What is the official language of Angola?

The official language of Angola is Portuguese. It became the country’s official language through Angola’s history as a Portuguese colony and remained so after independence in 1975. Portuguese is used by the national government, courts, schools, news media, and much of the country’s administration.

Angola is linguistically diverse, however. More than 40 other languages are spoken, most belonging to the Bantu language family. Major national languages include Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo, Chokwe, and Kwanyama. Many Angolans speak Portuguese alongside one or more of these African languages.

Portuguese also serves as a lingua franca, helping people from different linguistic communities communicate. Its use expanded particularly in cities and among younger generations, while the civil war and subsequent urban migration helped spread it across the country. Angolan Portuguese has distinctive accents, vocabulary, and expressions of its own.

English, French, and Spanish may be taught or spoken by some communities, but they do not have official-language status in Angola. The country is therefore part of Africa’s Portuguese-speaking world, alongside nations such as Mozambique, Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau.