What Language Do They Speak in Uruguay?

Official language of Uruguay Spanish

Facts last checked 9 October 2026.

The official language of Uruguay is Spanish. Spanish is also an official language in 20 other countries worldwide.

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Languages of Uruguay at a glance

Official language	Spanish
Number of official languages	1
Countries on this site where Spanish is official	21
People (demonym)	Uruguayan
Capital	Montevideo
Internet domain	.uy

Other countries where Spanish is official

Spanish is also an official language in 20 other countries covered here:

Languages of neighbouring countries

Argentina	Spanish, Guaraní
Brazil	Portuguese

Uruguay in context

Uruguay covers 181,034 km², making it the 89th largest of the 196 countries on this site.
Its population density of about 19 people per km² ranks 170th of 196 (1st = most crowded).
It shares a land border with 2 countries: Argentina, Brazil.
With 3,499,451 people, Uruguay holds about 0.8% of the population of South America.
Traffic drives on the right, and calendars start the week on Monday.
Uruguay is a member state of the United Nations.

Compare Uruguay

Uruguay vs Paraguay

Useful phrases for visitors to Uruguay

Everyday Spanish phrases you will hear and use in Uruguay:

English	Spanish
Hello	Hola
Thank you	Gracias
Please	Por favor
Goodbye	Adiós
Yes	Sí
No	No

Spellings can vary by region, and some languages use different forms for formal or informal speech. Even a simple greeting in the local language is usually appreciated.

Languages in Uruguay — FAQ