50+ Facts About Languages In Spain That You Need To Know
A quick fact guide to the languages of Spain, covering official languages, regional languages, historic languages, minority languages, media, literature, education and multilingualism.
How to use this guide
Browse the facts in order or use the search box to find a specific language, region or topic such as Catalan, Basque, Galician, Arabic, Romani, Silbo Gomero or Val d’Aran.
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This page keeps the original fact-by-fact structure, but presents it in a cleaner, searchable and mobile-friendly layout.
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Galician is official in Galicia
Galician, a language closely related to Portuguese, is official in the autonomous community of Galicia.
Catalonia’s three official languages
Catalonia has three official languages: Catalan, Spanish and Aranese.
Basque Country is officially bilingual
The Basque Country is officially bilingual. Both Basque and Spanish are official.
Valencian and Spanish in Valencia
Valencia has two official languages: Valencian and Spanish.
Language status in Navarre
Spanish is the official language in the whole of Navarre. However, in the north of the autonomous community, Basque is official.
Asturian recognition in Asturias
Even though Spanish is the only official language in Asturias, Asturian, an Astur-Leonese language, is recognised by the regional government.
Aragon’s official and local languages
The only official language of Aragon is Spanish. However, there are Catalan speakers in the east and Aragonese and Benasqués speakers in the north.
Balearic Islands: Catalan and Spanish
There are two official languages in the Balearic Islands: Catalan and Spanish.
Guanche in the Canary Islands (historic)
The historic language of the Canary Islands was Guanche, a Berber language.
Moroccan Arabic in Ceuta
A significant proportion of the population in the autonomous city of Ceuta in North Africa speaks Moroccan Arabic.
Amazigh in Melilla
Amazigh is a widely spoken language in the autonomous city of Melilla in North Africa.
Eonaviego in western Asturias
A transitional language between Galician and Asturian exists in western Asturias: Eonaviego.
Ligurian on Nueva Tabarca (historic)
Ligurian was once a widely spoken language on the island of Nueva Tabarca in Valencia, Spain.
English proficiency in Spain (INE)
According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, approximately 15% of Spaniards are proficient in English.
Parliamentary language rights
Parliamentarians in Spain are allowed to speak in any of the languages of Spain.
TV3 leads viewership in Catalonia
The most-watched television channel in Catalonia is not in Spanish but in Catalan: TV3.
Franco-era bans on other languages
During the dictatorship 1939–1975, there was a ban on languages other than Spanish.
Languages of Al-Andalus
Various languages co-existed during the Al-Andalus period.
Caló and the Spanish-Romani community
Caló has historically been the language of the Spanish-Romani community.
Valencian in El Carche (Murcia)
Valencian is spoken in El Carche in Murcia.
Arabic origins of Spanish toponyms
Many place names in Spain take their names from Arabic.
Dubbing in Spain’s languages
In Spain, dubbing foreign series and films into Spanish is common, but dubbing also occurs in the other languages of Spain.
Cervantes and Don Quijote
Miguel de Cervantes wrote “Don Quijote”, one of the most well-known books in Spanish literature.
Arabic loanwords in Spanish
Due to the long-lasting presence of the Arabic language in the Iberian Peninsula, Spanish has many words which come from Arabic.
‘Pa Negre’ and the Oscars
Despite not achieving an Oscar nomination, the 2010 film Pa Negre was the first Catalan-language film chosen as the Spanish submission for the Academy Awards.
Mozarabic and Aljamiado script
Mozarabic, a Latin-derived language, was spoken alongside Andalusian Arabic during the Al-Andalus period and was written using the Arabic script (Aljamiado).
Multilingual Girona (INE)
According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, in the province of Girona, 8.2% of the population can understand four or more languages.
English in Andalusia (INE)
According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 15.3% of the population of Andalusia understands English without difficulty.
Erromintxela: Basque–Romani mixed language
Erromintxela is a Basque–Romani mixed language historically spoken by the Romani community in Basque-speaking areas.
Silbo Gomero (whistled language)
In the Canary Islands, there is a whistled language: Silbo Gomero.
Benasqués as a transitional variety
Benasqués is a transitional language between Catalan, Aragonese and Occitan spoken in Northern Aragon.
Andalusian Spanish and Latin America
Andalusian Spanish spoken in Andalusia provided the base for many Latin-American varieties of Spanish.
Languages used at home (Pew)
According to Pew, 19% of the population of Spain speaks another language other than Spanish at home.
French proficiency in Spain (INE)
According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, approximately 4.5% of Spaniards are proficient in French.
Val d’Aran: a trilingual area
The Val d’Aran is a trilingual area within Catalonia. The three official languages are Aranese, Catalan and Spanish.
Real Academia Española’s role
The Real Academia Española oversees the development of the Spanish language around the Spanish-speaking world.
Spanish spelling has evolved
The spelling system used in contemporary Spanish is not the same as the one used 500 years ago.
Canarian Spanish and the Caribbean
Canarian Spanish shaped the varieties of Spanish spoken in the Caribbean.
Most Spanish speakers live outside Spain
Less than 10% of Spanish speakers are in Spain.
Lugo’s Galician usage (IGE)
According to the Instituto Galego de Estadística, Lugo is the most Galician-speaking city in Galicia.
Terres de l’Ebre and Catalan (IDESCAT)
According to the Institut d’Estadística de Catalunya, the Terres de l’Ebre is the most Catalan-speaking regional division in Catalonia.
Gipuzkoa’s Basque speakers
According to the Basque government, the province of Gipuzkoa has the most Basque speakers in the Basque Country.
Andalusian Arabic (extinct)
Andalusian Arabic was one of the colloquial languages spoken in Al-Andalus. It is now an extinct language.
Latin roots of Spain’s official languages
All of Spain’s official languages except Basque descend from Vulgar Latin, brought to the peninsula by the Romans.
Treviño: a Castilla y León exclave
Treviño is an exclave of Castilla y León within the Basque Country. Even though Basque is not official in the exclave, many speak the language.
Pre-Roman languages of Iberia
Before the Romans arrived, the population of what is now Spain spoke languages such as Tartessian, Iberian, and Celtiberian.
Fala in Extremadura
Fala, a Galician-Portuguese language, is spoken in a few towns in northwestern Extremadura along the Portuguese border.
Portuguese in Olivenza (historic)
Portuguese was a commonly spoken language in Olivenza in Extremadura in the early 1900s.
Barcelona dailies publish bilingually
There are two newspapers (La Vanguardia & El Periódico de Catalunya) with headquarters in Barcelona that publish in Catalan and Spanish.
Romanian speakers in Spain (INE)
According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, there are more than 500,000 Romanian speakers in Spain.
Extremaduran in Extremadura
Extremaduran is an Astur-Leonese language spoken in Extremadura.
Quick facts
Languages in Spain FAQ
Is Galician official in Galicia?
Galician, a language closely related to Portuguese, is official in the autonomous community of Galicia.
Which languages are official in Catalonia?
Catalonia has three official languages: Catalan, Spanish and Aranese.
Is the Basque Country officially bilingual?
Yes. Both Basque and Spanish are official in the Basque Country.
What is Silbo Gomero?
Silbo Gomero is a whistled language found in the Canary Islands.
What languages are official in the Val d’Aran?
The three official languages are Aranese, Catalan and Spanish.
What is Extremaduran?
Extremaduran is an Astur-Leonese language spoken in Extremadura.