There are 20 to 22 countries where Spanish is an official language, depending on the source and whether territories are included. The core list of countries with Spanish as an official language includes Spain and 19 countries in Latin America such as Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Equatorial Guinea in Africa. Puerto Rico is also often included as a Spanish-speaking territory
. Some sources count 21 or 22 countries including Puerto Rico and Equatorial Guinea, while others list 20 countries excluding territories. Spanish is not an official language in the United States, but it is widely spoken there by over 40 million native speakers, making it the country with the second largest Spanish-speaking population after Mexico
. In summary:
- Official Spanish-speaking countries: about 20 to 22 countries worldwide
- Main regions: Latin America, Spain (Europe), and Equatorial Guinea (Africa)
- Spanish is also widely spoken but not official in the United States and some other territories
Thus, the number of countries where Spanish is officially spoken is generally accepted as 20 to 22.
