Spanish Speaking Countries

Spanish is spoken worldwide for over 500 million people from Spain to Mexico to Argentina. However, which are the Spanish speaking countries? Spanish is a Romance language which derived from vulgar Latin. Known as Castellano (Castilian) traces it’s origins back to Castilla region in central Spain. Nowadays, Spanish is spoken across the world and one of the most popular languages. From reggaeton to tv shows, Spanish is very influential language and the official language of 21 countries and territories.

21 Spanish Speaking Countries and Territories

Spanish is considered the official language of 20 countries in Europe, the Americas and Africa. However, there is another territory that considers Spanish an official language, making the total of 21 places where Spanish is the official language. Spanish is also an important language in many other countries and territories despite not being the official language. Some of those are Andorra and the USA.

The Spanish language is also the official language of many important organizations and intuitions across the other world. It is one of the 6 official languages of the United Nations (UN) and one of 24 official languages of the European Union (EU). Furthermore, it’s the official language of the Union of South American Nations (USAN), Mercosur/Mercosul, African Union (AU), amongst others.

Spanish Speaking Countries in Europe

There is only one country that has Spanish as an official language in Europe. There are, however, other countries and territories where Spanish is widely Spoken such as Andorra.

Spain – 48 million people

Spain is the birthplace of Spanish, one of the main Spanish speaking countries in the world and the second largest country of the European Union in territory. With a population of over 48 million people, it’s estimated that there are over 41 million speakers of Spanish in Spain. Spain also recognises other official languages such as Galician and Catalan.

Spanish Speaking Countries in Latin and South America

The majority of the Spanish speaking countries are spread across the Americas. North America and South America have over 15 countries and territories where Spanish is an official language. Across Latin America, Spanish is the most spoken language. Spanish speaking countries in Latin America by total population:

Mexico – 132 million people

Mexico is the country with the highest number of native speakers of Spanish. Statistics point out that there are over 124 million native Spanish speakers. Despite the variations across the country, 99% of the population can speak Spanish.

Colombia – 52 million people

Colombia is located at cross-roads between North America and South America, with mainland being located in South America. Colombia is home to over 52 million native Spanish speakers. With a rich cultural heritage, Colombia also recognised other languages regionally – particularly indigenous languages.

Argentina – 47 million people

This southern American country has over 45 million native Spanish speakers. Argentina also recognised other languages as co-official languages such as Guarani – an indigenous language of the continent.

Other Spanish speaking countries and territories in Latin America:

• Peru
• Venezuela
• Chile
• Guatemala
• Ecuador
• Bolivia
• Cuba
• Dominican Republic
• Honduras
• Paraguay
• El Salvador
• Nicaragua
• Costa Rica
• Panama
• Uruguay
• Puerto Rico

Although the United States of America does not consider Spanish as an official language, Spanish is the second most spoken language of the country. It’s estimated that there are 42 million native speakers of Spanish in the USA.

Spanish Speaking Countries in Africa

There is only one country in Africa where Spanish is the official language. However, it’s not the only official language of Equatorial Guinea, a small country located in West Africa.

Equatorial Guinea – 1.6 million people

Equatorial is a small country located in central Africa near the Equator. It’s estimated that over 60% of the population speak Spanish. The country also recognised two other Romance languages as official language of the country – French and Portuguese.

List of countries and territories where Spanish is an official language

There are 21 countries and territories where Spanish is an official language. Below you can find a list of the Spanish speaking countries:

• Argentina
• Bolivia
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Cuba
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Mexico
• Nicaragua
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Puerto Rico
• Spain
• Uruguay
• Venezuela

Other countries have a significant percentage of the population that speak Spanish such as Andorra, Belize, Philippines and the USA. It’s also an important language on the internet being the second most used language by number of websites.

Next Steps to Learn Spanish with Cactus

Spanish is spoken across the world and one of the most popular languages. So it’s an important language to learn if you are looking to travel or work abroad. Particularly if in one of the 21 countries and territories where Spanish is an official language.

Cactus offer a range of Spanish courses suitable for all levels, from beginners to advanced. Not only can you study in one of our language centres, but you can learn Spanish online wherever you are! With weekly lessons, you can easily build up your Spanish language skills. Alternatively, learn Spanish with our private classes. Start your free trial.