Germany

German, Standard

[deu] 1 (National). De facto national language. 80,600,000 in Germany, all users. L1 users: 72,300,000 in Germany (2019). L2 users: 8,300,000 (2019). Total users in all countries: 134,624,440 (as L1: 75,572,140; as L2: 59,052,300).

4 (Educational)

English

[eng] 4 (Educational). 47,037,000 in Germany, all users. L1 users: 437,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality. L2 users: 46,600,000 (European Commission 2012).

5 (Developing)

Alemannic

[gsw] 5* (Developing).

Bavarian

[bar] 5* (Developing). 6,000,000 in Germany (2005).

Swabian

[swg] 5* (Developing). Ethnic population: 820,000 (2000).

German Sign Language

[gsg] 5 (Developing). Recognized language (2002, Disability Equality Act, Section 6(1)). 80,000 in Germany (2014 German Deaf Association). Estimates vary: 80,000 signers (2014 German Deaf Association); 200,000 deaf signers (2014 EUD); 395,000 (2014 IMB). Total users in all countries: 80,600.

Romani, Sinte

[rmo] 5 (Developing). Recognized language (1998, ECRML, signed in November 1992 and ratified by the Federal Bundestag Implementation Act, Gazette, page 1314), Bundestag Resolution of June 1986 confirmed the need for improvement of living conditions and integration into society of the Germany Romany ethnic group. ECRML Initial Report (2002). 80,000 in Germany (2000). Ethnic population: 200,000. Total users in all countries: 209,300.

5 (Dispersed)

Danish

[dan] 5* (Dispersed). Statutory language of provincial identity in Schleswig-Holstein (1955, Bonn Declaration, Rights of the Danish Majority, paragraphs 1–12). 21,700 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

French

[fra] 5* (Dispersed). 12,643,000 in Germany, all users. L1 users: 243,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality. L2 users: 12,400,000 (2019).

Limburgish

[lim] 5 (Dispersed).

Luxembourgish

[ltz] 5* (Dispersed). 23,100 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Polish

[pol] 5* (Dispersed). 867,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Turkish

[tur] 5* (Dispersed). 1,320,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

6a (Vigorous)

Eastern Franconian

[vmf] 6a* (Vigorous).

Palatinate Franconian

[pfl] 6a* (Vigorous). Total users in all countries: 400,000.

Ripuarian

[ksh] 6a (Vigorous). 250,000 (1997 H. Jakobs).

Saxon, Upper

[sxu] 6a* (Vigorous). 2,000,000 (1998 A. Thomsen).

Westphalien

[wep] 6a* (Vigorous).

Yeniche

[yec] 6a* (Vigorous).

6b (Threatened)

Sorbian, Upper

[hsb] 6b (Threatened). Statutory language of provincial identity in Sachsen (1992, Constitution, Article 6). 13,300 (Salminen 2007). 20,000–30,000 total Sorbian, one-third in lower Lusatia and two-thirds in upper Lusatia (Salminen 2007). Ethnic population: 45,000.

7 (Shifting)

Frisian, Northern

[frr] 7 (Shifting). Statutory language of provincial identity in Schleswig-Holstein (2014, Constitution, Article 6(2) (as amended)). 8,000 (Salminen 2007). Ethnic population: 50,000 (2017).

Plautdietsch

[pdt] 7 (Shifting). 90,000 in Germany (1996 R. Epp).

Saterfriesisch

[stq] 7 (Shifting). Statutory language of provincial identity in Niedersachsen (1997, Constitution, Article 3(3) as amended). 2,000 (2015 A. Remmers).

Saxon, East Frisian Low

[frs] 7 (Shifting). 200,000 (2015 A. Remmers). No monolinguals.

Saxon, Low

[nds] 7 (Shifting). Statutory language of national identity (1998, ECRML, signed in November 1992 and ratified by the Federal Bundestag Implementation Act, Gazette, page 1314), There are also 6 states that concede recognized language status to Low Saxon/Low German, and 2 states, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, afford special protection to the language in their basic laws. 2,201,000 in Germany, all users. L1 users: 1,000 in Germany. L2 users: 2,200,000 (2016). Total users in all countries: 2,501,000 (as L1: 301,000; as L2: 2,200,000).

Yiddish, Eastern

[ydd] 7 (Shifting). 5,000 in Germany. Ethnic population: 49,200 (2000).

8a (Moribund)

Sorbian, Lower

[dsb] 8a (Moribund). Statutory language of provincial identity in Brandenburg (1992, Constitution, Article 25). 6,670 (Salminen 2007). 20,000–30,000 total Sorbian, one-third in lower Lusatia, two-thirds in upper Lusatia (Salminen 2007). Ethnic population: 50,000.

9 (Dormant)

Yiddish, Western

[yih] 9 (Dormant). No known L1 speakers. Last speakers likely died in the mid-20th century (Hutterer 1969).

Unestablished

Abkhaz

[abk] Unestablished. 5,000 in Germany (2014 NCRP).

Adyghe

[ady] Unestablished. 2,000 in Germany (1985).

Albanian, Gheg

[aln] Unestablished. 243,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Albanian, Tosk

[als] Unestablished. 73,900 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Amharic

[amh] Unestablished. 20,500 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Arabic, Algerian Spoken

[arq] Unestablished. 19,200 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Arabic, Egyptian Spoken

[arz] Unestablished. 37,400 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Arabic, Libyan Spoken

[ayl] Unestablished. 14,900 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Arabic, Mesopotamian Spoken

[acm] Unestablished. 101,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Arabic, Moroccan Spoken

[ary] Unestablished. 79,700 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Arabic, North Levantine Spoken

[apc] Unestablished. 778,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Arabic, North Mesopotamian Spoken

[ayp] Unestablished. 57,100 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Arabic, South Levantine Spoken

[ajp] Unestablished. 19,800 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Arabic, Sudanese Spoken

[apd] Unestablished. 7,610 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Arabic, Tunisian Spoken

[aeb] Unestablished. 38,400 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Armenian, Western

[hyw] Unestablished. 26,800 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Azerbaijani, North

[azj] Unestablished. 27,200 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Belarusian

[bel] Unestablished. 24,300 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Bengali

[ben] Unestablished. 16,400 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Bosnian

[bos] Unestablished. 211,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Bulgarian

[bul] Unestablished. 389,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Burmese

[mya] Unestablished. 2,140 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Chaldean Neo-Aramaic

[cld] Unestablished. 3,000 in Germany (1994).

Chinese, Mandarin

[cmn] Unestablished. 94,600 in Germany (2020), based on nationality.

Croatian

[hrv] Unestablished. 427,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Czech

[ces] Unestablished. 61,700 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Dari

[prs] Unestablished. 68,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Dutch

[nld] Unestablished. 166,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Estonian, Standard

[ekk] Unestablished. 7,300 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Finnish

[fin] Unestablished. 14,900 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Georgian

[kat] Unestablished. 27,300 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Greek

[ell] Unestablished. 364,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Hebrew

[heb] Unestablished. 13,900 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Hindi

[hin] Unestablished. 75,400 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Hungarian

[hun] Unestablished. 211,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Icelandic

[isl] Unestablished. 1,520 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Indonesian

[ind] Unestablished. 21,700 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Italian

[ita] Unestablished. 648,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Japanese

[jpn] Unestablished. 35,600 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Kabardian

[kbd] Unestablished. 14,000 in Germany (2005 Circassian Association).

Kabuverdianu

[kea] Unestablished. 3,000 in Germany (2015 Instituto de Apoio ao Emigrante).

Kazakh

[kaz] Unestablished. 47,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Korean

[kor] Unestablished. 44,900 in Germany (2019 Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs), based on nationality.

Kurdish, Northern

[kmr] Unestablished. 228,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Kyrgyz

[kir] Unestablished. 9,050 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Latvian, Standard

[lvs] Unestablished. 40,500 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Laz

[lzz] Unestablished. 1,000 in Germany (Salminen 2007).

Lithuanian

[lit] Unestablished. 58,700 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Macedonian

[mkd] Unestablished. 121,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Malay

[zlm] Unestablished. 5,990 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Mongolian, Halh

[khk] Unestablished. 6,420 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Montenegrin

[cnr] Unestablished. 24,500 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Nepali

[npi] Unestablished. 8,290 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Norwegian

[nor] Unestablished. 6,620 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Pashto, Southern

[pbt] Unestablished. 81,500 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Persian, Iranian

[pes] Unestablished. 123,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Portuguese

[por] Unestablished. 196,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Punjabi, Western

[pnb] Unestablished. 22,600 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Romani, Balkan

[rmn] Unestablished. 3,500 in Germany. 2,000 Arlija and 1,500 Dzambazi.

Romani, Vlax

[rmy] Unestablished. 5,000 in Germany. 2,500 Lovari, 2,500–4,000 Kalderash.

Romanian

[ron] Unestablished. 826,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Russian

[rus] Unestablished. 5,400,000 in Germany (Arefyev 2012), all users. L1 users: 263,000 (2020 census), based on nationality.

Serbian

[srp] Unestablished. 243,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Sinhala

[sin] Unestablished. 25,800 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Slovak

[slk] Unestablished. 59,900 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Slovene

[slv] Unestablished. 28,400 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Somali

[som] Unestablished. 47,500 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Spanish

[spa] Unestablished. 2,876,000 in Germany, all users. L1 users: 286,000 in Germany (2018 census), based on nationality. L2 users: 2,590,000 (2019).

Swedish

[swe] Unestablished. 22,500 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Tagalog

[tgl] Unestablished. 29,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Tajik

[tgk] Unestablished. 6,700 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Tamil

[tam] Unestablished. 35,000 in Germany.

Thai

[tha] Unestablished. 59,100 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Tigrigna

[tir] Unestablished. 80,700 in Germany, all users. L1 users: 75,700 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality. L2 users: 5,000 (2000).

Turkmen

[tuk] Unestablished. 1,940 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Turoyo

[tru] Unestablished. 20,000 in Germany (1994).

Ukrainian

[ukr] Unestablished. 146,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Urdu

[urd] Unestablished. 23,000 in Germany.

Uzbek, Northern

[uzn] Unestablished. 9,330 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Vietnamese

[vie] Unestablished. 104,000 in Germany (2020 census), based on nationality.

Germany

Primary tabs

Browse by

25th Edition

Products

Related Sites