Editing Languages of Africa (section)

===By region===

Below is a list of the major languages of Africa by region, family and total number of [[primary language]] speakers in millions.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-valign:top"
|- valign="top"
|
;North Africa
*[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
**[[Semitic languages|Semitic]]
***[[Arabic]]: 200
**[[Berber languages|Berber]]: 30–40
***[[Kabyle language|Kabyle]]
***[[Atlas languages|Atlas]]
***[[Tuareg languages|Tuareg]]
***[[Zenaga language|Zenaga]]
*[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]
**[[Nubian language|Nubian]]: 5+<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.secid.org/usefsociety/pdf/nubian.pdf |title=Memories of Utopia- Infoshop, World Bank |access-date=14 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406044519/http://www.secid.org/usefsociety/pdf/nubian.pdf |archive-date=6 April 2012 |last=Mannan |first=Nuraddin |quote=There is no exact census for the Nubian population but some researchers estimate their number in Sudan for about 5 millions and about three millions in Egypt. |date=2006-05-31}}</ref>
**[[Fur language|Fur]]: 5+<ref name=":3">{{cite web|url=http://www.sudantribune.com/CORRECTION-Census-shows-South,30867|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101224151231/http://www.sudantribune.com/CORRECTION-Census-shows-South,30867|archive-date=24 December 2010|title=CORRECTION: Census shows South Sudan population at 8.2 million: report – Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan|website=www.sudantribune.com|access-date=21 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unsudanig.org/docs/darfur_fact_sheet_v22_5.pdf|title=unsudanig.org|access-date=10 April 2018|archive-date=12 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112100144/http://www.unsudanig.org/docs/darfur_fact_sheet_v22_5.pdf}}</ref><ref>[http://www.darfurcentre.ch/images/00_DRDC_documents/DRDC_Reports_Briefing_Papers/DRDC_Report_on_the_5th_Population_Census_in_Sudan.pdf DRDC Report on the 5th Population Census in Sudan] darfurcentre.ch {{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
**[[Zaghawa language|Zaghawa]]<ref name="John A. Shoup 2011 p. 333">{{cite book |first=John A. |last=Shoup |title=Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East |year=2011 |page=333 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-59884-363-7 |quote=The Zaghawa is one of the major divisions of the Beri peoples who live in western Sudan and eastern Chad, and their language, also called Zaghawa, belongs to the Saharan branch of the Nilo-Saharan language group.}}</ref>
**[[Masalit language|Masalit]]
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]]
**[[Kordofanian languages]]
***[[Nuba]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/sudan/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
|
;Central Africa
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]], [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]
**[[Lingala]]<ref name="ReferenceC">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/congo-democratic-republic-of-the/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Kinyarwanda]]:12<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/rwanda/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Kongo language|Kongo]]:5+<ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref name="cia.gov1">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/angola/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/congo-republic-of-the/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Tshiluba language|Tshiluba]]<ref name="ReferenceC"/>
**[[Kirundi]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/burundi/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
|
;Eastern Africa
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]], [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]:
**[[Swahili language|Swahili]]: 5–10
**[[Gikuyu language|Gikuyu]]: 8+<ref name="cia.gov2">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/kenya/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Ganda language|Ganda]]:6<ref name="cia.gov3">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/uganda/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Luhya languages|Luhya]]: 6+<ref name="cia.gov2"/>
*[[Austronesian language|Austronesian]]
**[[Malagasy language|Malagasy]]: 20+<ref name="auto"/>
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]], [[Ubangian languages|Ubangian]]
**[[Gbaya languages|Gbaya]]:2<ref name="cia.gov4">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/central-african-republic/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Banda languages|Banda]]:1–2<ref name="cia.gov4"/>
**[[Zande language|Zande]]<ref name="cia.gov5">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/south-sudan/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
*[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]
**[[Kanuri language|Kanuri]]:10<ref name="cia.gov">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/nigeria/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="cia.gov6">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/chad/ |title=The World Factbook |date=22 September 2021 }}</ref>
**[[Luo languages|Luo]]:5+<ref name="cia.gov2"/><ref name="cia.gov3"/>
**[[Sara languages|Sara]]:3–4<ref name="cia.gov6"/><ref name="cia.gov4"/>
**[[Kalenjin language|Kalenjin]]:6+<ref name="cia.gov2"/>
**[[Dinka language|Dinka]]<ref name="cia.gov5"/>
**[[Nuer language|Nuer]]<ref name="cia.gov5"/>
**[[Shilluk language|Shilluk]]<ref name="cia.gov5"/>
**[[Maasai language|Maasai]]:1–2<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.knbs.or.ke/censusethnic.php |title=Welcome to Kenya National Bureau of Statistics |access-date=28 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131121153548/http://www.knbs.or.ke/censusethnic.php |archive-date=21 November 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thelanguagejournal.com/2012/04/maasai-of-kenya-and-tanzania.html |title=The Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania |first=Dine |last=Racoma |website=The Language Journal |date=2012-04-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428023726/http://www.thelanguagejournal.com/2012/04/maasai-of-kenya-and-tanzania.html |archive-date=2012-04-28}}</ref>
*[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
**[[Semitic languages|Semitic]]
***[[Amharic]]: 20+
***[[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]]: 5
**[[Cushitic languages|Cushitic]]
***[[Somali language|Somali]]: 10–15
***[[Oromo language|Oromo]]: 30–35
*[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]: 1<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.csa.gov.et/pdf/Cen2007_firstdraft.pdf |title=Summary and Statistical Report of the 2007 Population and Housing Census: Population Size by Age and Sex |access-date=29 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214221803/http://www.csa.gov.et/pdf/Cen2007_firstdraft.pdf |archive-date=14 February 2012 |publisher=Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia |date=December 2008 |location=Addis Ababa}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/eritrea/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Gumuz language|Gumuz]]
**[[Anuak language|Anuak]]
**[[Kunama language|Kunama]]
**[[Nara language|Nara]]
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]]: 1<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.somraf.org/research%20Matrerials/joint%20british%20danish%20dutch%20fact%20finding%20mission%20in%20Nairobi%20-%202001.pdf |title=Report on minority groups in Somalia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021044246/http://www.somraf.org/research%20Matrerials/joint%20british%20danish%20dutch%20fact%20finding%20mission%20in%20Nairobi%20-%202001.pdf |archive-date=21 October 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/somalia/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Zigula language|Zigula]]
|
;Southern Africa
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]], [[Bantu languages|Bantu]]
**[[Zulu language|Zulu]]: 10<ref name=G>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/south-africa/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Xhosa language|Xhosa]]: 8<ref name=G/>
**[[Chokwe language|Chokwe]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Akindipe |first1=Tola |last2=Kakaula |first2=Geofrey |last3=Joné |first3=Alcino |title=Learn Chokwe Language |url=http://chokwe.mofeko.com/ |website=Learn Chokwe (Mofeko)}}</ref>
**[[Shona language|Shona]]: 7
**[[Sotho language|Sotho]]: 5
**[[Tsonga language|Tsonga]]: 12
**[[Tswana language|Tswana]]: 4<ref name="G"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/botswana/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Umbundu language|Umbundu]]: 4<ref name="cia.gov1"/>
**[[Northern Sotho language|Sepedi]]: 4<ref name=G/>
**[[Chichewa language|Chichewa]]: 8<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/malawi/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/zambia/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
**[[Makua language|Makua]]: 8<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mozambique/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
*[[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]]
**[[Germanic languages|Germanic]]
***[[Afrikaans]]: 7
***[[English language|English]]: 5
**[[Romance languages|Romance]]
***[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: 14
|
;West Africa
*[[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]]
**[[Benue–Congo]]
***[[Ibibio language|Ibibio]] (Nigeria): 7<ref name="cia.gov"/>
**[[Volta–Niger]]
***[[Igbo language|Igbo]] (Nigeria): 30–35<ref name="cia.gov"/>
***[[Yoruba language|Yoruba]]: 40<ref name="cia.gov"/>
**[[Kwa languages|Kwa]]:
***[[Akan language|Akan]] (Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire): 11
**[[Gur languages|Gur]]
***[[More language|More]]: 5
**[[Senegambian languages|Senegambian]]
***[[Fula language|Fula]] (West Africa): 40<ref name="cia.gov"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="cia.gov7">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/senegal/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref name="cia.gov8">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/gambia-the/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cameroon/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
***[[Wolof language|Wolof]]: 8<ref name="cia.gov7"/><ref name="cia.gov8"/>
*[[Afroasiatic languages|Afroasiatic]]
**[[Chadic languages|Chadic]]
***[[Hausa language|Hausa]]: 50<ref name="cia.gov"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/>
*[[Nilo-Saharan languages|Nilo-Saharan]]
**[[Saharan languages|Saharan]]
***[[Kanuri language|Kanuri]]: 10<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="cia.gov6"/>
***[[Songhai language|Songhai]]:5<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/mali/|title=The World Factbook|date=22 September 2021}}</ref>
***[[Zarma language|Zarma]]:5<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="ReferenceB"/>
|}