Language in Solomon Islands

Most Solomon Islands languages belong to the Austronesian family, although non-Austronesian languages such as Lavukal, Savosavo and Rio are also documented. The larger local languages recorded in the 2019 Census include Kwara'ae, Are'are, Lau, Kwaio, To'abaita, Sa'a, Arosi, Marovo and Aiwoo. Language use changes sharply by province and between urban and rural settings. In Honiara, English ability was reported at 87.4% and Pijin ability at 81.0%; in Western Province the corresponding figures were 80.7% and 77.6%. Malaita recorded the lowest English and Pijin values, while local-language ability was especially high in Rennell-Bellona at 80.4% and Choiseul at 79.5%. Honiara commonly uses Pijin for everyday interaction, while a local language may remain the first learned language within a family or community. The Census recorded Pidgin as the first learned language for 101,588 people aged five and over, or 16.1%, but first learned language and habitual use are different measures. Solomon Islands Pijin varies by region and does not have one fully standardized national variety or a generally accepted standard dictionary. Local accents and dialects are common. English is the formal language of government administration and a central language in schools and the private sector. Pijin is widely used for spoken communication across provincial boundaries, while local languages serve local administrative, family, cultural and identity functions. Government offices are not generally required to process every matter in every local language, so practical access depends on the office, province and available language support. Provincial Assembly oral proceedings may use English, Solomon Islands Pijin or the province's common local language, but written provincial matters use English. The Constitution protects language access in criminal proceedings. A person who is arrested or detained must receive the reason in a language they understand. A person charged with an offence must receive the charge in an understandable language, and a defendant who cannot understand the language used in a criminal trial is entitled to an interpreter without payment. No general nationwide entitlement to free translation in non-criminal public services has been identified. Education law allows a local vernacular, Pijin, English or sign language to be used alone or together according to learners' needs. The 2024 Education Regulations provide for mother tongue, Pijin or sign language from early childhood education through Year 3, English from Year 4, and English as the principal language from Year 7 through Year 12. The actual choice depends on the school, teachers, materials and province. MEHRD pilot work has included Arosi in Makira and Sa'a in Small Malaita, but pilot availability does not create a nationwide local-language program. No general language-based admission requirement for education has been identified. SIBC, the national broadcaster, provides English news with Pijin interpretation or preparation and broadcasts programs in Pijin, local languages and dialects. Programs such as Langus Blo Iumi, Custom Story and local music also use broadcasting to support language and cultural expression. Local languages carry oral history, folklore, music, ecological knowledge and community identity. Preservation is mainly community- and project-based rather than governed by one national language-protection mechanism; the Marovo project, for example, documents Marovo, Hoava and Vangunu. Census records include naming variations linked to tribes or lineages and labels for older, endangered or extinct languages, but Solomon Islands does not have one fully reliable national endangerment classification. Between 1999 and 2019, recorded numbers declined for languages including Vangunu, Owa and Amba, although further validation is needed. Language responsibilities are distributed among several institutions. Parliament and the Attorney-General's Chambers shape the legal framework, MEHRD handles education language policy, the National Statistics Office collects language data, SITAG provides specialist translation and language advice, SIBC handles national broadcasting, and Provincial Assemblies determine language use in their oral proceedings. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and local communities are central to cultural documentation and preservation. Language support may therefore differ by location, institution, staffing and available materials rather than following one nationwide service standard.