Arabic-Speaking Countries in Africa
African countries where Arabic has official or major working status.
| Country | Capital | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Algiers | North Africa | 45,400,000 |
| Comoros | Moroni | East Africa | 850,000 |
| Djibouti | Djibouti City | East Africa | 1,140,000 |
| Egypt | Cairo | North Africa | 110,000,000 |
| Eritrea | Asmara | East Africa | 3,700,000 |
| Libya | Tripoli | North Africa | 6,900,000 |
| Mauritania | Nouakchott | West Africa | 4,900,000 |
| Morocco | Rabat | North Africa | 37,500,000 |
| Somalia | Mogadishu | East Africa | 17,600,000 |
| Sudan | Khartoum | North Africa | 47,900,000 |
| Tunisia | Tunis | North Africa | 12,400,000 |
| Western Sahara | El Aaiún | North Africa | 600,000 |
Arabic in Africa
The list above shows African countries where Arabic has official or widely-used status. These language groupings largely reflect colonial history — Arabic entered Africa through colonization, missionary education, trade and diplomacy — but today is owned and shaped by African speakers, writers, broadcasters and artists.
Note that most African countries are multilingual; this list reflects official or major working languages, not the dozens of indigenous tongues spoken in each nation.