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German-Speaking Countries

Name all the countries where German is an official language.
Sovereign states only!
Quiz by Fing0lfin17
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Last updated: September 20, 2018
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First submittedMay 5, 2013
Times taken104,599
Average score83.3%
Rating4.92
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% Native Speakers
Country
93%
Austria
92%
Germany
86%
Liechtenstein
65%
Switzerland
2%
Luxembourg
0.6%
Belgium
+34
Level 34
Jan 11, 2016
Weird that Austria should have more German-speakers than Germany.
+67
Level 63
Jan 20, 2016
There are more native German speakers in Germany. It's just the percentage that is higher in Austria (as in 93% of the Austrian population of about 8.6 million vs. 92% of the German population of about 81.3 million).
+42
Level 88
Jul 17, 2018
I think we all understand percentage, including the OP, hence his statement.
+55
Level 37
Jan 31, 2016
I think Germany just has a higher percentage of immigrants from non-native German speaking countries.
+12
Level 74
Jun 18, 2016
There are also minorities like sorbs and frisians and some more, who doesn't speak german as first language.
+20
Level 58
Sep 14, 2016
But the minorities do not carry that much weight (less than 300k speakers). It's the immigrants, of course.
+4
Level 30
Nov 16, 2017
Not necessary. North Frisian and Danish in Schleswig-Holstein. Saterland Frisian in Lower Saxony. Plattdütsch in northern and Western Germany. Sorbian in Saxony and Brandenburg. And Berlin is de facto Anglophone.
+12
Level 48
Feb 22, 2018
Plattduetsch is just a dialect - it's still German -and I can't believe there are many Danish speakers in Schelswig - Holstein, I spent a year there and the only ones I met were Danish Expats.

I don't think many people speak Fresian either

Immigrants - especially from Turkey would be in far higher numbers

+3
Level 44
Dec 21, 2018
it could be just an statistical error if were talking about 1 percent.
+1
Level 75
Sep 10, 2021
Germany had a total population of 82 million and a total foreign-born population of 10 million in 2010, i.e. 88% of its population is native-born and could thus be assumed to speak German as a first language (not necessary the only or primary one). The remaining 4% may result from change since then, although I would have assumed there are actually many more immigrants in Germany today.
+4
Level 65
Aug 6, 2022
Why? Austria is a german speaking country just like Germany, its not like German just belongs to Germany. Both have a very similar history, just in modern times they arent the same country. But tbh I thought Germany had more too
+7
Level 59
Jan 31, 2016
Thanks for the 5 points :-)
+9
Level 43
Jan 31, 2016
italy? south tyrol?
+5
Level 52
Jan 31, 2016
True but Germany still isn't an official language in Italy. Similarly, if it was a quiz on countries that have Spanish as an official language the US wouldn't be on it despite our large Spanish speaking population.
+11
Level 84
Jan 31, 2016
English wouldn't be either - no official language in the U.S.
+4
Level 50
Feb 1, 2016
cdguy24 german is an official language in trentino/southtyrol. the same for french in aosta valley
+8
Level 30
Feb 1, 2016
@Martinz it needs to be the country official language rather than individual area's.
+3
Level 49
Jan 31, 2016
German is co-official in South Tyrol, which is in Italy
+1
Level 52
May 20, 2016
yup :)
+4
Level 43
Jan 7, 2022
But not at national level.
+4
Level 72
Jan 31, 2016
German is also an official language in Vatican City (as well as english, italian and latin)
+3
Level 43
Jan 7, 2022
I believe German is used in Swiss Guard, but I don't think it is an official language of the country.
+1
Level 65
Jan 31, 2016
Good quiz!
+2
Level 85
Feb 1, 2016
You forgot Namibia. The official languages there are English and German.
+6
Level 69
Feb 3, 2016
Not anymore. In 1990 Namibian government declared English as the sole official language. German (and couple of other languages) were declared "regional languages" with somewhat lower status than English
+5
Level 74
Jan 20, 2018
They are "recognized national languages". Ranking beneath the "Official Language" English, but are still officialy recognized nationaly.
+2
Level 43
Jan 7, 2022
Recognized languages aren't always official languages.
+2
Level 83
May 1, 2016
Good job keeping the time limit short-- I got them all with 3 seconds to spare. Short time limit=people engage the quiz and have to think about it instead of just typing really fast the same answers from the all the countries of the world quiz.
+1
Level 82
Nov 16, 2017
I got them all with 50 seconds to spare. What were you doing with all that time?
+6
Level 56
Jun 15, 2020
Perhaps you had a proper keyboard instead of playing on a phone?
+3
Level 21
Jul 4, 2020
Perhaps you had a proper keyboard instead of playing on a PS4's web browser?
+5
Level 78
Sep 16, 2020
Only 50? What were you doing with all that time?
+1
Level 82
Apr 6, 2022
Well about half of it (on this site) anymore is taken up scrolling past petulant comments left by you directed at me, for some reason.
+12
Level 88
Jul 17, 2018
If you're really testing your knowledge the clock is irrelevant, no need to hurry along to keep viewers from switching channels. If you're really testing yourself and your knowledge you click "Give up" when you're through writing what you know. What is there to gain by typing random nothingness? A cookie? A report card to show your parents? You're testing your knowledge in front of only yourself with nothing to prove to anyone but yourself, nothing to gain, no sense in cheating or guessing.
+3
Level 66
Jan 30, 2019
My thoughts exactly, though a lot of people are extremely competitive. I seem to lack that gene, dont care if everybody beats me. But do care if I let myself down, done worse than I could have. Not much either, but I like to improve myself :)
+1
Level 58
May 23, 2016
What's about Italy?
+1
Level 43
Jan 7, 2022
I believe German is official in one of its region (South Tyrol), but it is not a national official language of Italy.
+1
Level 68
Apr 2, 2017
Happy about those 5 points :-)
+1
Level 41
Dec 22, 2017
What is the other 14% in Liechtenstein?
+2
Level 28
Feb 21, 2018
If I had to guess, I would say either French or Italian.
+7
Level 47
Feb 21, 2018
Only 0.6% in Belgium? Urgh can they do anything right???
+6
Level 51
Feb 23, 2018
...is that wrong?
+1
Level 44
Nov 10, 2022
No, it is right. After WWII (and Versailles Treaty) Germany ceded 850 km2 territory to Belgium as a compensation for war related damages. This territory nowadays enjoys a large autonomy (own parliament, educational system...)
+1
Level 61
Feb 22, 2018
what about namibia
+1
Level 43
Jan 7, 2022
Not anymore.
+1
Level 59
Feb 22, 2018
Who would have guessed Liechtenstein as German.
+10
Level 71
Jul 6, 2018
Me
+2
Level 78
Dec 21, 2018
All the people who know that it is in the Alps or who are barely aware of how German words look like?
+2
Level 76
Dec 21, 2018
Yes, that's the joke.
+2
Level 78
Dec 21, 2018
You can never be sure on this website.
+1
Level 79
Aug 9, 2020
Anybody was has heard of Liechtenstein and knows that it sounds German.
+2
Level 37
May 5, 2018
Sandwiched between German speaking countries, why wouldn't it be?

A greater surprise for me were Belgium and Luxembourg.

+1
Level 68
Jun 8, 2020
I just remember small countries have a lot of influence from their bigger neighbors. I still don't understand Belgium.
+2
Level 61
Oct 15, 2020
There's a small part of Belgium which was German until the end of WWI, this parts were annexed by Belgium due to the treaty of Versailles, but are still speaking German.
+2
Level 45
Jul 6, 2018
What about Namibia?
+3
Level 86
Nov 16, 2018
Sayeth Wikipedia: "Upon Namibian independence in 1990, English was enshrined as the nation's sole official language in the constitution of Namibia. German and Afrikaans were stigmatised as having colonial overtones"
+5
Level 84
Jul 6, 2018
Man leave it to the Belgians to infect yet another list. There are other countries in the world you know...
+1
Level 34
Nov 16, 2018
Also add Namibia, around %1 of the population speak german
+3
Level 43
Jan 7, 2022
But German is not an official language there.
+1
Level 32
Dec 21, 2018
Damn it Switzerland!
+1
Level 48
Dec 21, 2018
German is an official language in the Italian region of Sudtirol, thus Italy should be included in the list
+3
Level 76
Dec 21, 2018
But Suditrol is not a country, and Italy as a country does not have German as an official language.
+1
Level 67
Dec 21, 2018
Missed Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. Don't know too much about either.
+3
Level 67
May 14, 2019
Took it again today, not remembering that I originally took it, and this time missed only Belgium.
+1
Level 66
May 23, 2023
And 5 years + 60 levels later you've probably vacuumed up a bit more about both
+1
Level 11
Dec 22, 2018
Namibia, South Africa and Botswana have alot of German speakers too, could have added more answers to this quiz.
+5
Level 66
Jan 30, 2019
Another one missing the idea of the quiz. If a german family moves to my country. German is spoken here too, so it should be on the list right?..
+1
Level 63
Dec 22, 2018
All done with 43 seconds left, 12/22/2018 at 12:25 or 12:26 PM.
+1
Level 76
Mar 14, 2019
Hungary?

As I understand, German is an official minority language there. I don't know how many are native, but around 11% overall in that country seem to speak German.

+2
Level 43
Jan 7, 2022
Its status is not the same as an official language of the country.
+1
Level 36
May 13, 2019
How could I forget Austria... doh.
+1
Level 24
Sep 27, 2019
I almost forgot Belgium :O
+1
Level 57
Jul 4, 2020
Why Italy is not listed here, but Belgium is. I mean most of the people of South Tyrol speak German and Italian
+2
Level 43
Jan 7, 2022
German is official in Belgium at national level, unlike in Italy.
+1
Level 78
Sep 16, 2020
There are more than a million German speakers in the USA. But the USA has no official language, although many states do - in some cases several.
+2
Level 58
Dec 14, 2020
About 1.06 million people speak German in the US, out of 328-some million, percentage rounds out at 0.3.
+1
Level 78
Apr 18, 2023
Nice research Hendog. Thank you.
+1
Level 51
Jan 12, 2021
Not much German speakers it looks like
+1
Level 67
Jun 1, 2021
8 seconds remaining
+1
Level 95
Oct 5, 2021
German is also recognized as co-official language in Upper Adige / South Tyrol an autonomous province in northern Italy where around two thirds of the population speaks German as first language.
+3
Level 76
Dec 13, 2021
South Tyrol is not a country.
+1
Level 61
Jun 20, 2023
Exactly
+1
Level 53
Oct 22, 2021
I might offend some people but I would of thought that France, Netherlands or Poland would speak some German

Just because of History you know?

+5
Level 76
Dec 13, 2021
Yeah, but it's not official in those countries.
+1
Level 15
Apr 9, 2022
Easy per il Bot
+1
Level 55
Apr 11, 2022
Last second i write "Belgimum" and it didn't give it to me...
+1
Level 48
Nov 11, 2022
Unlucky you, I wrote it correctly at the last second
+1
Level 23
Oct 1, 2023
Yay! Got them all. I though that netherlands was there
+1
Level 29
Mar 10, 2024
I thought it was every country but germany lol