Languages of Niger
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Niger has 11 national languages, with Hausa being the official and most spoken language. Depending on how they are counted, Niger has between 8 and 20 indigenous languages, belonging to the Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan and Niger–Congo families. The discrepancy comes from the fact that several are closely related, and can be grouped together or considered apart.
Official languages
The official language of Niger is Hausa.[1]
French, inherited from the colonial period is spoken mainly as a second language by people who have received an education (20% of Nigeriens are literate in French, and even 47% in cities, growing quickly as literacy improves[2]). Although educated Nigeriens still constitute a relatively small percentage of the population, the French language is the language used by the official administration (courts, government, etc.), the media and the business community. Niger is a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie. See also: African FrenchScript error: No such module "Unsubst".
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Niger has ten official national languages, namely Arabic, Buduma, Fulfulde, Gourmanchéma, Hausa, Kanuri, Zarma & Songhai, Tamasheq, Tassawaq, Tebu.[3] These ten national languages, their language families, the approximate percentage of the population that speak them, their approximate home regions, and additional information are as follows:Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
| Language | Family | Approx % | Main region | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hausa | Afro-Asiatic / Chadic | 55.4% | South, central | Main trade language[4] |
| Songhai | Songhay languages (nilo-saharan) | 21% | Southwest | Zarma and Songhay are considered together |
| Tamasheq | Afro-Asiatic / Berber | 9.3% | North | |
| Fulfulde | Niger–Congo / Atlantic | 8.5% | All | Fulfulde of Western Niger & Central-Eastern Niger are considered together |
| Kanuri | Nilo-Saharan | 4.7% | Southeast | |
| Arabic | Afro-Asiatic / Semitic | 0.4% | Southeast | Particularly spoken by the Diffa Arabs mainly in the Diffa Region |
| Gourmanchéma | Niger–Congo / Gur | 0.4% | Southwest corner | Spoken mainly by the Gurma people of southwest Niger |
| Tebu | Nilo-Saharan | 0.4% | East | Spoken mainly by the Toubou people of Eastern Niger |
| Other | N/A | 0.1% | Throughout | Any other languages |
Languages by number of speakers (according to Ethnologue)
| Rank[5] | Language | Speakers in Niger |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hausa | 14,500,000 |
| 2 | Zarma | 3,590,000 |
| 3 | French | 2,506,000 |
| 4 | Fulfulde, Central-Eastern Niger | 450,000 |
| 5 | Fulfulde, Western Niger | 450,000 |
| 6 | Tamajaq, Tawallammat | 450,000 |
| 7 | Kanuri, Manga | 280,000 |
| 8 | Tamajeq, Tayart | 250,000 |
| 9 | Kanuri, Yerwa | 80,000 |
| 10 | Dazaga | 50,000 |
| 11 | Kanuri, Tumari | 40,000 |
| 12 | Gourmanchéma | 30,000 |
| 13 | Tagdal | 26,900 |
| 14 | Kanuri, Bilma | 20,000 |
| 15 | Tamahaq, Tahaggart | 20,000 |
| 16 | Arabic, Hassaniyya | 19,000 |
| 17 | Arabic, Algerian Saharan Spoken | 10,000 |
| 18 | Tedaga | 10,000 |
| 19 | Arabic, Libyan Spoken | 9,300 |
| 20 | Arabic, Shuwa | 9,300 |
| 21 | Tasawaq | 8,000 |
| 22 | Arabic, Standard | 7,800 |
| 23 | Tetserret | 2,000 |
By Region
Dominant languages
| Region | Languages |
|---|---|
| Agadez Region | Tuareg, Kanuri |
| Diffa Region | Kanuri |
| Dosso Region | Zarma |
| Maradi Region | Hausa |
| Niamey | Zarma |
| Tahoua Region | Hausa |
| Tillabéri Region | Zarma |
| Zinder Region | Hausa |
See also
References
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- ↑ République du Niger, "The massive African country that's just adopted a new official language" express.co.uk (accessed 20 April 2025)
- ↑ http://www.odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/sites/odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/files/odsef_rr_alphab_niger_2015_final2.pdf, page 18-19.
- ↑ République du Niger, "Loi n° 2001-037 du 31 décembre 2001 fixant les modalités de promotion et de développement des langues nationales." L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde (accessed 14 October 2014)
- ↑ Ethnologue, 17th ed., Languages of Niger (accessed 14 October 2014)
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links
- Ethnologue report on "Languages of Niger"
- PanAfriL10n page on Niger
- Linguistic situation in Niger Template:In lang
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