Languages of Uganda at a glance
- 62living languages
- 7language families
- 49.3 millionpeople (CLDR estimate)
- 12with a CLDR share
Tap the map to list every language whose area covers a spot in Uganda. Areas are generalisations from published atlases and overlap, and a language that is mapped here is not necessarily spoken everywhere inside its area.
The 40 most widely spoken languages in Uganda
Languages with a Unicode CLDR share come first, biggest first by estimated speakers; the rest follow A to Z. Estimated speakers are the share applied to CLDR’s own population figure for the country.
| Language | Family | Share of population | Estimated speakers | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swahili | Atlantic-Congo | 75% | 36,962,250 | Not endangered |
| Ganda | Atlantic-Congo | 13% | 6,406,790 | Not endangered |
| Nyankole | Atlantic-Congo | 6.3% | 3,104,829 | Not endangered |
| Chiga | Atlantic-Congo | 5.4% | 2,661,282 | Not endangered |
| Soga | Atlantic-Congo | 5.3% | 2,611,999 | Not endangered |
| English | Indo-European | 3.9% | 1,922,037 | Not endangered |
| Teso | Nilotic | 3.9% | 1,922,037 | Not endangered |
| Lango (Uganda) | Nilotic | 3.8% | 1,872,754 | Not endangered |
| Acoli | Nilotic | 3.7% | 1,823,471 | Not endangered |
| Masaaba | Atlantic-Congo | 2.9% | 1,429,207 | Not endangered |
| Kinyarwanda | Atlantic-Congo | 2.1% | 1,034,943 | Not endangered |
| Tooro | Atlantic-Congo | 1.9% | 936,377 | Not endangered |
| Adhola | Nilotic | Not endangered | ||
| Alur | Nilotic | Not endangered | ||
| Amba (Uganda) | Atlantic-Congo | Threatened | ||
| Aringa | Central Sudanic | Not endangered | ||
| Bari | Nilotic | Not endangered | ||
| Bukusu | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Didinga | Surmic | Not endangered | ||
| East Nyala | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Gungu | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Gwere | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Havu | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Haya | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Hema | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Hunde | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Ik | Kuliak | Threatened | ||
| Kakwa | Nilotic | Not endangered | ||
| Karamojong | Nilotic | Not endangered | ||
| Keliko | Central Sudanic | Not endangered | ||
| Kenyi | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Khayo | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Konzo | Atlantic-Congo | Not endangered | ||
| Kuku | Nilotic | Threatened | ||
| Kumam | Nilotic | Not endangered | ||
| Kupsabiny | Nilotic | Not endangered | ||
| Lango-Logire-Logir | Nilotic | Not endangered | ||
| Lendu | Central Sudanic | Not endangered | ||
| Lugbara | Central Sudanic | Not endangered | ||
| Ma'di | Central Sudanic | Not endangered |
Read more: where is Swahili spoken?
Language families in Uganda
- Atlantic-Congo (30 languages)
- Nilotic (17 languages)
- Central Sudanic (9 languages)
- Kuliak (3 languages)
- Indo-European (1 language)
- Surmic (1 language)
- Afro-Asiatic (1 language)
All 62 languages in Uganda, A to Z
- Acoli
- Adhola
- Alur
- Amba (Uganda)
- Aringa
- Bari
- Bukusu
- Chiga
- Didinga
- East Nyala
- English
- Ganda
- Gungu
- Gwere
- Havu
- Haya
- Hema
- Hunde
- Ik
- Kakwa
- Karamojong
- Keliko
- Kenyi
- Khayo
- Kinyarwanda
- Konzo
- Kuku
- Kumam
- Kupsabiny
- Lango (Uganda)
- Lango-Logire-Logir
- Lendu
- Lugbara
- Ma'di
- Masaaba
- Mvuba
- Nande
- Ndo
- Ngiti
- Nubi
- Nyambo
- Nyang'i
- Nyankole
- Nyole
- Nyoro
- Otuho
- Pökoot
- Rundi
- Ruuli
- Saamia
- Sabaot
- Soga
- Soo
- Southern Ma'di
- Suba
- Swahili
- Syan
- Talinga-Bwisi
- Teso
- Tooro
- Toposa
- Turkana
About these numbers
The list of languages in Uganda comes from the overlap of Glottography and Glottolog language areas and positions with the country outline, together with the languages Glottolog assigns to the country. The shares come from Unicode CLDR release 48 and are estimates. See every source and licence.
Questions about languages in Uganda
How many languages are spoken in Uganda?
62 living languages are mapped in Uganda, from 7 families. The number depends on how a catalogue decides where one language ends and another begins, so other sources give other totals.
What is the most spoken language in Uganda?
By Unicode CLDR's estimate, Swahili is spoken by 75% of the population, about 36,962,250 people, followed by Ganda (13%). Shares are approximate, can add up to more than 100% because many people speak several languages, and only cover languages CLDR has a figure for.
Which language families are found in Uganda?
Atlantic-Congo (30 languages), Nilotic (17 languages), Central Sudanic (9 languages), Kuliak (3 languages) and Indo-European (1 language), and 2 more.