Once a desolate rock with few inhabitants, Hong Kong is now populated by millions of people who speak hundreds of languages from all corners of the globe. As such the languages of Hong Kong are incredibly diverse – more so than you’d ever have imagined!
Indeed, many of the languages spoken on the island have billions of speakers worldwide, whilst others only have a few million across Asia.
Official Languages of Hong Kong
According to the Basic Law of Hong Kong, there are two official languages of Hong Kong, which are used in both daily life and in government. These are:
Chinese – 7.35 Million
English – 3.97 Million
Dialects of Chinese
Though “Chinese” is one of the two official languages of Hong Kong, Chinese isn’t one language (no matter how much the mainland Chinese government say they are). Instead, it’s a cluster of mutually unintelligible dialects that are spoken in China.
As such, Hong Kong is home to dozens of these dialects, by far the most spoken of which are:
Cantonese – 7.08 Million
Mandarin – 3.64 Million
Hakka – 150,000
Wu – 82,500
Foreign Languages of Hong Kong
Since the British established Hong Kong as a trading outpost in 1841, the island has been home to dozens of foreign languages, mainly those spoken by foreign traders.
In modern times, many foreign languages have arrived thanks to foreign immigration to the island, mainly thanks to Hong Kong’s high standard of living.