Britannica Sources used in this answer

Where is German an official language?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Thematic map of Europe displaying the distribution of Germanic languages, with different colors indicating regions where English, German, Netherlandic (Dutch), Frisian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese are spoken. Striped areas mark regions where bilingualism is common, and language regions cover countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and parts of surrounding countries. — West Germanic languages Distribution of the Germanic languages in Europe.

German is an official language in several European countries. It serves as the official language of Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein.31

Additionally, it is one of the official languages in the following nations:

Switzerland21
Luxembourg31
Belgium41

While German is widely spoken and holds official status in these regions, it also exists in many varieties and dialects across central Europe and beyond, including communities in North and South America, South Africa, and Australia.51