In this series of articles we overview languages present in any given country. This time we are looking at the languages spoken in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The biggest languages present in Bosnia and Herzegovina include:
- Bosnian – 2.49 million speakers
- Croatian – 492 thousand speakers
- Serbian – 1.02 million speakers
There is no official languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina, although some languages may have a functionally similar status, or be official in some of the administrative divisions of the country.
Below you will find summaries for the languages supported by our translation services.
Bosnian
Bosnian is a Slavic language, which is a branch of the Indo-European language family. It has no country-wide official status in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| Number of speakers worldwide | 3 million |
|---|---|
| Language family | Indo-European |
| Writing |
|
| Major Bosnian-speaking populations in: | 6 countries |
Demographics and geographic distribution
Approximately 3 million people in more than 6 countries speak Bosnian as either the first or a second language. Countries with a significant number of people speaking the language include:
- Croatia
- North Macedonia
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Serbia
- Montenegro
In Bosnia and Herzegovina approximately 15% or 492 thousand people use Bosnian in their day-to-day communication.
Writing
Bosnian uses multiple writing systems, namely the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets. For the translator to choose the correct script, it is important to indicate the target audience or the context in which it is going to be used, when ordering a translation.
Translation services
If you intend to expand to the Bosnian market via the Bosnian language, you might be interested in the following services:
- Bosnian Document Translation
- Bosnian Desktop Publishing and InDesign Translation
- Bosnian E-Commerce Translation
Croatian
Croatian is a Slavic language, which is a branch of the Indo-European language family. It has no country-wide official status in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| Number of speakers worldwide | 6 million |
|---|---|
| Language family | Indo-European |
| Writing | Gaj’s alphabet |
| Major Croatian-speaking populations in: | 5 countries |
Demographics and geographic distribution
There are major Croatian-speaking populations in 5 countries. Examples of countries, where Croatian has a major presence, include:
- Romania
- Croatia
- Serbia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
Around 15% of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina speak Croatian.
Writing
The Gaj’s alphabet is used for writing the Croatian language. Being a subset of the Gaj’s script, it uses some non-standard characters like č, ć, đ, š, overall 5 symbols.
Translation services
If you intend to expand to the Bosnian market via the Croatian language, you might be interested in the following services:
- Croatian Document Translation
- Croatian Desktop Publishing and InDesign Translation
- Croatian E-Commerce Translation
Serbian
Serbian is a Slavic language, closely related to Bulgarian, Macedonian, Croatian, Russian, and other languages of the same branch of the language family. It has no country-wide official status in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
| Number of speakers worldwide | 9.50 million |
|---|---|
| Language family | Indo-European |
| Writing |
|
| Major Serbian-speaking populations in: | 5 countries |
Demographics and geographic distribution
Approximately 9.50 million people in more than 5 countries speak Serbian as either the first or a second language. Countries with a significant number of people speaking the language include:
- Montenegro
- Germany
- Austria
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Serbia
In Bosnia and Herzegovina approximately 15% or 492 thousand people use Serbian in their day-to-day communication.
Writing
Serbian uses multiple writing systems, namely the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets. For the translator to choose the correct script, it is important to indicate the target audience or the context in which it is going to be used, when ordering a translation.
Translation services
If you intend to expand to the Bosnian market via the Serbian language, you might be interested in the following services:
- Serbian Document Translation
- Serbian Desktop Publishing and InDesign Translation
- Serbian E-Commerce Translation
Related services
We hope you have found the answers to the question about what languages are spoken in Bosnia and Herzegovina“. If you wish to know more about these languages or would like to inquire about our translation services, please contact us at [email protected].
