Niger has 10 national languages, with Hausa being the official and most spoken language. Different sources estimate that Niger has between 8 and 20 indigenous languages, belonging to the Afroasiatic, Nilo-Saharan and NigerâÂÂCongo families â the discrepancy stems from the fact that several are closely related, and can be grouped together or considered apart.
The sole official language of Niger is Hausa, which in 2025 replaced French, the previous official language.
French, inherited from the colonial period is spoken mainly as a second language by people who have received an education (20% of Nigeriens are literate in French, and even 47% in cities, growing quickly as literacy improves). Although educated Nigeriens still constitute a relatively small percentage of the population, the French language is the language used by the official administration (courts, government, etc.), the media and the business community. Niger is a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie. See also: African French
Niger has ten official national languages, namely Arabic, Buduma, Fulfulde, Gourmanchéma, Hausa, Kanuri, Zarma & Songhai, Tamasheq, Tassawaq, Tebu. These ten national languages, their language families, the approximate percentage of the population that speak them, their approximate home regions, and additional information are as follows: