A map shows where Spain’s seven main languages are spoken. While Spanish is the official language of the country, some regions have their own respective dialects.
Spanish is spoken nationwide, while Catalan, Galician, Basque, Aragonese, Asturian and Aranese have co-official language status elsewhere. Other regions also have distinct regional dialects, which include different accents and vocabulary.
Catalan is the co-official language in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and the Valencian Community. It desceneds from Latin and is considered a Western Romance language. Catalan is also the official language of Andorra.
Meanwhile, Galician is the co-official language spoken in Galicia, located in the northwest Iberian Peninsula. It is bordered by Portugal to the south, Spanish communities to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Cantabrian Sea to the north.
It may come as no surprise that Basque is the co-official language of the Basque Country. The autonomous community, located in the western Pyrenees in northern Spain, has a complex relationship with Spain and a strong sense of independent identity.
Aragonese is spoken in the northeastern region of Aragon. However, it is considered an endangered language with only around 12,000 speakers as of 2011.
While it isn’t a co-official language, Asturian is spoken in Asturias in northwestern Spain. The mountainous region is full of vegetation and wild spaces, holding two of the most important natural parks in the country.
Finally, Aranese is the co-official language of the Aran Valley. The region is located in northwest Catalonia and borders France.
Despite the range of languages, data from 2021 shows that 81.53% of people in Spain speak Spanish as their main language. Meanwhile, 10.5% opt for Catalan and 3.8% choose to speak Galician as their first language.
