Languages of Tanzania

117 languages of the index are spoken in Tanzania; 2 have official status (English and Swahili). The country has about 57.3 m inhabitants (2017).

117 languages35 endangered or dormantAfricaISO TZ / TZA

Official languages

engEnglishIndo-European · 1.13 bn0 · International swaSwahiliNiger–Congo · 15.4 m

All languages spoken in Tanzania

Language	ISO	Family	Countries	Speakers	Vitality
engEnglish	`eng`	Indo-European	+93	1.13 bn	0 · International
araArabicاللُّغَة العَرَبِيّة	`ara`	Afroasiatic	+36	315.4 m	Safe
swhKiswahilikiswahili	`swh`	Niger–Congo	+3	98.3 m	1 · National
swaSwahiliKiswahili	`swa`	Niger–Congo	+10	15.4 m
runKirundiIkirundi	`run`	Niger–Congo	+1	8.8 m	1 · National
vmwMakhuwa	`vmw`	Niger–Congo		7.4 m	5 · Developing
tumTumbukaChiyowoyelo cha Chitumbuka	`tum`	Niger–Congo	+1	7 m	4 · Educational
sukSukumaJìsùgǔmà	`suk`	Niger–Congo		5.4 m	5 · Developing
ayhHadhrami Arabicاللهجة الحضرمية	`ayh`	Afroasiatic	+5	4.5 m	6a · Vigorous
luoDholuo	`luo`	Nilo-Saharan		3 m	5 · Developing
kdeMakonde	`kde`	Niger–Congo		1.7 m	5 · Developing
haqHa	`haq`	Niger–Congo		990,000	6a · Vigorous
nymNyamwezi	`nym`	Niger–Congo		980,000	6a · Vigorous
rufLuguru	`ruf`	Niger–Congo		692,000	6a · Vigorous
mgrMambwe-Lungu	`mgr`	Niger–Congo		674,000	5 · Developing
ksbShambala	`ksb`	Niger–Congo		664,000	6a · Vigorous
asaPare	`asa`	Niger–Congo		500,000	6a · Vigorous
irkIraqw	`irk`	Afroasiatic		460,000	5 · Developing
ziwZigula	`ziw`	Niger–Congo		355,000	6a · Vigorous
tzaTanzanian Sign Language	`tza`	—		278,000	5 · Developing
fipFipa	`fip`	Niger–Congo		195,000	6a · Vigorous
ngpNgulu	`ngp`	Niger–Congo		132,000	6a · Vigorous
ymkMakwe	`ymk`	Niger–Congo		119,700	6b · Threatened
kedKerewe	`ked`	Niger–Congo		100,000	6a · Vigorous
cweKwere	`cwe`	Niger–Congo		98,000	6b · Threatened
sbmSagara	`sbm`	Niger–Congo		79,000	6b · Threatened
wbjAlagwa	`wbj`	Afroasiatic		53,000	6b · Threatened
kczKonongo	`kcz`	Niger–Congo		51,000	6b · Threatened
kdcKutu	`kdc`	Niger–Congo		45,000	6b · Threatened
sadSandawe	`sad`	Khoisan		40,000	6a · Vigorous
ntkIkoma	`ntk`	Niger–Congo		36,000	6b · Threatened
tnyTongwe	`tny`	Niger–Congo		31,600	6b · Threatened
bdpBende	`bdp`	Niger–Congo		27,000	6a · Vigorous
doeDoe	`doe`	Niger–Congo		24,000	6a · Vigorous
kcuKami	`kcu`	Niger–Congo		16,400	7 · Shifting
vidVidunda	`vid`	Niger–Congo		9,000	5 · Developing
htsHadza	`hts`	Khoisan		800	6b · Threatened
masMaasai	`mas`	Nilo-Saharan			5 · Developing
acxOmani Arabicاللهجات العمانية	`acx`	Afroasiatic			6a · Vigorous
aasAsa	`aas`	Afroasiatic			8b · Nearly Extinct
hehHehe	`heh`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
guzGusii	`guz`	Niger–Congo
bezBena	`bez`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
gogGogo	`gog`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
bdsBurunge	`bds`	Afroasiatic			6a · Vigorous
lagRangiKɨlaangi	`lag`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
klnKalenjin	`kln`	Nilo-Saharan
nyyNyakyusa	`nyy`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
hayHaya	`hay`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
kujKuria	`kuj`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
digDigo	`dig`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
pkoPökoot	`pko`	Nilo-Saharan			5 · Developing
tccDatooga	`tcc`	Nilo-Saharan			5 · Developing
wkaKw'adza	`wka`	Afroasiatic			10 · Extinct
ngoNgoni	`ngo`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
pbrPangwa	`pbr`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
jitJita	`jit`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
sbpSangu	`sbp`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
zajZaramo	`zaj`	Niger–Congo			8a · Moribund
zinZinza	`zin`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
poyPogolo	`poy`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
rofRombo	`rof`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
gweGweno	`gwe`	Niger–Congo			8a · Moribund
wbiVwanji	`wbi`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
mhdMbugu	`mhd`	Afroasiatic			7 · Shifting
kizKisi	`kiz`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
rimTuru	`rim`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
ikzIkizu	`ikz`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
kkiKagulu	`kki`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
mgzMbugwe	`mgz`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
bmbBembe	`bmb`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
bouBondei	`bou`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
nowNyambo	`now`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
nsgNgasa	`nsg`	Nilo-Saharan			10 · Extinct
cwaKabwa	`cwa`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
mgvMatengo	`mgv`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
mwnMwanga	`mwn`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
wbhWanda	`wbh`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
vunVunjo	`vun`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
sbkSafwa	`sbk`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
nimIramba	`nim`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
cclCutchi-Swahili	`ccl`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
mgqMalila	`mgq`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
mgwMatumbi	`mgw`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
mweMwera	`mwe`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
ndhNdali	`ndh`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
ndjNdamba	`ndj`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
dneNdendeule	`dne`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
nihNyiha	`nih`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
jmcMachame	`jmc`	—			5 · Developing
sozSonjo	`soz`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
mgsManda	`mgs`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
hkaKahe	`hka`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
rwkRwa	`rwk`	—			6a · Vigorous
wunBungu	`wun`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
laiLambya	`lai`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
mjhMbamba Bay	`mjh`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
mpaMpoto	`mpa`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
nnqNgindo	`nnq`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
suwSumbwa	`suw`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
sujShubi	`suj`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
oldMochi	`old`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
mghMakhuwa-Meetto	`mgh`	Niger–Congo			5 · Developing
regKara	`reg`	—			7 · Shifting
mgyMbunga	`mgy`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
nxiNindi	`nxi`	Niger–Congo			7 · Shifting
rnwRungwa	`rnw`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
sscSuba-Simbiti	`ssc`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
vinVinza	`vin`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
kivKimbu	`kiv`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
dhsDhaiso	`dhs`	Niger–Congo			7 · Shifting
segSegeju	`seg`	Niger–Congo			8a · Moribund
isnIsanzu	`isn`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
njdNdonde	`njd`	Niger–Congo			6b · Threatened
ruiRufiji	`rui`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
nktNyika, Tanzania	`nkt`	Niger–Congo			6a · Vigorous
rwlRuwila	`rwl`	Niger–Congo

117 languages · click a column to sort · source: Wikidata