Spanish Speaking Countries

Spanish Official Language Status
Spanish Official Language Statusℹ️
AndorraAndorraSignificant
ArgentinaArgentinaDe facto
BelizeBelizeSignificant
BoliviaBoliviaDe jure
ChileChileDe facto
ColombiaColombiaDe jure
Costa RicaCosta RicaDe jure
CubaCubaDe jure
Dominican RepublicDominican RepublicDe jure
EcuadorEcuadorDe jure
El SalvadorEl SalvadorDe jure
Equatorial GuineaEquatorial GuineaDe jure
GibraltarGibraltarSignificant
GuatemalaGuatemalaDe jure
HondurasHondurasDe jure
MexicoMexicoDe facto
NicaraguaNicaraguaDe jure
PanamaPanamaDe jure
ParaguayParaguayDe jure
PeruPeruDe jure
Puerto RicoPuerto RicoDe jure
SpainSpainDe jure
United StatesUnited StatesSignificant
UruguayUruguayDe facto
VenezuelaVenezuelaDe jure

The Global Reach of Spanish Language

Spanish, with its rich history dating back to the 9th century in the Iberian Peninsula, now resonates globally, reaching far beyond its origins. As a Romance language, it is derived from Latin with significant influence from Ancient Greek, and is noted for its vast contribution in various fields of academia, ranging from humanities and social sciences, to media and internet platforms. The language's expansiveness and global prevalence is unmistakably significant, with the United Nations, European Union, Organization of American States, Union of South American Nations, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, African Union among the international organizations recognizing Spanish as an official language. Key findings from the data include:

  • Spanish is the official language in a total of 20 countries, notably in the Americas and in Spain where it is the de facto or de jure language. Examples include Mexico, Spain, Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, and Cuba, among others.
  • Furthermore, Spanish has 'significant' status in some regions which do not formally acknowledge it as an official language but have a considerable Spanish-speaking population, such as the United States, Gibraltar, Belize, and Andorra.
  • Interestingly, one African nation, Equatorial Guinea, grants Spanish de jure status, showcasing the global reach of the language.
  • Interestingly, while some nations where Spanish is spoken widely, like Mexico and Argentina, have a de facto status - meaning it is not necessarily mandated by law but is indeed prevalent - other countries have given it de jure status with official laws confirming its usage.
  • While the global status of Spanish is dominant, Mexico remains the country with the largest population of native Spanish speakers.

By Region

Andorra

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Andorra

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

Significant

Argentina

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Argentina

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De facto

Belize

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Belize

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

Significant

Bolivia

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Bolivia

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Chile

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Chile

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De facto

Colombia

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Colombia

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Costa Rica

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Costa Rica

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Cuba

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Cuba

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Dominican Republic

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Dominican Republic

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Ecuador

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Ecuador

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

El Salvador

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El Salvador

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Equatorial Guinea

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Equatorial Guinea

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Gibraltar

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Gibraltar

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

Significant

Guatemala

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Guatemala

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Honduras

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Honduras

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Mexico

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Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De facto

Nicaragua

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Nicaragua

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Panama

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Panama

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Paraguay

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Paraguay

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Peru

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Peru

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Puerto Rico

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Puerto Rico

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Spain

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Spain

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

United States

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United States

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

Significant

Uruguay

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Uruguay

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De facto

Venezuela

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Venezuela

Metric

Value

Rank

Spanish Official Language Status

De jure

Table

Region ↕Spanish Official Language Status ↕
Andorra iconAndorraSignificant
Argentina iconArgentinaDe facto
Belize iconBelizeSignificant
Bolivia iconBoliviaDe jure
Chile iconChileDe facto
Colombia iconColombiaDe jure
Costa Rica iconCosta RicaDe jure
Cuba iconCubaDe jure
Dominican Republic iconDominican RepublicDe jure
Ecuador iconEcuadorDe jure
El Salvador iconEl SalvadorDe jure
Equatorial Guinea iconEquatorial GuineaDe jure
Gibraltar iconGibraltarSignificant
Guatemala iconGuatemalaDe jure
Honduras iconHondurasDe jure
Mexico iconMexicoDe facto
Nicaragua iconNicaraguaDe jure
Panama iconPanamaDe jure
Paraguay iconParaguayDe jure
Peru iconPeruDe jure
Puerto Rico iconPuerto RicoDe jure
Spain iconSpainDe jure
United States iconUnited StatesSignificant
Uruguay iconUruguayDe facto
Venezuela iconVenezuelaDe jure
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Additional Miscellaneous Datasets

Speed Limits By State

Speed Limits By State

Squatters Rights By State

Squatters Rights By State

State Densities

State Densities

States with Least Natural Disasters

States with Least Natural Disasters

States with the Most Counties

States with the Most Counties

States without Daylight Savings

States without Daylight Savings