Spain
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Spain (ES)
ECRML
Signed
1992
Ratified
2001
In Force
2001
FCNM
Signed
1995
Ratified
1995
In Force
1998
Country Description
Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. According to the 2023 Report “Spanish: A Living Language” by the Cervantes Institute in Spain, more than 599 million people are able to speak Spanish around the globe, including nearly 500 million native speakers. This makes it the second most spoken native language in the world after Mandarin Chinese (920 million native speakers), as well as the fourth most spoken language in the world overall, following English, Mandarin Chinese, and Hindi.
Spain regularly conducts national language censuses, with the last one taking place in 2021.
(In previous censuses, 53.6% of the approx. 10 000 inhabitants of Val d'Aran claimed they speak Aranese, so approx. 5 300. In 2016, 84 652 people lived in Ceuta, of which 40% were reported to have Arabic as their native language, coming up to to approx. 33 860 speakers.
According to a 2020 survey by the National Statistics Institute of Spain (INE), there are 1 230 000 people with varying types and degrees of hearing impairment in Spain. 97.8% of them use spoken language to communicate, while 2.2% (so 27 300 people) use sign language. Two types of sign language are recognised in Spain: Spanish Sign Language (LSE) and Catalan Sign Language (LSC). According to the Department of Culture in Catalonia, approximately 25 000 people used LSC in 2014.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Catalan Sign Language (LSC)
Sign Language
|
Llengua de signes catalana | Whole Country | 2010 | Law 17/2010 / Ley 17/2010 | Approx. 25 000 | Language used | 2014 | 6b (Threatened) | |||
|
Spanish / Castilian
Romance
|
Español / Castellano | Whole Country | 1978 | Constitution of Spain Art. 3 / Constitución de España | 46 181 637 (given) | Speakers | 2021 | 1 (National) | |||
|
Spanish Sign Language (LSE)
Sign Language
|
Lengua de signos española | Whole Country | 2007 | Law 27/2007 / Ley 27/2007 | Approx. 27 300 | Hearing-impaired Language Users | 2020 | 6b (Threatened) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Amazigh
Afroasiatic
|
Tamaziɣt | Autonomous City of Melilla | 2001 | ECRML | Unknown, plans for a census | Speakers | 2018 | 6b (Threatened) | / | |||
|
Aragonese
Romance
|
Aragonés | Autonomous Community of Aragon | 1999 (furthered in 2013) | Act 3/1999, of 10 March, on the Aragonese Cultural Heritage / Act 3/2013, of 9 May, on the use, protection and promotion of the languages and language modalities of Aragon | 25 556 (given) | Speakers | 2018 | 6b (Threatened) | Part II | |||
|
Aranese
Romance
|
Aranés (Lenga d'òc) | Val d'Aran, Autonomous Community of Catalonia | 2010 | Occitan Act, Autonomous Community of Catalonia Parliament, 22 September, provincially recognised language in Catalonia | Approx. 5 300 (estimated, not a national census) | Speakers | 2023 | 6b (Threatened) | Part II & Part III | |||
|
Asturian / Bable
Romance
|
Asturianu | Principality of Asturias | 1981 (furthered in 1998) | Organic Law 7/1981, of 30 December (Official State Gazette No. 9, of 11 January 1982) on the Statute of Autonomy of the Principality of Asturias / Act 1 / 1998, of 23 March, on the Use and Promotion of Bable / Asturian | / | Approx. 390 000 (estimated, not a national census) | Speakers | 2018 | 6b (Threatened) | Part II | ||
|
Basque
Basque
|
Euskara | Basque Country, Basque-speaking areas of Navarre | 1979 | Basque Country Autonomous Community Act 3, 1979, Article 6.1, statutory provincial language | 1 593 568 (given) | Speakers | 2021 | 2 (Provincial) | Part II & Part III | |||
|
Extremaduran
Romance
|
Estremeñu | Autonomous Community of Extremadura | 2001 | ECRML | Approx. 10 000 (estimate, not a census) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | 7 (Shifting) | Part II | |||
|
Fala
Romance
|
Xalimego | Autonomous Community of Extremadura | 2001 | Regional Decree 45/2001 of 20 March | Approx. 5 000 (estimate, not a census) | Inhabitants of localities where it is spoken | 2011 | 5 (Developing) | Part II | |||
|
Galician
Romance
|
Galego | Principality of Asturias [called Galician-Asturian], in the Autonomous Communities of Castille and Leon and Galicia | 1981 | Organic Law 1/1981 on Article 5 of Galicia's Statute of Autonomy | Galician - 2 769 414 (given) | Speakers | 2021 | 2 (Provincial) | Depending on area, Part II OR Part II & Part III | |||
|
Leonese
Romance
|
Llionés | Autonomous Community of Castille and Leon | 2007 | Organic Law 14/2007 on Article 5.2 of the Statute of Autonomy of Castilla y León | Approx. 50 000 (estimate, not a census) | Speakers | 2011 | Listed under 'Asturian' - 6b (Threatened) | Part II | |||
|
Portuguese
Romance
|
Português | Autonomous Community of Extremadura | 2001 | ECRML | / | / | / | / | 5 (Developing) | Part II |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Caló | ✓ | |
| English | ✓ | |
| French | ✓ | |
| Gascon | ✓ | |
| Guanche | ✓ | |
| Ladino/ Judaeo-Spanish | ✓ | |
| Mercheros | ✓ | |
| Mirandese | ✓ | |
| Vlax Romani | ✓ |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Caló
Indo-Aryan
|
Romanó / Calé | Scattered | / | / | / | 40 000 | Users | / | 6b (Threatened) | ||
|
English
Germanic
|
English | / | / | / | / | 10 876 000 | Users | 2022 | 4 (Educational) | ||
|
French
Romance
|
Français | Scattered | / | / | / | 2 396 000 | Users | 2022 | 5* (Dispersed) | ||
|
Guanche
Afroasiatic
|
Guanachinet | Canary Islands | / | / | / | No known L1 speakers | / | 2011 | 10 (Extinct) | ||
|
Ladino/ Judaeo-Spanish
Romance
|
Judeoespañol / Djudeo-Espanyol | / | / | / | / | No known L1 speakers | / | / | 10 (Extirpated) | ||
|
Mercheros
Cant
|
Quinqui | Scattered, throughout the north of Spain, also many reported in Torrente and Valencia | / | / | / | No known L1 speakers | / | / | 9 (Dormant) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gascon
Romance
|
Gascon | / | / | / | / | 250 000 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | At risk | ||
|
Mirandese
Romance
|
Mirandés | / | / | / | / | 15 000 (international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | Vulnerable | ||
|
Vlax Romani
Indo-Aryan
|
Romani shib | / | / | / | / | 885 970 ((international) | Speakers | 2026 (Website accessed) | At risk |
Recognised Minorities
Further Reading
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