Which country has the highest number of official languages?

Bolivia has the highest number of official languages in the world, recognizing 37 languages nationally.

The total consists of Spanish plus 36 Indigenous languages named in Bolivia’s 2009 Constitution. These include widely spoken languages such as Quechua, Aymara, and Guaraní, alongside languages associated with smaller Indigenous nations and communities. The constitutional change reflected Bolivia’s description of itself as a plurinational state.

Official status does not mean every language is spoken by a large population or used equally in daily government business. Spanish remains the country’s most widely used language, while many Indigenous languages are concentrated in particular regions and communities. Several face serious pressure from language shift and declining numbers of speakers.

South Africa is a frequent alternative answer because it has 12 official languages, and India is sometimes cited because of its many constitutionally recognized languages. Those figures are lower than Bolivia’s national total, though definitions of “official” can vary between countries.