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Linguistic diversity in the EU

Linguistic diversity in the EU

Europe is home to a rich variety of languages. This diversity reflects the continent’s history, cultures and communities. It includes EU official languages, national languages, regional and minority languages, non-territorial languages, and those brought by migration.

EU official languages

Infographic showing the years when official EU languages were added: 1958 Dutch, French, German, Italian; 1973 English, Danish; 1981 Greek; 1986 Portuguese, Spanish; 1995 Finnish, Swedish; 2004 Czech, Estonian, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Slovak, Slovenian; 2007 Bulgarian, Irish, Romanian; 2013 Croatian. The graphic is styled as a branching diagram with color-coded dates marking the enlargements.
Timeline of official EU languages by year of adoption

The EU has 24 official languages, written in 3 alphabets: Latin, Cyrillic and Greek. Each is a state language in at least 1 EU country. Some languages, such as French, German and Dutch, are state languages in more than 1 country.

Since 1958, EU rules have governed how the EU’s official languages are used in its institutions, starting with Regulation No 1. The Council of the European Union decides on the use of languages in the EU institutions, acting unanimously.

Official EU languages over time

  1. 2013
    Croatian (HR)
  2. 2007
    Bulgarian (BG), Irish (GA) and Romanian (RO)
  3. 2004
    Czech (CZ), Estonian (ET), Hungarian (HU), Latvian (LV), Lithuanian (LT), Maltese (MT), Polish (PL), Slovak (SK) and Slovenian (SL)
  4. 1995
    Finnish (FI) and Swedish (SV)
  5. 1986
    Spanish (ES) and Portuguese (PT)
  6. 1981
    Greek (EL)
  7. 1973
    Danish (DA) and English (EN)
  8. 1958
    German (DE), French (FR), Italian (IT) and Dutch (NL)

Languages in EU member states and other European countries

24
EU official languages
26
state languages in EU countries
60+
regional or minority languages

State languages

In addition to the 24 EU official languages, EU countries recognise 2 more as state languages.

  • Turkish (in Cyprus)
  • Luxembourgish (in Luxembourg)

This brings the total number of state languages in the EU to 26.

Most European countries have 1 state language, but some have more.

  • Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, Finland – 2 each
  • Belgium, Luxembourg – 3 each
Circular chart showing the number of state languages in European countries and the presence of regional or minority languages with official status. Countries are arranged clockwise: LU, BE, BA, CH, CZ, DK, DE, ES, HR, IT, LV, HU, NL, AT, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK, SE, ME, MK, NO, RS, BG, EE, EL, LT, AL, IS, LI, TR, CY, FI, IE, MT. Notably, Switzerland (CH) has 4 state languages, Belgium (BE), Luxembourg (LU), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA) have 3, and several countries have 2 or 1.
State languages and regional, minority or non-territorial languages with official status, 2021/2022
Regional or minority languages

Many European countries officially recognise regional or minority languages for legal or administrative purposes. The number and type of languages recognised vary depending on a country’s history, geography and language policies.

Examples

  • Latvia, Netherlands, Portugal – 1 regional language each
  • Italy, Hungary, Poland, Romania – more than 10 regional languages each

Some languages are recognised in more than 1 country,  including German, Hungarian and Croatian.

Linguistic Diversity in the European Union - Examples of projects supporting regional and minority languages

Non-territorial languages

Non-territorial languages are used by nationals of a country but are not state languages. Although they are traditionally used within the state’s territory, they can’t be identified with a particular area. A key example is Romany – officially recognised in 11 countries. 

Immigration and linguistic diversity

Migration has further enriched the EU's language landscape. In 2024, around 44.7 million people born outside the EU lived in member countries, contributing to multilingualism across the region.

EU population diversity by citizenship and country of birth

Benefits of linguistic diversity

Language is part of our identity and our shared European heritage. Promoting language learning and protecting all languages benefits individuals, society and the economy.

  • For individuals: languages open up personal and career opportunities, improve access to services and help people exercise their rights
  • For society: multilingualism fosters cultural understanding, inclusion and social cohesion
  • For businesses: language skills support growth, innovation and global competitiveness

Linguistic diversity can also support regional development. The Expert Network on Economics and Sociology of Education and Training (ENESET) report on the economic impact of language policies examines how these policies influence local economies in multilingual regions.

Read the ENESET report

Protecting languages

Linguistic diversity is enshrined in Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The rights of people belonging to minorities are a core part of the Charter.

The Charter prohibits discrimination against people belonging to a minority group and calls for respect for cultural, religious and linguistic diversity across the EU. The Commission makes sure fundamental rights – including the right to non-discrimination – are respected when EU law is implemented.

EU countries have the exclusive power to define and recognise national minorities within their borders, including the rights of minority groups to self-determination. These rights extend to national and regional minority languages. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, adopted by the Council of Europe, protects and promotes these languages.

To help maintain linguistic diversity in the EU, the Creative Europe programme supports literary translation. This allows wider access to important literary works.