Germany
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Germany (DE)
ECRML
Signed
1992
Ratified
1998
In Force
1999
FCNM
Signed
1995
Ratified
1997
In Force
1998
Country Description
Germany is one of six countries in this database that does not legally have an official language, only a ‘de facto’ one: German. The last time that official language data was collected throughout all of Germany was in 1950. Since 2021, Germany has instated the so-called “Mikrozensus”, which annually surveys a representative sample of the population to extrapolate population-wide trends. The data of the latest language census is upcoming. In 2023, the estimated population of Germany was 41 155 000, of which 94% could use German - that is, 38 685 700 people. There is a noted lack of data on both autochthonous and allochthonous language groups. There is also no official national data on the number of deaf people in Germany; the number of German Sign Language (DGS) users is estimated to be around 250 000, including users who are hard-of-hearing, while it is estimated that there are around 80 000 deaf people in Germany. Among the nine dialects of North Frisian, six are used orally and in written form, while three are spoken by less than 150 persons and severely threatened by extinction.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
German Sign Language (DGS)
Sign Language
|
Deutsche Gebärdensprache | Whole country | 2002 | Federal Disability Equality Act Art. 2 § 6 Sign language and communication for people with hearing and speech impairments / Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz Par. 2 § 6 Gebärdensprache und Kommunikation von Menschen mit Hör- und Sprachbehinderungen | Approx. 250 000 (not a census) | Language used | 2025 | 5 (Developing) | |||
|
None ('De facto' official language: German)
Germanic
|
Deutsch | Whole country | / | / | / | Approx. 38 685 700 (estimated, not a national census) | Language Users | 2023 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Danish
Germanic
|
Dansk | Schleswig region in the Kreise of Nordfriesland and Schleswig-Flensburg, in the northern part of the Kreis of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, and in the city of Flensburg | 1955 | Bonn-Copenhagen Declaration, Rights of the Danish Majority, paragraphs 1–12 (Statutory language of provincial identity) | 50 000 (estimate, not a census) | Understood and spoken | 2000 (Publication) | 5* (Dispersed) | Part II & Part III | |||
|
Low German
Germanic
|
Plattdütsch | The entire terrority of Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, and parts of Brandenburg, North Rhine/Westphalia and Saxony-Anhalt | 1999 | ECRML (6 states concede recognized language status, 2 states, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, afford special protection in their basic laws) | Approx. 1 500 000 (estimate, not a census) | Speakers | 2019 | 7 (Shifting) | Depending on area, Part II OR Part II & Part III | |||
|
Lower Sorbian
Slavic
|
Serbšćina, Wendish | Lower Lusatia | 1992 | Constitution, Article 25 (Statutory language of provincial identity) | 20 000 (estimate, not a census, all Sorbs) | Can speak and write | 2000 (Publication) | 8a (Moribund) | Part II & Part III | |||
|
North Frisian
Germanic
|
Noordfreesch (many spellings) | Nine local varieties: Six of these [so-called Continental North Frisian] are spoken along the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein (including the holms, or Halligen islands), and three of them [socalled Insular North Frisian] on the offshore islands of Sylt, Föhr, Amrum, and Helgoland | 2014 | Constitution, Article 6(2) (as amended, statutory language of provincial identity) | Approx. 30 000 (estimate, not a census) | Speak or understand | 2000 (Publication) | 7 (Shifting) | Part II & Part III | |||
|
Romani
Indo-Aryan
|
Romani ćhib | Spoken in most of the Länder of the Federal Republic of Germany | 1999 | ECRML | Approx. 10 000 (estimate, not a census) | Speakers | 2000 (Publication) | Sinte Romani - 5 (Developing) | Depending on area, Part II OR Part II & Part III | |||
|
Saterland Frisian
Germanic
|
Seeltersk | Lower Saxony, Saterland in the Oldenburg region, near the border with the Netherlands | 1999 | ECRML | Approx. 2 000 (estimate, not a census) | Users | 2000 (Publication) | 7 (Shifting) | Part II & Part III | |||
|
Upper Sorbian
Slavic
|
Hornjoserbšćina | Upper Lusatia | 1992 | Constitution, Article 6 (Statutory language of provincial identity) | 20 000 (estimate, not a census, all Sorbs) | Can speak and write | 2000 (Publication) | 6b (Threatened) | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Alemannic | ✓ | |
| Bavarian | ✓ | |
| Eastern Franconian | ✓ | |
| Eastern Yiddish | ✓ | |
| English | ✓ | |
| French | ✓ | |
| Limbourgish | ✓ | |
| Low Saxon / East Frisian | ✓ | |
| Lower Silesian | ✓ | |
| Luxembourgish | ✓ | |
| Palatinate Franconian | ✓ | |
| Plautdietsch | ✓ | |
| Polabian | ✓ | |
| Polish | ✓ | |
| Ripuarian | ✓ | |
| Swabian | ✓ | |
| Turkish | ✓ | |
| Upper Saxon | ✓ | |
| Western Yiddish | ✓ | ✓ |
| Westphalien | ✓ | |
| Yeniche | ✓ |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alemannic
Germanic
|
Alemannic Deutschlandic | Baden-Württemberg state | / | / | / | / | / | / | / | 5* (Developing) | |
|
Bavarian
Germanic
|
Boarisch | Bayern state: Regensburg north to Nuremburg | / | / | / | 5 000 000 | Users | 2024 | 5* (Developing) | ||
|
Eastern Franconian
Germanic
|
Fränggisch | Bayern state: Mittelfranken, Oberfranken, and Unterfranken districts; Thüringen state: south | / | / | / | / | / | / | 6a* (Vigorous) | ||
|
Eastern Yiddish
Germanic
|
Yidish | Widespread | / | / | / | 5 000 | Users | 2000 | 7 (Shifting) | ||
|
English
Germanic
|
English | Widespread | / | / | / | 46 991 000 | Users | 2021 | 4 (Educational) | ||
|
French
Romance
|
Français | Scattered | / | / | / | 12 345 000 | Users | 2023 | 5* (Dispersed) | ||
|
Limbourgish
Germanic
|
Limburgs / Plat | Nordrhein-Westfalen state: Aachen, Cleves, Heinsberg, and Viersen | / | / | / | / | / | / | 8a (Moribund) | ||
|
Low Saxon / East Frisian
Germanic
|
Oostfräisk | Niedersachsen state: north of a line from Aachen to Frankfurt an der Oder | / | / | / | 2 201 000 | Users | 2016 | 7 (Shifting) | ||
|
Luxembourgish
Germanic
|
Lëtzebuergesch | Rheinland-Pfalz state: Bitburg area | / | / | / | 23 900 | Users | 2021 | 5* (Dispersed) | ||
|
Palatinate Franconian
Germanic
|
Pälzisch | Rheinland-Pfalz state: southwest Palatinate, Rheinpfalz | / | / | / | 400 000 (all countries) | Users | 2026 (Website accessed) | 5* (Developing) | ||
|
Plautdietsch
Germanic
|
Plautdietsch | Baden-Württemberg state: northwest; Hessen state: south of Frankfurt; Rheinland-Pfalz state: east of Saarbrucken | / | / | / | 90 000 | Users | 1996 | 7 (Shifting) | ||
|
Polabian
Slavic
|
Slüvensťă rec | Brandenburg; Hamburg; Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; Niedersachsen: eastern area; Sachsen-Anhalt: Wittenberg; Schleswig-Holstein: Lübeck | / | / | / | No known L1 speaker | / | / | 10 (Extinct) | ||
|
Polish
Slavic
|
Polski | Brandenburg and Sachsen states: Silesia area; Nordrhein-Westfalen state: Ruhr area | / | / | / | 2 200 000 (based on nationality) | Users | 2023 | 5* (Dispersed) | ||
|
Ripuarian
Germanic
|
Ripwarisch | Nordrhein-Westfalen state: Cologne (Köln) area | / | / | / | 250 000 | Users | 1997 | 6a (Vigorous) | ||
|
Swabian
Germanic
|
Schwäbisch | Baden-Württemberg state; Bayern state: Schwaben area | / | / | / | 820 000 | Users | 2000 | 5* (Developing) | ||
|
Turkish
Turkic
|
Türkçe | Baden-Württemberg and Nordrhein-Westfalen states; all major urban areas, particularly in western Germany | / | / | / | 2 677 000 | Users | 2023 | 5* (Dispersed) | ||
|
Upper Saxon
Germanic
|
Sächsisch / Meissenish | Sachsen state: Chemnitz, Dresden, and Leipzig; Sachsen-Anhalt state: Halle | / | / | / | 2 000 000 | Users | 1998 | 6a* (Vigorous) | ||
|
Western Yiddish
Germanic
|
Yidish | / | / | / | / | No known L1 speaker | / | / | 9 (Dormant) | ||
|
Westphalien
Germanic
|
Westfäölsk | Nordrhein-Westfalen state: south of Dortmund | / | / | / | / | / | / | 6a* (Vigorous) | ||
|
Yeniche
Germanic
|
Jenisch | Baden-Württemberg state; scattered | / | / | / | 16 000 (based on ethnicity) | Users | 2023 | 7 (Shifting) |
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 9000 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | Vulnerable | ||
|
Western Yiddish
Germanic
|
/ | / | / | / | / | 5 400 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | Threatened |
Recognised Minorities
Further Reading
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