What Languages Are Spoken In Macedonia?

Macedonian is the official language of Macedonia. It is also the most widely spoken language in the country. Six other languages are officially recognized as the minority languages of the country. Several foreign languages like English, German, French, and Serbo-Croatian are spoken in Macedonia.

The Official And National Language Of Macedonia

The official language of Macedonia is Macedonian. It was declared as the nation’s official language in 1945. It is a South Slavic language and has 1.4 to 2.5 million native speakers in the country. It is mainly spoken by ethnic Macedonians in Macedonia and the Macedonian diaspora in other parts of the world. The Macedonian languages enjoy the status of being an official minority language in certain European nations like Romania, Serbia, and Albania. Macedonian is used widely in government administration, business, media, and the public life of the country. The language is written using the Cyrillic alphabet.

The 6 Officially Recognized Minority Languages Of Macedonia

There are six minority languages spoken in Macedonia that has been formally recognized in the country. If any of these languages are spoken by 20% or more of the population of a particular municipality in the nation, the language will be regarded as co-official along with Macedonian. The languages are as follows:

Albanian

The Albanian language has 7.3 million speakers worldwide. In Albania, it is spoken in the southwestern and northwestern sections of the Republic.

Turkish

The Turkish language that is mainly spoken in Turkey has about 70 million speakers worldwide. In Macedonia, the Turkish language is spoken by ethnic Turks and other communities concentrated in several places of the Republic. Gostivar, Skopje, and Vrapčište have a high concentration of Turkish-speaking communities.

Romani

Romani is the native language of the Romani people. This Indo-European language has many varieties. In Macedonia, Balkan Romani is the most spoken variety of Romani. One example of a large Romani-speaking community in Macedonia is the Šuto Orizari.

Serbian

The Serbian language spoken by the Serbian community across the world is one of the six officially recognized minority languages of Macedonia. The language is primarily spoken in the Staro Nagoričane and Čučer Sandevo municipalities of the country.

Bosnian

The Bosnian language is spoken as a native language by the Bosniaks. It is mainly spoken in the Municipality of Veles and in Skopje of Macedonia.

Aromanian

An Eastern Romance language, the Aromanian language is spoken by the Aromanians or Vlachs living in Southeastern Europe. In Macedonia, the Aromanian speakers are primarily found in the Kruševo town of the country.

Major Foreign Languages Spoken In Macedonia

A number of foreign languages are spoken in Macedonia including English, French, German, and Serbo-Croatian. English is more popular among the Macedonian youth and is growing in popularity in the country. English classes are offered in the educational institutions of the nation. German and Serbo-Croatian are also spoken by the younger generation of the country. A large section of the Macedonian society also has knowledge of French, German, Serbo-Croatian, and Russian.