Languages in Angola

Portuguese is Angola’s official and institutional language. It is used in schools, public administration and much national and international communication. The 2024 census recorded Portuguese as the mother tongue of 45.5% of the population, followed by Umbundu at 17.1%, Kimbundu at 10.8%, Cokwe at 6.9%, Kikongo at 6.8%, Olunyaneka at 4.3% and Oxikwanyama at 2.9%. These figures describe mother tongues, not total language ability, and Portuguese is more common as a mother tongue in urban areas. Many children enter school with an Angolan language as their first language. The Ministério da Educação and INADE support a gradual transition to Portuguese and literacy development. Angolan languages are included in primary education and adult literacy initiatives in some regions, but implementation remains fragmented and no uniform nationwide bilingual school standard is established. The Constitution supports the study, teaching and use of other Angolan languages; a 2025 proposal on Angolan languages was publicly consulted, but its entry into force is not established. English and French appear in the formal curriculum. The Ministry of Education has announced French from the fifth grade, and Portuguese, English and French appear among national examination subjects in the twelfth grade. Schools and regions differ in course availability, teaching quality and access. Outside school, adults can use EJA Angola, a Ministry of Education programme focused on literacy and reducing educational gaps, although access, fees and schedules are not nationally uniform. Language centres provide additional learning options. Alliance Française de Luanda offers general French, children’s and youth courses, online individual lessons, Portuguese for foreigners and Kimbundu. Its modules last 40 hours and normally run for about one month and two weeks. Examples published for 2026 list 45,942 Kz for general French, 38,532 Kz for children and youth, 65,208 Kz for Portuguese for foreigners and 35,568 Kz for Kimbundu. These are provider prices, not a national fee schedule. Alliance Française also has documented offers in Cabinda and Lubango. Learners can pursue external certificates according to their purpose. Portuguese examinations through CAPLE, offered at Alliance Française de Luanda through the CAPLE-LAPE arrangement, include ACESSO, CIPLE, DEPLE, DIPLE, DAPLE, DUPLE and TEJO. Non-school candidates must be at least 16 years old and can prepare independently; 2026 examination periods are listed for May, July and November. French options include DELF A1–B2, DALF C1–C2 and TCF at Alliance Française de Luanda. Dates and fees depend on the examination centre. Employers and educational institutions decide whether a certificate is accepted; no general legal language-certificate requirement is established. Families may use Portuguese and one or more community languages in parallel. Language choice depends strongly on location, family practice and educational setting. Portuguese usually has the widest practical value for public services, school and formal work, while other languages support identity, family communication, community life and, in some areas, literacy. For children, MED-XILONGA provides primary and first-cycle secondary materials, including Portuguese subject material, teleclasses, radio lessons, activities and quizzes; access requires adult registration and a digital device. The NatuLingo app is an ITEL project for Umbundu with lessons, songs, mini-games and native-speaker audio, but it does not establish nationwide availability. In professional settings, Portuguese is institutionally central, while English and French can support international education, employment and communication.