The Main Italian-Speaking Countries (That Aren’t Italy) in 2025

I suppose you're here not only to discover which countries speak Italian but also to determine if dedicating time and effort to learning the language is a worthwhile endeavor.

For starters, Italy—the third most populous nation in Europe—is where roughly 60 million native speakers live.

But is Italian spoken anywhere outside of Italy?

Indeed it is: in fact, more than 25 million people worldwide speak the language. So yes, it is worthwhile—Italian is spoken in locations you might not expect.

This article will take you through the primary countries where Italian is spoken outside of Italy, which should certainly demonstrate the value of learning the language.

Albania

Number of speakers (2023): 800,000

Given its closeness to Italy, it's not surprising that many Albanians speak Italian. The nation was once under Italy's protection, sharing strong trade and cultural ties with its more prosperous neighbor.

Albanians often picked up the language primarily by watching Italian television. Following the Second World War, Albania came under communist rule and its ties with Italy were severed, but Italian culture had already become ingrained. Many individuals, despite the risk of punishment from the communist authorities, would adjust their television sets to receive Italian broadcasts.

After communism ended, relations were restored and numerous Albanians chose to migrate across the Adriatic to Italy and settle there. Today, there are Albanian communities in Italy and Italian communities in Albania. The two nations maintain an economically and culturally beneficial relationship.

The United States of America

Number of speakers (2023): 3.8 million

Italians, predominantly from the southern part of the country, formed one of the largest immigrant groups that arrived in the United States during the late 19th century. They established themselves in states such as New York and New Jersey and played a significant role in America's emergence as a global leader.

You're familiar with names like the Cuomos, Giuliani, DiCaprio, de Niro, Pacino, “The Situation” and Chef Boyardee, and that's just a small example of Italian-Americans known for various reasons. In every field, from commerce and politics to entertainment and the arts, Italians and Americans of Italian heritage have made lasting impressions and essential contributions to American culture.

Italian-Americans take particular pride in their ancestry, and many continue to speak the language within their households. Even third-generation Italian-Americans are exploring their rich history and learning the language.

You won't have to look hard to find Italian speakers in the United States. After Italy and Albania, the United States is home to the world's third-largest population of Italian speakers.

Slovenia

Number of speakers (2023): 250,000

Often, along national borders between countries with different languages, you'll find people who are fluent in both languages. This holds true for the Slovenian Istria—the region of Slovenia that shares a border with Northern Italy.

The Slovenian constitution acknowledges Italian as a co-official language in this region, where native speakers are mainly found in the municipalities of Piran, Koper and Izola. So, don't be startled to see bilingual road signs in this part of Slovenia. Government operations are also conducted in Italian.

Across the entire nation, it's estimated that 15% of the Slovenian population speaks Italian as a second language, with 5% using it in their everyday activities.

Switzerland

Number of speakers (2023): 1.2 million

“What?! You only speak two languages?” is a remark you might hear from ordinary people in Switzerland.

The nation has four national languages: German, French, Romansh and Italian. Bordered by Germany, France and Italy, it represents a true linguistic intersection. But you needn't worry about carrying multiple phrasebooks, as many Swiss people also understand English.

Italian speakers are especially concentrated in the canton (a political division) of Ticino, which was historically part of the Duchy of Milan.

There are variations between the Italian spoken in Italy and that spoken in Switzerland. For instance, the word for medicine is 'medicina' in Italy but 'medicamento' in Switzerland. Similarly, for bookings and reservations, Italians say 'prenotazione' whereas the Swiss term is 'riservazione'.

Argentina

Number of speakers (2023): About 1.4 million

The impact of Italian immigrants is profound, particularly in a country like Argentina.

Similar to New York, Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, welcomed a substantial number of Italian immigrants in the late 19th century. Their initial point of arrival was often La Boca, the port at the mouth of the Riachuelo river. Now bustling with tourists due to its photogenic, colorful houses, it was once the domain of Italian migrants seeking a better life in South America.

Italians have left their mark on all facets of Argentine society. It's not just the string of pizzerias and gelaterias along Corrientes Avenue or the Campari and Fernet Branca that Argentines enjoy drinking. The influence runs deeper. It's literally in their blood. Approximately 62% of Argentines are said to have Italian ancestry. Needless to say, Italian is widely spoken throughout the country. Need proof? Consider the Pope, who grew up speaking Italian in Argentina and had an Italian father.

Argentines of Italian descent are colloquially called 'Tanos', short for 'Napulitano' (from Naples). Italian has influenced Argentine slang. Words such as 'fiaca' (laziness), 'laburar' (to work), 'pibe' (kid) and 'birra' (beer) have Italian roots.

Vatican City

Number of speakers (2023): 825

Speaking of the Pope, another Italian-speaking enclave located in the heart of Rome is Vatican City. Covering just 44 hectares, it ranks among the smallest independent states on Earth.

But its small stature is deceptive. The words originating from here resonate across the globe. As you likely know, Vatican City is the residence of the Pope, the religious and spiritual leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.

While some ceremonies are still performed in Latin, your visit to the Vatican will be far more enriching if you comprehend and read Italian.

Australia

Number of speakers (2023): 290,000

The Land Down Under might not be the first location you think of when considering Italian-speaking countries. But they are certainly there, mate!

Italians were among the earliest Europeans to reach Australia. Captain James Cook, who later claimed Australia for the British Crown, had two Italian crew members named James Matra and Antonio Ponto.

From the 1850s to the present day, Italians have arrived in Australia in large waves, often influenced by circumstances in their homeland. Economic or political turmoil in Italy prompted many Italians to emigrate to North America, South America, and even Australia.

Today, Italians represent one of the largest ethnic communities in Australia, and Italian is the third most spoken language. About 4.6% of Australians today claim Italian ancestry. This population is largely concentrated in Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia.

San Marino

Number of speakers (2023): 35,0000

As a small country entirely surrounded by Italy, it's no surprise that the people of San Marino speak Italian. Italian is the state's official language, and the people of San Marino largely identify as Italian.

Croatia

Number of speakers (2023): 19,000

Italian is recognized as an official minority language in Croatia. Since 2009, the Italian language has been officially used in twenty cities and municipalities and ten other settlements in Croatia. In fact, ethnic Italians constitute about half a percent of Croatia's population, and there are areas where up to 50% of the inhabitants speak Italian as their first language.

Croatia and Italy share a long history, situated on opposite shores of the Adriatic Sea. During the Renaissance, much of Croatia was governed by the powerful Venetians in the area known as Dalmatia.

The Worldwide Influence of Italian

Italian is the official language of Italy, San Marino, Switzerland, the Vatican City and specific regions of Slovenia and Croatia. Historically, Italian was also an official language in Monaco, Albania and Malta.

The dissemination of Italian is a result of immigration and historical events. Wherever native speakers traveled, they carried not only their belongings but also their language—and their expressive hand gestures.

Even excluding those familiar with the language of Versace, Gucci and Prada, Italian is one of the world's major languages, with considerable numbers of native and non-native speakers in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Eritrea, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mexico, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Tunisia, UAE, UK, the US and Venezuela.

With eight million people learning the language, Italian ranks as the sixth most studied language globally. The number of Italian speakers is poised to increase over time.

Why not begin your own journey with this video on beginner conversations?

Brief History of Italian

Long ago, the extensive Roman Empire reached from the cloudy landscapes of England to the golden deserts of Egypt. The empire's language was Latin, spoken by common people across the various Roman provinces.

However, after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century, the once-unified empire fragmented into multiple political and geographical territories. Isolated and independent, the Latin in these different regions experienced distinct linguistic shifts. Consequently, we now have the various Romance languages we know today: primarily Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian.

Modern Italian is heavily influenced by the dialect spoken in Tuscany, the region in central Italy that includes Florence. Historically, Italy has not been a uniform entity but a collection of numerous dialects and accents.

The adoption of the Tuscan dialect was significantly aided by the prestige bestowed upon it by writers such as Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio and Francesco Petrarch. It also helped that Florence, Tuscany's capital and the epicenter of the Renaissance, was a political, economic and cultural hub. Today, the Tuscan dialect acts as a linguistic bridge, connecting the dialects of northern and southern Italy, and for Italian speakers worldwide.

Cognate Languages: French, Spanish and Portuguese

Before we conclude, let me quickly provide you with a few million more incentives to learn Italian.

If you've been following closely, you'll remember that the "Romance languages" all originate from Latin. And since they all evolved from the same parent language, there are significant overlaps in their vocabularies and linguistic features.

Were you aware that an Italian-speaking tourist can navigate Madrid, Lisbon or Paris with relative ease? This is because the languages share many common words. Knowing Italian means you already recognize numerous vocabulary words in French, Spanish and Portuguese.

This is extremely useful, given that there are roughly 500 million Spanish speakers worldwide, 300 million French speakers and 220 million Portuguese speakers! By learning Italian, a language very similar to these three, you're also bringing yourself a step closer to all these individuals.

Over the centuries, Italians have traveled the world, bringing with them their cuisine, their passion for living well and, of course, their language. Your knowledge of Italian will undoubtedly take you to far-flung places, and it may not be long before you encounter a native speaker in the most unexpected corner of the world.