Arabic-speaking countries

Official languages

Country	Capital	Continent	Population	Official languages
Algeria	Algiers	Africa	46 814 308	Arabe, Berbère
Bahrain	Manama	Asia	1 588 670	Arabe
Chad	N'Djamena	Africa	20 299 123	Français, Arabe
Comoros	Moroni	Africa	866 628	Comorien, Français, Arabe
Djibouti	Djibouti	Africa	1 168 722	Français, Arabe
Egypt	Cairo	Africa	116 538 258	Arabe
Eritrea	Asmara	Africa	3 535 603	Arabe, Anglais, Tigrigna
Iraq	Baghdad	Asia	46 042 015	Arabe, Kurde
Israel	Jerusalem	Asia	9 974 400	Hébreu, Arabe
Jordan	Amman	Asia	11 552 876	Arabe
Kuwait	Kuwait City	Asia	4 973 861	Arabe
Lebanon	Beirut	Asia	5 805 962	Arabe
Libya	Tripoli	Africa	7 381 023	Arabe
Mauritania	Nouakchott	Africa	5 169 395	Arabe
Morocco	Rabat	Africa	38 081 173	Berbère, Arabe
Oman	Muscat	Asia	5 281 538	Arabe
Palestine	East Jerusalem	Asia	5 289 152	Arabe
Qatar	Doha	Asia	2 857 822	Arabe
Saudi Arabia	Riyadh	Asia	35 300 280	Arabe
Somalia	Mogadishu	Africa	19 009 151	Somali, Arabe
Sudan	Khartoum	Africa	50 448 963	Anglais, Arabe
Syria	Damascus	Asia	24 672 760	Arabe
Tunisia	Tunis	Africa	12 277 109	Arabe
United Arab Emirates	Abu Dhabi	Asia	10 876 981	Arabe
Yemen	Sana'a	Asia	40 583 164	Arabe

Frequently asked questions

How many Arabic-speaking countries are there in the world?

There are 25 countries where Arabic is an official language, all in the Middle East or North Africa (MENA region). Arabic is also one of the UN's 6 official languages and is spoken by over 400 million people.

Do all Arabic speakers speak the same Arabic?

No. There is a wide dialectal continuum: Moroccan Arabic (Darija), Egyptian Arabic, Levantine Arabic, Gulf Arabic, etc. Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is the common written and formal language used in media, education and diplomacy.

What is the most populous Arabic-speaking country?

Egypt is the most populous Arabic-speaking country with about 104 million inhabitants, followed by Sudan (~46 million) and Algeria (~45 million). The Arab world has a total of over 400 million people.

Is Arabic difficult to learn?

Arabic is ranked among the most challenging languages for European speakers. The alphabet, right-to-left script, trilateral roots and diglossia (gap between spoken and written forms) make it demanding. The FSI estimates about 2,200 hours to reach proficiency.