List of English-speaking Countries
Complete list of 60 countries with English as an official language, categorized by continent and membership in the Commonwealth or not.
Complete List of Countries with English as an Official Language
| Country | Continent | Capital | Official Language(s) | Commonwealth (Members) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | Africa | Pretoria | English + 10 official languages | Yes |
| Antigua and Barbuda | America | Saint John’s | English | Yes |
| Australia | Oceania | Canberra | English | Yes |
| Australia (Christmas Island) | Asia | Flying Fish Cove | English | Australian External Territory |
| Australia (Cocos Islands) | Asia | West Island | English | Australian External Territory |
| Bahamas | America | Nassau | English | Yes |
| Barbados | America | Bridgetown | English | Yes |
| Belize | America | Belmopan | English | Yes |
| Botswana | Africa | Gaborone | Tswana and English | Yes |
| Brunei | Asia | Bandar Seri Begawan | Malay and English | Yes |
| Cameroon | Africa | Yaoundé | French and English | Yes |
| Canada | America | Ottawa | English and French | Yes |
| China (Hong Kong) | Asia | Hong Kong | Chinese and English | Special Administrative Region |
| Dominica | America | Roseau | English | Yes |
| Eritrea | Africa | Asmara | Tigrinya, Arabic, and English | No |
| Eswatini | Africa | Mbabane | Swazi and English | Yes |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Oceania | Palikir | English | No |
| United States | America | Washington D.C. | English | No |
| United States (Northern Mariana Islands) | Oceania | Saipan | English, Chamorro, and Carolinian | Unincorporated Territory of the United States |
| United States (U.S. Virgin Islands) | America | Charlotte Amalie | English | Unincorporated Territory of the United States |
| United States (Guam) | Oceania | Hagåtña | English and Chamorro | Unincorporated Territory of the United States |
| United States (American Samoa) | Oceania | Pago Pago | English and Samoan | Unincorporated Territory of the United States |
| United States (Puerto Rico) | America | San Juan | Spanish and English | Unincorporated Territory of the United States |
| United States (Midway Atoll) | Oceania | Midway Atoll | English | Unincorporated Territory of the United States |
| United States (Wake Island) | Oceania | Wake Island | English | Unincorporated Territory of the United States |
| Virgin Islands (British) | America | Road Town | English | British Overseas Territory |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.) | America | Charlotte Amalie | English | Unincorporated Territory of the United States |
| Wales (United Kingdom) | Europe | Cardiff | English and Welsh | Constituent Country of the United Kingdom |
| Western Sahara | Africa | El Aaiún | Arabic and Spanish | Disputed Territory |
| Western Samoa | Oceania | Apia | Samoan and English | Yes |
| Yemen (Aden) | Asia | Aden | Arabic and English | Yes |
| Yemen (Sana’a) | Asia | Sana’a | Arabic and English | Yes |
How Many English-Speaking Countries Are There?
There are currently 60 countries with English as the official language or one of the official languages. The United Kingdom also has 11 overseas territories (Anguilla, Bermuda, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Pitcairn Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, Jersey, Montserrat, and Saint Helena) and 3 British Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey) where English is also the official language.
English is also the official language in two autonomous states dependent on the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Curaçao and Sint Maarten), 2 external territories of Australia (Christmas Island and Cocos Islands), and 5 unincorporated territories of the United States (Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa).
What is the Commonwealth?
The Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organization composed of 54 member states, mostly former territories (colonies) of the British Empire. Queen Elizabeth II served as both the symbol and the head of the Commonwealth. The member states of the Commonwealth are united by the Commonwealth Charter, which emphasizes principles of democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law. The members of the Commonwealth are also tied by a shared history with the British Empire and consequently the English language.
Among the 54 member states of the Commonwealth organization, seven do not have English as an official language: Mozambique, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Cyprus, and Nauru. However, English remains present as a secondary language in these countries.