Languages of Madagascar
| Languages of Madagascar | |
|---|---|
People reading news in Antananarivo. | |
| Official | Malagasy, French |
| Recognised | English |
| Signed | Malagasy Sign Language |
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The Malagasy language, of Austronesian origin, is generally spoken throughout the island. The official languages of Madagascar are Malagasy and French. As a member of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Madagascar is a Francophone country, and in 2024, French is spoken by around a quarter of the population in Madagascar, i.e. 8,5 million people out of 32 million (26.59%).
In the first Constitution of 1958, Malagasy and French were named the official languages of the Malagasy Republic. Among the elites in large cities, French is spoken as a native language.