Where in Africa are Niger-Congo languages spoken?

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Thematic map of Africa showing the distribution of Niger-Congo language branches. Distinct colors represent language groups such as Atlantic, Mande, Gur, Kwa, Benue-Congo, and Bantu, with Bantu languages covering most of central, eastern, and southern Africa. A numbered key lists prominent languages in each area, and country borders are marked for reference. — Niger-Congo languages Map showing the branches and distribution of the Niger-Congo languages.

The Niger-Congo languages constitute the largest language family in Africa by geographic extent and number of speakers. Their range spans across the continent, stretching from Dakar, Senegal, in the west, to Mombasa, Kenya, in the east, and as far south as Cape Town, South Africa.1

While these languages are spoken by approximately 85 percent of the African population, they are generally not the primary languages in northern Africa—a region extending from Mauritania to Egypt and Sudan—or the Horn of Africa. In countries such as Niger and Chad, Niger-Congo languages are spoken by a minority, though they remain the majority language in most other regions across their vast distribution.1