Languages spoken in Spain

Learning Spanish is essential when you move to Spain, but depending upon where in the country you live, it may not be the only one you hear. Many of its regions have co-official languages, and some have local languages which are not treated as official despite being widely spoken. You will probably not have to learn these to be able to make yourself understood, but it will be helpful to at least recognise some words in them.

If you are moving to Spain with children, you should be aware that, in regions with a co-official language, pupils may be taught in these in most State schools. You will also need to prove fluency in them to be able to work in the public sector.

Even in territories with a co-official language, though, you are likely to find these are rarely spoken in big cities or very cosmopolitan areas – but they tend to be the dominant tongues in smaller towns and rural parts.

So, which languages are spoken in Spain, and where?

Castilian Spanish (castellano)

If you speak Spanish – known in bilingual regions as castellano, or Castilian Spanish – you will be universally understood and be able to hold a conversation. Latest figures confirm that 98.9% of Spain's population speaks Spanish as a native or second language. Given that around 13% of the country's headcount is of foreign origin and are included in the 98.9%, this gives you an idea of how essential it is to learn the national tongue when you move to Spain.

Catalán

The second-most commonly-spoken Spanish language in Spain is catalán, and you will encounter it frequently in the north-eastern region of Catalunya, comprising the provinces of Barcelona, Tarragona, Lleida and Girona. Around 4.6 million people in Spain speak catalán, the majority of whom do so as a first language or joint mother tongue with Castilian Spanish.

Given that catalán derives from Latin and was already in wide use when Castilian Spanish evolved in the early Mediaeval era, it is not too difficult to 'pick up' if you already speak Spanish. You will not necessarily need to be able to speak it if you live in catalán-speaking territories, unless you hope to work in the public sector or you are a child in a State school, but it will be very helpful to gain a broad understanding of it in writing and when spoken.

Balearic languages

The Balearic Islands have three languages which are very close to each other – mallorquín (Mallorca), menorquín (Menorca) and ibicuenco (Ibiza). These are derived from catalán, but although they differ enough from it to be considered languages in their own right, this has not been recognised officially in Spain and, legally, they are still called 'dialects of catalán' at present. Locally, they are known by their island names.

Between the catalán of Catalunya and the Balearic Island variations, this language is spoken and understood by nearly 16% of Spain's population.

Valenciano

From the same family as catalán, the Valencian language – valenciano – is co-official in the east-coast region of the Comunidad Valenciana, comprising the provinces of Castellón, Valencia and Alicante. Whilst valenciano and the catalán of Catalunya are much closer to each other than the Balearic languages are, valenciano is legally considered a separate language in its own right, under Article 6.2 of the Statute of Autonomously-Governed Regions.

You will find it mostly spoken in small towns and rural areas in the provinces of Castellón, Valencia and the far north of that of Alicante, but it is very rare to hear it in the provincial capital cities of the same name, or in the middle or south of Alicante province, except for a few villages in the west. Most schools use valenciano as the main teaching language, and you will need to prove fluency in it to be able to work in the public sector.

Despite its limited use in urban and southern parts of the region, over half the population of the Comunidad Valenciana speaks valenciano and nearly 95%, including foreign residents, understands it.

Gallego

The Galician language, called gallego or galego, is spoken in mainland Spain's far north-western region of Galicia, comprising the coastal provinces of A Coruña, Lugo and Pontevedra, and the land-locked province of Ourense, which borders Portugal. Gallego is closer to Portuguese than to Spanish, but as neither of these two languages fully developed until around 900 years ago, this means gallego is fairly easy to 'pick up' if you speak either. In writing, gallego appears to be almost a variation of Portuguese, but its pronunciation is very different.

Used as the vehicular teaching language in many State schools, gallego is spoken and understood by around 6.2% of the population of Spain.

Aranés

Sometimes called occitan or occitano, this official – but minority – language originated in the Occitane region of southern France and is sometimes heard in parts of Italy and in Monaco. In Spain, the language is unique to the Aran Valley in Catalunya's only land-locked province, Lleida, where it was granted legal co-official status in 2010.

Very close to catalán, the Aran language is only spoken by around 3,000 people in Spain, although Europe-wide this number increases to about half a million.

Basque (euskera)

Unlike the other co-official languages mentioned so far, euskera is radically different to Castilian Spanish – or, in fact, to any other language on earth. Euskera's linguistic roots remain an historic mystery, as no tongue in use today bears even the slightest resemblance. That said, some research has hinted it may be an evolution of the original prehistoric Iberian dialects spoken by Spain's earliest humans; if so, this would make the Basque tongue the oldest 'living' language in the world.

Euskera is uniquely spoken in the Basque Country, on Spain's northern coast to the west of the Pyrénées, as well as parts of its neighbouring regions of Navarra and La Rioja, and in the French Basque Country. Whilst highly prominent in these areas, it is estimated that only 1.2% of Spain's population speaks and understands it, with barely 0.9% considering it their mother tongue.

Minority non-official languages spoken in Spain

Whilst different enough from Castilian Spanish that they could feasibly be considered 'languages', other regional tongues in Spain have not yet been granted that distinction and are legally classed as 'dialects'. Many of these are gathering strength and are taught as an additional language in schools:

• Asturian (asturianu): Spoken exclusively in the northern coastal region of Asturias and taught in school from age six to 18
• Aragonese (aragonés): Spoken by around 30,000-50,000 in the land-locked north-eastern region of Aragón
• Benasqués: Also from Aragón, spoken by a small number in the Pyrénéen area of Huesca province
• Cantabrian (cántabro): Classified by UNESCO in 2009 as an 'endangered language', spoken by around 3,000 people in the northern coastal region of Cantabria
• Eonaviego, or gallego-asturiano: Spoken by around 45,000 people on the regional border of Asturias and Galicia
• Extremaduran (extremeño): Spoken by around 6,000 inhabitants of the land-locked western region of Extremadura
• Fala: Taking its name from the Portuguese verb 'to speak' (falar), exclusive to the Jálama Valley of Cáceres province (Extremadura), and spoken by around 10,000 people
• Leonese (leonés): Classified by the United Nations as an 'endangered language', spoken by 20,000-50,000 inhabitants of the centre-northern province of León
• Murcian (murciano): More a form of regional slang than a language, inhabitants of the south-eastern coastal territory of Murcia who speak it consider it their mother tongue
• Silbo gomero (La Gomera 'whistling language'): Granted UNESCO Intangible Heritage status in 2009, unique to the Canary Island of La Gomera, this language has no words – only different pitches of whistling. Spain's sole exclusively-oral language, the silbo is undergoing a revival in the island's schools.

Foreign languages spoken in Spain

Non-Spanish languages are not widely spoken in Spain, except among foreign residents, and where they are used, their level is relatively basic. English became the main foreign language taught in schools in 1990, meaning that Spaniards who speak English are typically younger – in their 40s or less. Before that, the main second language taught was French, so those aged beyond their 40s or 50s, if they speak a foreign tongue, are more likely to be able to communicate in French rather than English. But exactly how many people in Spain speak languages from other countries?

• English: Around 11.7% of people living in Spain speak English to some degree, and for about one in 10 of these, it is their native tongue. Many of Spain's non-native English-speakers are foreign residents.
• French: About 5.85% of Spain's population speaks French, most of them native speakers, but also include a significant proportion of the over-45s among Spanish citizens, who were taught French in school.
• Romanian: An estimated 2.78% of Spain's population speaks Romanian, and for almost all of these, it is their native tongue.
• Italian: Just 1.93% of Spanish inhabitants speak Italian - most are native speakers.
• Portuguese: About 1.55% of Spain's population speaks Portuguese. Many of these are not native speakers, but live in provinces backing onto Portugal or in towns and villages right on the border. Sometimes, a mixture of the two is used in these areas, known as portuñol.

Speaking regional languages – co-official or not – means the local population will love you for it, but it is not normally necessary for day-to-day living. If you do decide to learn your regional language once you're living in Spain, you'll find plenty of opportunities, with private tutors, academies and even free-of-charge council-run courses. But before you do this, you should make sure your Castilian Spanish is strong enough for general communication. This will involve time and effort, but is not as hard as you might think. If you need some encouragement, why not take a look at our article on learning Spanish to help you get started?