Republic today, and Moravian Croatian can be classified as the northernmost variety of Burgenland Croatian. The inclusion of Moravian Croatian in the ECRML was strongly welcomed by the community also as a form of moral rehabilitation, as older generations were forcefully displaced from the Czech borderlands following World War II. There is no precise data on the current number of Moravian Croatians – census data from 2021 not only conflates Moravian Croatians with more recently arrived Croats following the Yugoslav conflict in the 1990s, it was also not mandatory to state a nationality in former censuses, which 25% of the population chose not to do. According to expert estimations, the actual Moravian Croatian community likely consists of only a few hundred persons, rendering their language critically endangered. There is no official national data on the number of deaf people in the Czech Republic and the number of deaf Sign Language users is estimated to be around 10 000. Local languages not established by the chosen sources so far, but spoken by officially recognised Czech national minorities include Belarusian, Bulgarian, Georgian, Greek, Serbian, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
Pan-National Official Language(s)
This category only includes languages that are official throughout the whole country (with the exception of Belgium) - languages that are e.g. regionally 'co-official' are not listed here but can be identified in the categories below wherever a relevant legal document is listed. A future update could include lists of co-official languages, as well. To increase their visibility, recognised Sign Languages are always listed as official languages even if they are not yet technically official. The data on legal recognition was aggregated from legal documents and official sources. Wherever possible, the national number was taken from a national census or recent study/official estimate – sources are listed. The endangerment level is adopted from Ethnologue and further estimates of endangerment can be found on the individual language profile (e.g. by clicking on 'Italian').
Language Endonym Geographic Area Source Legal Recognition Legal Document Source National Number Bases for Calculation Estimation Date Source Endangerment Level
Czech Sign Language (ČZJ)
Sign Language
Český znakový jazyk Whole country 1998 / Expanded in 2008 Act No. 384/2008 Coll. (amending Act No. 155/1998 Coll.) Approx. 10 000 (not a census) Deaf Sign Language Users 2026 (Website accessed) 5 (Developing)
None ('De facto' official language: Czech)
Slavic
Čeština Whole country / / / 8 996 475 Mother Tongue 2021 1 (National)
ECRML-Recognised Languages
This includes languages recognised under the European Charter of Regional and Minority Languages (ECRML). The data on legal recognition was aggregated from legal documents and official sources. Wherever possible, the national number was taken from a national census or recent study/official estimate – sources are listed. The endangerment level is adopted from Ethnologue and further estimates of endangerment can be found on the individual language profile (e.g. by clicking on 'Czech').
Language Endonym Geographic Area Source Legal Recognition Legal Document Source National Number Bases for Calculation Estimation Date Source Endangerment Level ECRML level
German
Germanic
Deutsch Cheb, Karlovy Vary and Sokolov in the Karlovy Vary Region; the district of Liberec in the Liberec Region; the district of Ústí nad Labem in the Ústí nad Labem Region; the district of Český Krumlov in the South Bohemia Region; the district of Opava in the Moravian-Silesian Region; and the district of Svitavy in the Pardubice Region 2007 ECRML 10 151 (given) Mother Tongue 2021 5* (Dispersed) Depending on area, Part II OR Part II & Part III
Moravian Croatian
Slavic
Gradišćanskohrvatski South / North Moravia 2007 ECRML 16 523 (given) Mother Tongue 2021 Listed under 'Czech' Part II
Polish
Slavic
Polski Near border, the Czech part of Cieszyn Silesia 2007 ECRML 30 183 (given) Mother Tongue 2021 5* (Dispersed) Part II & Part III
Romani
Indo-Aryan
Romani ćhib Whole country 2007 ECRML 4 280 (given) Mother Tongue 2021 Carpathian - 6b* (Threatened), Sinte - 5* (Developing) Part II
Slovak
Slavic
Slovenský jazyk Whole country, higher number of users in large cities (as a result of migration for work and study) and in border areas 2007 ECRML 150 738 (given) Mother Tongue 2021 5* (Dispersed) Part II & Part III
Non-ECRML Languages – Source Overview
Languages marked with appear in that source. Languages listed in multiple sources may have differing data – see the detail tables below.
Language Ethnologue ELP
Bavarian
English
French
Knaanic
Lower Silesian
Rusyn / Ruthenian
Non-ECRML Languages (Ethnologue)
Languages listed with an 'established status' in Ethnologue. The data on legal recognition, national number, and endangerment level was taken from Ethnologue, reflecting its current state and gaps of knowledge.
Language Endonym Geographic Area Source Legal Recognition Legal Document Source National Number Bases for Calculation Estimation Date Source Endangerment Level
Bavarian
Germanic
Bairisch Karlovy Vary and Plzen regions; Vysocina region: Jihlavsky / / / 9 000 Users 2005 5* (Developing)
English
Germanic
English / / / / 2 920 500 Users 2021 4 (Educational)
French
Romance
Français / / / / 235 060 Users 2011 5* (Dispersed)
Knaanic
Slavic
Leshon Knaan / / / / No known L1 speakers / / 10 (Extinct)
Lower Silesian
Slavic
Schläsisch Moravia-Silesia and Olomouc regions / / / 10 900 Users 2001 6a* (Vigorous)
Rusyn / Ruthenian
Slavic
Rusîn'skyj jazyk Hlavni Mesto; Prague area 2001 National Minority Rights Act No. 273, Article 2 / 780,00 Users 2011 6a* (Vigorous)
Non-ECRML Languages (Endangered Languages Project)
Languages listed in the Endangered Languages Project (ELP). The data on legal recognition, national number, and endangerment level was taken from ELP, reflecting its current state and gaps of knowledge.
Language Endonym Geographic Area Source Legal Recognition Legal Document Source National Number Bases for Calculation Estimation Date Source Endangerment Level
Lower Silesian
Slavic
Schläsisch / / / / 22 900 (international) Speakers 2026 (Website accessed) Vulnerable
Recognised Minorities
FCNM Status Religious Groups Ethnic / National Groups Linguistic Groups Comments Source for Groups and Comments (Name) Source for Groups and Comments (Link) National Reservations & Declarations Source for Reservations & Declarations
In force (1998) / Belarusian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Hungarian, German, Polish, Roma, Rusyn, Russian, Greek, Slovak, Serbian, Ukrainian and Vietnamese + Czechs, Jewish / 14 national minorities recognized by Law 273/2001, but the census on “National Identity and Mother Tongues’ also includes Jews. It is the only MS to include a minority of migrant origin (Vietnamese) Magazzini, T. (2024). When ethnicity is “national”: mapping ethnic minorities in Europe’s framework convention for the protection of national minorities. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 47(9), 1812–1833. https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2024.2328338 /

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