View source for Languages of Sweden

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Languages of
| country    = [[Sweden]]
| image      =Östersunds bibliotek skylt.jpg

| caption    = Sign at a library in Swedish and [[Southern Sami language|Southern Sami]]
| official   = [[Swedish language|Swedish]] (since 2009) 
| unofficial = [[Swedish language|Swedish]] (until 2009) 
| main       = 
| regional   = (Unofficial languages / Dialects) [[South Swedish dialects|South Swedish]], [[Götamål dialect|Götamål]], [[Svealand Swedish]], [[Norrland dialects|Norrland]], and [[Gutnish]], among others. 
| indigenously = (Officially recognised) [[Sámi languages]], Swedish.
| minority   = (Officially recognised) [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[Meänkieli]], [[Romani language|Romani]], [[Yiddish]]
| immigrant  = <!--Please don't put too many languages here-->[[Arabic language|Arabic]],  [[Serbo-Croatian language|Serbo-Croatian]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Kurdish languages|Kurdish]], [[Persian language|Persian]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Somali language|Somali]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sofi.se/1580|title=kielineuvosto, finska, jidisch, romani, teckenspråk, samiska - Institutet för språk och folkminnen|date=3 February 2007|website=Sofi.se|quotation="''De största invandrarspråken är arabiska, turkiska, persiska, spanska, grekiska och ex-jugoslaviska språk''"; "The largest immigrant languages are Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Spanish, Greek and ex-Yugoslav languages". Note that Finnish in deed is one of the most spoken immigrant languages but not classified as such by the ''Institutet för språk och folkminnen'' since it has acquired status as an official minority language.|access-date=5 October 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203001738/http://www.sofi.se/1580|archive-date=3 February 2007}}</ref>
| foreign    = [[English language|English]] (89%)<br>[[German language|German]] (30%)<br>[[French language|French]] (11%)
| sign       = [[Swedish Sign Language]]
| keyboard   = Swedish [[QWERTY]] for Windows
| keyboard image = [[Image:KB Sweden.svg|200px]]
| source     = [https://web.archive.org/web/20200204045523/https://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf ''Europeans and their Languages''] (published in 2006, archived from europa.eu)
}}

[[Swedish Language|Swedish]] is the official language of [[Sweden]] and is spoken by the vast majority of the 10.23 million inhabitants of the country. It is a [[North Germanic languages|North Germanic language]] and quite similar to its sister [[Scandinavian languages]], [[Danish language|Danish]] and [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], with which it maintains partial mutual intelligibility and forms a [[Dialect continuum#North Germanic continuum|dialect continuum]]. A number of regional Swedish dialects are spoken across the country. In total, more than 200 languages are estimated to be spoken across the country, including regional languages, indigenous Sámi languages, and immigrant languages.<ref name="local2009">{{cite news|title=Swedish becomes official 'main language|date=1 July 2009|last=Landes|first=David|work=[[The Local]]|location=Stockholm, Sweden|url=https://www.thelocal.se/20090701/20404|access-date=16 June 2020}}</ref>

In 2009, the [[Riksdag]] passed a national language law recognizing Swedish as the ''main'' and ''common'' language of society, as well as the official language for "international contexts". The law also confirmed the official status of the five ''national minority languages'' — [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[Meänkieli]], [[Romani language|Romani]], [[Sámi languages]] and [[Yiddish]] — and [[Swedish Sign Language]].

== History ==
For most of its history, Sweden was a larger country than today. At its height in 1658, the [[Swedish Empire]] spread across what is currently [[Finland]] and [[Estonia]] and into parts of [[Poland]], [[Russia]], [[Latvia]], [[Germany]], [[Denmark]], and [[Norway]]. Hence, Sweden's linguistic landscape has historically been very different from its current context.
[[File:Tyska kyrkan Fürchtet Gott.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Sign in German outside the [[German Church, Stockholm]]]]

Swedish evolved from [[Old Norse]] around the 14th and 15th century. Swedish dialects were generally much more diverse in the past than they are today. Since the 20th century, [[Standard Swedish]] has prevailed throughout the country. The [[Scandinavian languages]] constitute a [[dialectal continuum]] and some of the traditional [[Swedish dialects]] could equally be described as [[Danish dialects|Danish]] ([[Scanian dialects|Scanian]]) or [[Norwegian dialects]] ([[Jämtland dialects|Jämtlandic]]).

[[Finnish language|Finnish]] was the majority language of Sweden's eastern parts, though it was almost exclusively a spoken language. Parts of Finland are also home to a significant [[Swedish-speaking Finns|Swedish-speaking minority]], including [[Åland]], many of whom speak the [[Finland Swedish]] dialect. Finnish became a minority language in western Sweden as many Finnish speakers migrated there for economic reasons.

[[Estonian language|Estonian]] was the language of the majority in [[Swedish Estonia]] but the province, like Finland, hosted a [[Estonian Swedes|Swedish-speaking minority]] and a more significant minority of [[Baltic Germans|Germans]].

In medieval Sweden, the [[Middle Low German|Low German language]] played an important role as a commercial language, serving as the [[lingua franca]] of the [[Hanseatic league]]. As such, Low German influenced Swedish and other languages in the region considerably. In medieval [[Stockholm]], half the population were Low German speakers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stp.ling.uu.se/~mikaela/WORDDOKUMENT/Stockholm.htm |title=Stockholm grundas |access-date=2011-05-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927012529/http://stp.ling.uu.se/~mikaela/WORDDOKUMENT/Stockholm.htm |archive-date=2011-09-27 }}</ref> Low German was also spoken in the 17th-century Swedish territories along the southern [[Baltic Coast]] in [[Swedish Pomerania]], [[Bremen-Verden]], [[Wismar]] and [[Wildeshausen]], as well as by the [[Baltic Germans]] in Estonia and [[Swedish Livonia]]. Livonia was also inhabited by [[Latvians]], [[Estonians]] and [[Livonians]].

In [[Swedish Ingria]], Finnish, [[Ingrian language|Ingrian]] and [[Votian language|Votian]] were spoken along with Swedish.

[[Latin language|Latin]], as the language of the Catholic Church, was introduced to Sweden with the [[Christianization of Sweden]], around AD 1000. As in most of [[Europe]], Latin remained the lingua franca and scholarly language of the educated communities for centuries in Sweden. For instance, [[Carl Linnaeus]]'s most famous work, {{lang|la|[[Systema Naturae]]}}, published in 1735, was written in Latin.

During the 18th century, [[French language|French]] was the second language of Europe's upper classes and Sweden was no exception. The Swedish aristocracy often spoke French among themselves and [[code-switching]] between French and Swedish was common. The Swedish King [[Gustav III of Sweden|Gustav III]] was a true [[Francophile]] and French was the common language at his court. In 1786, Gustav III founded the [[Swedish Academy]] to promote and advance the Swedish language and literature.<ref name="HaugenMarkey2012">{{cite book|last1=Haugen|first1=Einar |last2=Thomas L.|first2=Markey|title=The Scandinavian Languages: Fifty Years of Linguistic Research (1918 - 1968)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SclKC2emzMgC|access-date=15 June 2020|year=2012|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|location=Berlin, Germany|isbn=978-3-11-087066-4}}</ref>

Aside from what is currently Norway, Sweden largely obtained its current borders in 1809, when it lost its eastern part (Finland) to the [[Russian Empire]]. Sweden largely lost its overseas possessions over time, with [[Swedish Pomerania]] being ceded to Denmark in exchange for [[Norway]] and [[Guadeloupe]] was returned to [[France]] in 1814. As a consequence, Sweden became a rather homogeneous country with the exceptions of the indigenous Sámi people and the Finnish-speaking [[Tornedalians]] in the northernmost parts of the country.

During the 19th century, Sweden became more industrialised, resulting in important demographic changes. The population doubled and people moved from the countryside to towns and cities. As a consequence of this and factors such as generalised education and mass media, traditional dialects began to make room for the standard language ([[Standard Swedish]]). During the same period and until the 1970s, Sweden applied a [[Swedification]] policy that limited schooling to Swedish-language instruction and actively discouraged the use of other languages.<ref name="Kent2019">{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Neil |title=The Sámi Peoples of the North: A Social and Cultural History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nsKKDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT70|access-date=16 June 2020|year=2019|publisher=Hurst|location=London, England|isbn=978-1-78738-172-8|page=70}}</ref>

As in the rest of Europe and much of the world, [[English language|English]] has grown as an important foreign language in Sweden, especially since the Allied victory in [[World War II]]. During the second half of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century, Sweden has received great numbers of immigrants who speak languages other than Swedish (see: "Immigrant languages" below). It is unclear to what degree these communities will hold on to their languages and to what degree they will assimilate.

In 2009, the Riksdag passed the Language Law ({{lang|sv|Språklag}} SFS 2009:600), which contains provisions concerning the Swedish language, the five national minority languages and Swedish Sign Language. Among its provisions is a general mandate to safeguard the Swedish language, linguistic diversity in Sweden, and individuals' access to language.<ref name="Språklag">{{cite act |type=Law |date=28 May 2009 |article=2009:600 |title=Språklag |trans-title=Language Law |legislature=Sveriges Riksdag |url=https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/spraklag-2009600_sfs-2009-600 |language=sv }}</ref>

==Swedish==
[[Image:Svenska språkets utbredning.png|thumb|Map showing the Swedish-speaking areas of Scandinavia and Finland]]

The Kingdom of Sweden is a [[nation-state]] for the [[Swedish people]] and as such the national language is held in high regard. Of Sweden's roughly 10.5 million people,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population statistics |url=https://www.scb.se/en/finding-statistics/statistics-by-subject-area/population/population-composition/population-statistics/ |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=Statistiska Centralbyrån |language=en}}</ref> almost all speak Swedish, with the overwhelming majority of people in Sweden identifying Swedish as their first language (9.5 million, according to SIL's [[Ethnologue]]).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Swedish {{!}} Ethnologue |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/swe/ |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=Ethnologue |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Most popular languages in Sweden · Explore which languages are spoken in Sweden |url=https://languageknowledge.eu/countries/sweden |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=languageknowledge.eu}}</ref> Swedish is also an official language in [[Finland]] where it is spoken by a large number of [[Swedish-speaking Finns]]. The language is also spoken to some degree by [[Swedish people|ethnic Swedes]] living outside Sweden; for example, 48,500 people of Swedish descent in the United States speak the language, according to Ethnologue.<ref name=":0" />

The Language Law of 2009 recognizes Swedish as the ''main'' and ''common'' language of society, as well as being the official language in "international contexts".{{R|Språklag|p=4,5,14}}

===Dialects===
[[Image:Swedish_dialects.PNG|thumbnail|350px|Map showing the Swedish dialects traditionally spoken. Stripes indicate transitional areas.<br>{{center|{{legend0|#0000ff|South Swedish}} {{legend0|#ff0000|Götamål}} {{legend0|#008000|Svealand Swedish}}<br>{{legend0|#80ffff|Norrland}} {{legend0|#ff8040|Finland Swedish}} {{legend0|#00ff80|Gutnish}}<br>{{legend0|#f8f637|Norwegian Dialectal Influence}}}}]]
A number of [[Swedish dialects]] exist and are generally classified into six groups, called ''sockenmål'' in Swedish: [[South Swedish dialects|South Swedish]], [[Götamål dialect|Götamål]], [[Svealand Swedish]], [[Norrland dialects|Norrland]], [[Finland Swedish|Eastern Swedish]], and [[Gutnish]].<ref name=":0" /> As a [[North Germanic languages|North Germanic language]], the Swedish dialects all grew out of [[Old Norse]], but under differing influences as the language split along East and West Scandinavian branches. In western Sweden, many local dialects, such as [[Jämtland dialects|Jämtlandic]] and [[Dalecarlian language|Dalecarlian]], show greater influence from the West Scandinavian branch of Old Norse and [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]]. Some dialects are divergent enough from standard Swedish to be considered separate languages.

====Dalecarlian====
{{main|l1=Dalecarlian|Dalecarlian language}}
The ''Dalecarlian'' dialect group of [[Dalarna County]] varies significantly, ranging from the variations in the northwest of the county similar to the neighboring [[Norwegian dialects|East Norwegian]] {{ill|Østerdalsmål|no}} dialect to versions more similar to Swedish. The [[Älvdalen Municipality]] has a population of about 1,500 speakers of the [[Elfdalian]] Dalecarlian dialect.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=dlc |title=Ethnologue report for language code:DLC |access-date=2007-03-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070323231727/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=dlc |archive-date=2007-03-23 }}</ref>

====Gutnish====
{{main|Gutnish}}
Modern ''Gutnish'' or ''Gotlandic'' exists as a spoken language in [[Gotland]] and [[Fårö]]. While influenced by Swedish, Gutnish is descended from [[Old Gutnish]], which evolved as a separate branch of Old Norse.

====Jämtlandic====
{{main|l1=Jämtlandic|Jämtland dialects}}
Spoken mainly in [[Jämtland]], but with a scattered speaker population throughout the rest of Sweden, ''Jämtlandic'' or ''Jämska'' is a West Scandinavian language and part of the Norrland ''sockenmål'' with 95% lexical similarity to Norwegian and Swedish, but is generally more archaic. It has a native speaker population of 30,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=jmk |title=Ethnologue report for language code:JMK |access-date=2007-03-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070212081641/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=jmk |archive-date=2007-02-12 }}</ref>

====Scanian====
{{main|l1=Scanian|Scanian dialect}}
Spoken in the Swedish province of [[Scania]], ''[[Scanian dialect|Scanian]]'' is considered by some a dialect of [[Danish language|Danish]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=scy |title=Ethnologue report for language code:scy |access-date=2007-03-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303225438/http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=scy |archive-date=2007-03-03 }}</ref> and the related [[Bornholmsk]] dialect spoken on the Baltic island of [[Bornholm]], is considered an East Danish dialect. Historically, Bornholmsk and Scanian split after [[History of Scania|Denmark ceded Scania]] to Sweden in 1658, and was heavily influenced by the Swedish language. Modern Scanian is today generally considered by Swedish linguists to be part of the South Swedish dialect group.

==Recognised minority languages==
{{main|Minority languages of Sweden}}

In 1999, the Minority Language Committee of Sweden formally declared five languages as [[official minority languages of Sweden]]: Finnish, Meänkieli (also known as Tornedal, Tornionlaaksonsuomi or Tornedalian), Romani, Sámi languages (in particular Lule, Northern, and Southern Sámi), and Yiddish.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hult|first=Francis M.|date=2004|title=Planning for multilingualism and minority language rights in Sweden|journal=Language Policy|volume=3|number=2|pages=181–201|doi=10.1023/B:LPOL.0000036182.40797.23|s2cid=144303516}}</ref> The Language Law of 2009 confirms the recognition of these five languages as "national minority languages".{{R|Språklag|p=7,8}} This status enshrines the right of speakers of these languages to receive schooling and other services in their language.

===Finnish===
{{main|Sweden Finns}}
[[Image:Finsktalande södra sverige.svg|thumb|right|300px|Areas with Finnish speaking population in per cent, in southern Sweden, 2005]]
{{Asof|2009}}, there were about 470,000 [[Finnish Language|Finnish]]-speakers in Sweden.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=185&artikel=2797781|title=Tilastojen kertomaa: RUOTSINSUOMALAISET 2009 - Sisuradio|language=sv|trans-title=Statistics: SWEDISH FINNISH 2009 - Sisuradio|newspaper=Sveriges Radio|date=28 April 2009 |access-date=5 October 2017}}</ref> [[Finnish Language|Finnish]], a [[Uralic languages|Uralic]] language, has long been spoken in Sweden (the same holds true for Swedish in Finland, ''see [[Finland-Swedes]], [[Åland]]''), as Finland was part of the Swedish kingdom for centuries. Ethnic Finns (mainly first- and second-generation immigrants) constitute up to 5% of the population of Sweden. A high concentration of Finnish-speakers (some 16,000) resides in [[Norrbotten]].

===Meänkieli===
{{main|Meänkieli}}
Meänkieli is a Finnic language related to [[Finnish language|Finnish]] and [[Kven language|Kven]]. Spoken by the [[Tornedalians|Tornedalian people]], it is mutually intelligible with northern dialects of Finnish, but has a higher number of Swedish loan words; it is sometimes considered a dialect of Finnish. Meänkieli is mainly used in the municipalities of [[Gällivare]], [[Haparanda]], [[Kiruna]], [[Pajala]] and [[Övertorneå]], all of which lie in the [[Torne Valley]]. Between 40,000 and 70,000 people speak Meänkieli as their first language.

===Sámi languages===
{{main|Sami languages}}
[[Image:Sami languages large.png|thumb|right|150px|Map showing where Sámi languages are traditionally spoken]]
The [[Sámi people]] (formerly known as Lapps) are a people indigenous to  [[Scandinavia]] and the [[Kola peninsula]] (see [[Sápmi (area)|Sápmi]]) who speak a related group of languages, five of which — [[Lule Sami language|Lule]], [[Northern Sami language|Northern]], and [[Southern Sami language|Southern Sámi]], as well as the critically endangered [[Ume Sami language|Ume Sámi]] and [[Pite Sámi]]— are spoken in Sweden.<ref>The critically endangered languages of [[Pite Sami language|Pite]] and [[Ume Sami language|Ume Sámi]] are also spoken in Sweden by a handful of people.</ref> Like Finnish and Meänkieli, Sámi languages are [[Uralic languages]]; however, prolonged exposure to Germanic-language-speaking neighbors in Sweden and Norway causes them to have a large number of Germanic loanwords not found in other Uralic languages. Between 15,000 and 20,000 Sámi people live in Sweden of whom 9,000 speak a Sámi language. In Sweden, the largest concentrations of Sámi-language speakers are found in the municipalities of [[Arjeplog]], [[Gällivare]], [[Jokkmokk]], [[Kiruna]], and other parts of [[Norrbotten]].

===Romani===
{{main|Romani language}}
Romani (also known as Rromani Ćhib) is a family of [[Indo-Aryan language]]s spoken by the [[Romani people]], a nomadic ethnic group originating in northern India. Several dialects of Romani are spoken and Swedish, including the [[Scandoromani language|Scandoromani]] [[Para-Romani]] admixture of Scandinavian languages and Romani. Around 90% of Sweden's Romani people speak a form of Romani, meaning that there are approximately 9,500 ćhib speakers. In Sweden, there is no major geographic center for Romani, as there is for Finnish, Sámi, or Meänkieli, but it is considered to be of historical importance by the Swedish government and as such the government is seen as having an obligation to preserve them, a distinction also held by Yiddish.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manskligarattigheter.gov.se/dynamaster/file_archive/050216/24a99c86fd734f15c9f722b343cc152e/FaktaJu%5f0415ji.pdf|title=אַ סך-הכּל פֿון דער פּאָליטיק פֿון דער|website=Manskligarattigheter.org|access-date=5 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926131653/http://www.manskligarattigheter.gov.se/dynamaster/file_archive/050216/24a99c86fd734f15c9f722b343cc152e/FaktaJu%5f0415ji.pdf|archive-date=26 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Because of this, the Swedish government has helped develop and publish a significant number of books and educational materials in Romani.<ref name="MatrasTenser2019">{{cite book|last1=Matras|first1=Yaron|last2=Tenser|first2=Anton|title=The Palgrave Handbook of Romani Language and Linguistics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2vDDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA549|access-date=15 June 2020|year=2019|publisher=Springer Nature|location=Stuttgart, Germany|isbn=978-3-030-28105-2|page=549}}</ref>
<!-- Lag (1999:1175) om rätt att använda samiska hos förvaltningsmyndigheter och domstolar. Lag (1999:1176) omrätt att använda finska och meänkieli hos förvaltningsmyndigheter och domstolar. -->

===Yiddish===
[[Image:Jidische.Folkschtime.jpg|thumb|left|175px|The first issue of ''Jidische Folkschtime'' (Yiddish People's Voice), a Yiddish-language newspaper first published in Stockholm, 12 January 1917]]
{{main|l1=Yiddish in Sweden|History of the Jews in Sweden#Status of Yiddish in Sweden}}
[[Yiddish]] is a [[Germanic language]] with significant Hebrew and Slavic influence, written with a variant of the Hebrew alphabet (see [[Yiddish orthography]]) and, formerly spoken by most [[Ashkenazic Jews]] (although most now speak the language of the country in which they live). Although the Jewish population of Sweden was traditionally [[Sephardic]], after the 18th century, Ashkenazic immigration increased bringing with them the Yiddish language (See [[History of the Jews in Sweden]]). Like Romani, it is seen by the government as a language of historical importance. The organisation ''Sällskapet för Jiddisch och Jiddischkultur i Sverige'' (Society for Yiddish and Yiddish Culture in Sweden) has more than 200 members, many of whom are mother-tongue Yiddish speakers, and arranges regular activities for the speech community and in external advocacy for the Yiddish language.

{{Asof|2009}}, the Jewish population in Sweden was estimated at around 20,000, about 2,000–6,000 of whom claim to have at least some knowledge of Yiddish. The number of native speakers among these has been estimated by linguist Mikael Parkvall to be 750–1,500. It is believed that virtually all native speakers of Yiddish in Sweden today are adults, and most of them elderly.<ref>{{cite web|first=Mikael|last=Parkvall|title=Sveriges språk. Vem talar vad och var?|language=sv|trans-title=Sweden's languages. Who speaks what and where?|series=Rapporter från Institutionen för lingvistik vid Stockholms universitet|number=1|date=2009|url=http://www.språkförsvaret.se/sf/fileadmin/PDF/Parkvall_spraakstatistik.pdf|pages=68–72}}</ref>

===Swedish Sign Language===
{{main|Swedish Sign Language}}
[[Swedish Sign Language]] (SSL) is an officially recognized language{{R|Språklag|p=9}} and is used by the [[Deaf]] community in Sweden. SSL was developed in the early 1800s, possibly with some influence from [[British Sign Language]]. It has influenced the development of sign languages in Finland, Portugal, and Eritrea (''see [[Swedish Sign Language family]]'').

==Foreign languages==
[[File:Foreign languages in Sweden.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Knowledge of foreign languages in Sweden, as a percentage of the population aged 15 and above, 2005. Data taken from an EU survey [http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf ebs_243_en.pdf] (europa.eu).]][[File:Use of English Sweden 2005.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Frequency of use of the English language in Sweden, 2005, according to the Eurobarometer<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf|title=Europeans and their Languages|website=Ec.europa.eu|access-date=6 October 2017}}</ref>]]
[[File:Knowledge English Sweden 2005.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Self-reported knowledge of English in Sweden, 2005<ref>{{cite web | url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf | title=Europeans and their Languages | publisher=[[European Commission]] | work=Special Eurobarometer 243 / Wave 64.3 - TNS Opinion & Social | date=February 2006 | access-date=May 3, 2011}} According to this [[Eurobarometer]] survey, 89% of respondents in Sweden indicated that they know English well enough to have a conversation (p. 152). Of these 35% had a very good knowledge of the language, 42% had a good knowledge and 23% had basic English skills (p. 156).</ref>]] 
Since the [[Middle Ages]] until the end of [[World War II]], [[Germany]] was usually the country outside Scandinavia with the closest cultural, commercial and political relations with [[Sweden]]. Thus, study of the [[German language]] had always been promoted by the Swedish state as the primary foreign language. Many of Sweden's administrative and social institutions, including the education system, were organised along the German and Prussian model, as many Swedish pioneering intellectuals of the 17th century were educated in German universities. This changed after the end of the Second World War, when it was no longer acceptable to emphasise a closer link with defeated Germany.

A majority of Swedes, especially those born after [[World War II]], are able to understand and speak [[English language|English]] thanks to trade links, the popularity of overseas travel, a strong American influence, especially in regards to arts and culture, and the tradition of [[Subtitle (captioning)|subtitling]] rather than dubbing foreign television shows and films. English, whether in American, [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] (Australian, Canadian, and [[New Zealand|Kiwi]]) or British dialects, has been a compulsory subject for [[Secondary education|secondary school]] students studying [[natural science]]s as early as 1849 and has been a compulsory subject for all Swedish students since 1952, when it replaced [[German language|German]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www3.lu.se/info/lum/LUM_07_99/01_engelska.html|title=English spoken — fast ibland hellre än bra|publisher= Lund University newsletter|date= July 1999|language= sv|url-status= dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110430213430/http://www3.lu.se/info/lum/LUM_07_99/01_engelska.html| archive-date= 2011-04-30}}</ref>

Depending on local school authorities, English is currently a compulsory subject from [[third grade|third]] until [[ninth grade]], and all students continue to study English in secondary school for at least another year. Most students also learn one and sometimes two additional languages; the most popular being [[German language|German]], [[French language|French]] and [[Spanish language|Spanish]]. From the autumn semester 2014, [[Mandarin Chinese]] is proposed as a fourth additional language.<ref>[http://www.lararnasnyheter.se/lararnas-tidning/2012/12/03/kinesiska-infors-sprakval Kinesiska införs som språkval] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623134346/http://www.lararnasnyheter.se/lararnas-tidning/2012/12/03/kinesiska-infors-sprakval |date=2016-06-23 }}, Lärarnas Tidning, 2012-12-03 (Swedish)</ref> Some [[Danish language|Danish]] and [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] are also taught as part of Swedish language learning to emphasize differences and similarities between the languages.

===English===
There is currently an ongoing debate among linguists whether English should be considered a foreign language, [[second language]] or transcultural language in Sweden (and other Scandinavian countries)<ref>[http://www.sprakforsvaret.se/sf/fileadmin/PDF/Parkvall_spraakstatistik.pdf Sveriges språk, vem talar vad och var] Mikael Parkvall, Stockholm University p.100 Men är engelska verkligen ett främmande språk?</ref> due to its widespread use in education<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1080/07908318.2017.1321008|title=More than a lingua franca: Functions of English in a globalised educational language policy|journal=Language, Culture and Curriculum|volume=30|issue=3|pages=265–282|year=2017|last1=Hult|first1=Francis M.|s2cid=151994775}}</ref> and society in general.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1002/tesq.19|title=English as a Transcultural Language in Swedish Policy and Practice|journal=TESOL Quarterly|volume=46|issue=2|pages=230–257|year=2012|last1=Hult|first1=Francis M.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1075/lplp.34.2.04hul|title=Swedish television as a mechanism for language planning and policy|journal=Language Problems and Language Planning|volume=34|issue=2|pages=158–181|year=2010|last1=Hult|first1=Francis M.}}</ref> This has also triggered opposition: in 2002 the Swedish government proposed an action plan to strengthen the status of Swedish<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/108/a/1443|title=Government.se|first=Regeringen och|last=Regeringskansliet|date=20 September 2017|website=Regeringskansliet|access-date=5 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1080/14664200508668274|title=A Case of Prestige and Status Planning: Swedish and English in Sweden|journal=Current Issues in Language Planning|volume=6|pages=73–79|year=2005|last1=Hult|first1=Francis M.|s2cid=145734375}}</ref> and in 2009 Swedish was announced the official language of the country for the first time in its history. Since 2011, Swedes have consistently been ranked among the best non-native English speakers in the world by [[EF Education First]]'s [[EF English Proficiency Index|English Proficiency Index]], placing first on the Index in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thelocal.se/20131107/swedes-ranked-again-best-world-english|title=Swedes 'best in the world' at English - again|date=2013-11-07|access-date=2017-08-11|language=en|website=Thelocal.se}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=EF EPI 2020 – Sweden |url=https://www.ef.edu/epi/regions/europe/sweden/ |website=www.ef.edu |publisher=EF Education First |access-date=30 March 2021}}</ref>

==Immigrant languages==
{{Further|Immigration to Sweden}}
[[File:Quadrilingual store sign - 2008-01-31 (gabbe).jpg|thumb|Sign in a shop in Swedish, English, Russian and Arabic.]]
Like many developed European countries from the late 1940s to the 1970s, Sweden has received tens of thousands of guest workers from countries in Southern Europe and the Middle East. Second- and third-generation Swedes of Southern European or Middle Eastern descent have adopted Swedish as their main tongue or in addition to their immigrant languages, such as [[Arabic]], [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Bosnian language|Bosnian]]/[[Serbian language|Serbian]]/[[Croatian language|Croatian]], and [[Turkish language|Turkish]].

In 2016, language-learning service [[Duolingo]] shared first-party statistics which showed that most of the people using the service to study Swedish were actually located in Sweden, and that Sweden-based users were taking the Swedish course for English speakers more than any other course available on the service; the staff determined that both of these facts were a result of Sweden's large immigrant population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.duolingo.com/which-countries-study-which-languages-and-what-can-we-learn-from-it|title=Which countries study which languages, and what can we learn from it?|last=Pajak|first=Bozena|date=May 5, 2016|website=Duolingo Blog|access-date=December 4, 2020}}</ref>{{Secondary source needed|date=February 2024}}

==See also==

{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Swedish language]]
*[[Finnish language]]
*[[Meänkieli]]
*[[Sámi languages]]
*[[Romani language]]
*[[Yiddish language]]
*[[Languages of the European Union]]
*[[Minority language]]
{{div col end}}
{{Culture of Sweden}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

*{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=swe|title=Swedish|website=Ethnologue.com|access-date=5 October 2017}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=US|title=United States|website=Ethnologue.com|access-date=5 October 2017}}
*{{cite web|url=http://romani.uni-graz.at/rombase/cd/data/lang/gen/data/numbers.en.pdf|title=Speakers and Numbers |author=Dieter W. Halwachs|website=Romani.uni-graz.at|access-date=6 October 2017}}
*{{cite web|url=http://spraktidningen.se/blogg/har-ar-20-storsta-spraken-i-sverige|title=Här är 20 största språken i Sverige|website=Språktidningen|date=28 March 2016|access-date=5 October 2017|archive-date=21 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521100548/https://spraktidningen.se/blogg/har-ar-20-storsta-spraken-i-sverige|url-status=dead}}

==External links==
* {{cite web |title=Språkpolitik |url=https://www.isof.se/flersprakighet/sprakpolitik/om/sprakpolitik |website=www.isof.se |language=sv |date=21 February 2025}}
* [http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/europe/suede.htm Languages in Sweden] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204085646/http://www.tlfq.ulaval.ca/axl/europe/suede.htm |date=2008-12-04 }}
* [http://rkrattsbaser.gov.se/sfst?bet=2009:600 Språklag (2009:600)] [Language Law] text from rkrattsbaser.gov.se

{{Languages of Sweden}}
{{Sweden topics}}
{{Languages of Europe}}

[[Category:Languages of Sweden| ]]
[[Category:Culture of Sweden]]