Language in Macedonia

The language landscape of North Macedonia combines a nationwide Macedonian standard with legally protected multilingual use. The 2021 resident census recorded Macedonian as the mother tongue of 61.38% of residents, Albanian 24.34%, Turkish 3.41%, Romani 1.73%, Bosnian 0.85%, Serbian 0.61% and Vlach, also called Aromanian, 0.17%; 7.20% of residents were recorded through administrative sources. Household-language figures were Macedonian 62.36% or 1,145,327 people, Albanian 24.18% or 444,026, Turkish 3.35% or 61,596, Romani 1.53% or 28,088, Bosnian 0.84% or 15,509, Serbian 0.27% or 4,993 and Vlach 0.10% or 1,795. Macedonian and its Cyrillic script provide the standard for national public administration. The 2024 Law on the Macedonian Language provides for a Council for the Macedonian Language, licensed language reviewers and an inspectorate. Macedonian is also recognized as intangible cultural heritage, and a national strategy for 2027–2031 is being prepared. The Law on the Use of Languages from 2019 establishes Albanian as the second national official language under the 20% rule. Turkish, Romani, Bosnian, Serbian and Vlach do not automatically receive the same national status below that threshold, but they can have local official use, education, media or cultural support. In state administrative, judicial, police, health, education, cultural and electoral procedures, applicants can use Macedonian or Albanian under the applicable legal conditions. Courts, prosecutors and authorities must enable the permitted language use, and decisions or files can be bilingual where the law requires it. At municipal level, a language spoken by at least 20% of the local population can become official together with its script; below that threshold, local authorities may adopt a decision granting use. The local rule and the institution handling the matter determine the actual access. Institutions bear translation costs in court and procedural matters, and no separate language fee or special language deadline is established. Schools may provide instruction in Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish, Serbian or Bosnian. Macedonian remains a subject for pupils taught in another language. Schools can also offer language-and-culture subjects for Roma, Vlach, Bosniak, Turkish and Serbian communities. A second official language may be introduced in grades IV to IX where the legal and school conditions apply, and Albanian is provided for pupils with another language of instruction in grades VI to IX under the relevant rules. Groups with fewer than 15 pupils can be permitted under the education framework, but access still depends on the school, municipality, available teachers and group formation. In 2026, a Roma-language textbook for grade 6 served more than 2,300 pupils in 13 schools across 7 municipalities. Public media provide different levels of language access. Macedonian Radio Television operates a Macedonian radio service, an Albanian service, a Turkish service and programming in languages of other non-majority communities. It also maintains editorial capacity for Serbian, Romani and Vlach, while its second television channel broadcasts in Albanian. The extent and regularity of coverage differ by language and editorial service. Language protection also operates through literature, dictionaries, lexicography, dialect archives, festivals, schools and cultural programmes. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Institute for Macedonian Language “Krste Misirkov” support these functions. Local Macedonian dialects are documented across western, eastern, northern, peripheral and central groups through maps, audio material, monographs and dictionaries. Dialects are mainly used informally and culturally and do not have an independent administrative status. The language rules also affect participation. Parliamentary work and legal acts use Macedonian and the language meeting the 20% threshold. The State Election Commission provides Albanian web access and an Albanian translation function, while the right to vote does not depend on language. Practical assistance at a particular polling place or institution should still be checked locally. Because no final Constitutional Court decision is established for the 2024–2026 review of the language legislation, implementation and legal risks can differ between institutions and municipalities.