Languages of Niger: Difference between revisions

Languages of Niger
French in use on an official sign in Niger
Official	Hausa
National	Arabic, Buduma, Fulfulde, Gourmanchéma, Kanuri, Zarma & Songhai, Tamasheq, Tassawaq, Tebu
Vernacular	African French, Chadian Arabic
Minority	Tamahaq, Teda, Tasawaq, Tetserret
Foreign	English, Chinese, Japanese
Signed	Francophone African Sign Language
Keyboard layout

Niger has 10 national languages,^[1] with Hausa being the official and most spoken language. Different sources estimate that Niger has between 8 and 20 indigenous languages, belonging to the Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan and Niger–Congo families – the discrepancy stems from the fact that several are closely related, and can be grouped together or considered apart.

The sole official language of Niger is Hausa,^[2] which in 2025 replaced French, the previous official language.

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^[3]).
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 French^{[citation needed]}

Niger has ten official national languages, namely Arabic, Buduma, Fulfulde, Gourmanchéma, Hausa, Kanuri, Zarma & Songhai, Tamasheq, Tassawaq, Tebu.^[1] 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:^{[citation needed]}