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Linguistic diversity (fractionalization index)
What this indicator measures
Measures the probability that two people randomly drawn in the country do not belong to the same linguistic group. Calculation published by Alesina and coauthors (2003) from sources such as the Encyclopædia Britannica; the groups used are those of these sources and the data date from different periods depending on the country.
How to read this?
Between 0 (a single group) and 1 (very many groups of equal size). The higher the value, the more the population is spread across many groups speaking different languages.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
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203countries with data
0.92maximum · Uganda
0.34median
0minimum · San Marino
2003data year(s)
In brief
Linguistic diversity (fractionalization index): across 203 countries and territories, values range from 0 (San Marino) to 0.92 (Uganda), with a world median of 0.34. Data: 2003. The top 10% of countries exceed 0.79, while the bottom 10% stay below 0.02. By continent, the median is highest in Africa (0.71) and lowest in North America (0.1).
Median by continent
- Africa 0.71 (51)
- Asia 0.4 (49)
- Oceania 0.38 (19)
- Europe 0.19 (44)
- South America 0.11 (12)
- North America 0.1 (26)
Why this indicator matters
This index indicates whether a country's inhabitants mostly speak the same language or several different languages. It helps compare linguistic diversity between countries.
What makes this indicator vary
It depends on history, borders, official and local languages, and how sources distinguish a language from a dialect.
Reading precautions
The groups counted depend on the starting sources and the definitions chosen. The data date from different periods and do not track recent changes. The index says nothing about how the groups live together.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 0.92 | 2003 |
| 2e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 0.9 | 2003 |
| 3e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 0.9 | 2003 |
| 4e | 🇹🇬 Togo | 0.9 | 2003 |
| 5e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 0.89 | 2003 |
| 6e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 0.89 | 2003 |
| 7e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 0.87 | 2003 |
| 8e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | 0.87 | 2003 |
| 9e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 0.87 | 2003 |
| 10e | 🇹🇩 Chad | 0.86 | 2003 |
| 11e | 🇲🇱 Mali | 0.84 | 2003 |
| 12e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 0.84 | 2003 |
| 13e | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 0.83 | 2003 |
| 14e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 0.83 | 2003 |
| 15e | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | 0.81 | 2003 |
| 16e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 0.81 | 2003 |
| 17e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 0.81 | 2003 |
| 18e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 0.81 | 2003 |
| 19e | 🇮🇳 India | 0.81 | 2003 |
| 20e | 🇧🇯 Benin | 0.79 | 2003 |
| 21e | 🇦🇴 Angola | 0.79 | 2003 |
| 22e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | 0.78 | 2003 |
| 23e | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 0.78 | 2003 |
| 24e | 🇲🇵 Northern Mariana Islands | 0.78 | 2003 |
| 25e | 🇬🇳 Guinea | 0.77 | 2003 |
| 26e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 0.77 | 2003 |
| 27e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 0.76 | 2003 |
| 28e | 🇫🇲 Micronesia | 0.75 | 2003 |
| 29e | 🇮🇷 Iran | 0.75 | 2003 |
| 30e | 🇬🇺 Guam | 0.73 | 2003 |
| 31e | 🇲🇨 Monaco | 0.73 | 2003 |
| 32e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 0.72 | 2003 |
| 33e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 0.72 | 2003 |
| 33e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 0.72 | 2003 |
| 35e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 0.72 | 2003 |
| 36e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 0.71 | 2003 |
| 37e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 0.7 | 2003 |
| 38e | 🇨🇬 Congo - Brazzaville | 0.69 | 2003 |
| 39e | 🇦🇩 Andorra | 0.68 | 2003 |
| 40e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 0.68 | 2003 |
| 41e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 0.67 | 2003 |
| 42e | 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 0.66 | 2003 |
| 43e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 0.66 | 2003 |
| 44e | 🇩🇯 Djibouti | 0.66 | 2003 |
| 45e | 🇪🇷 Eritrea | 0.65 | 2003 |
| 46e | 🇳🇪 Niger | 0.65 | 2003 |
| 47e | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 0.64 | 2003 |
| 48e | 🇱🇦 Laos | 0.64 | 2003 |
| 49e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 0.63 | 2003 |
| 50e | 🇧🇿 Belize | 0.63 | 2003 |
| 51e | 🇳🇷 Nauru | 0.62 | 2003 |
| 52e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 0.61 | 2003 |
| 53e | 🇵🇫 French Polynesia | 0.61 | 2003 |
| 54e | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 0.61 | 2003 |
| 55e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 0.6 | 2003 |
| 56e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 0.6 | 2003 |
| 57e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 0.6 | 2003 |
| 58e | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | 0.59 | 2003 |
| 59e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 0.58 | 2003 |
| 60e | 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 0.58 | 2003 |
| 61e | 🇨🇦 Canada | 0.58 | 2003 |
| 62e | 🇺🇸 United States | 0.56 | 2003 |
| 63e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 0.55 | 2003 |
| 64e | 🇮🇱 Israel | 0.55 | 2003 |
| 65e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 0.55 | 2003 |
| 66e | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 0.55 | 2003 |
| 67e | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 0.54 | 2003 |
| 68e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 0.54 | 2003 |
| 69e | 🇹🇱 Timor-Leste | 0.53 | 2003 |
| 70e | 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands | 0.53 | 2003 |
| 71e | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 0.51 | 2003 |
| 72e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | 0.51 | 2003 |
| 73e | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 0.5 | 2003 |
| 74e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 0.5 | 2003 |
| 75e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 0.49 | 2003 |
| 76e | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 0.49 | 2003 |
| 77e | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 0.48 | 2003 |
| 78e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 0.47 | 2003 |
| 79e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 0.47 | 2003 |
| 80e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 0.47 | 2003 |
| 81e | 🇧🇾 Belarus | 0.47 | 2003 |
| 82e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 0.46 | 2003 |
| 83e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 0.46 | 2003 |
| 84e | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 0.45 | 2003 |
| 85e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 0.45 | 2003 |
| 86e | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 0.44 | 2003 |
| 87e | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 0.43 | 2003 |
| 88e | 🇪🇸 Spain | 0.41 | 2003 |
| 89e | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 0.41 | 2003 |
| 90e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 0.41 | 2003 |
| 91e | 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 0.4 | 2003 |
| 92e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 0.4 | 2003 |
| 93e | 🇦🇼 Aruba | 0.39 | 2003 |
| 94e | 🇵🇦 Panama | 0.39 | 2003 |
| 95e | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 0.38 | 2003 |
| 96e | 🇹🇴 Tonga | 0.38 | 2003 |
| 97e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 0.37 | 2003 |
| 98e | 🇮🇶 Iraq | 0.37 | 2003 |
| 99e | 🇴🇲 Oman | 0.36 | 2003 |
| 100e | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 0.35 | 2003 |
| 101e | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 0.34 | 2003 |
| 102e | 🇧🇳 Brunei | 0.34 | 2003 |
| 103e | 🇵🇪 Peru | 0.34 | 2003 |
| 104e | 🇦🇺 Australia | 0.33 | 2003 |
| 105e | 🇸🇷 Suriname | 0.33 | 2003 |
| 106e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 0.33 | 2003 |
| 107e | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 0.32 | 2003 |
| 108e | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 0.32 | 2003 |
| 109e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 0.32 | 2003 |
| 110e | 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 0.32 | 2003 |
| 111e | 🇵🇼 Palau | 0.32 | 2003 |
| 112e | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 0.3 | 2003 |
| 113e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 0.3 | 2003 |
| 114e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 0.26 | 2003 |
| 115e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 0.25 | 2003 |
| 116e | 🇲🇴 Macao SAR China | 0.25 | 2003 |
| 117e | 🇷🇺 Russia | 0.25 | 2003 |
| 118e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 0.24 | 2003 |
| 119e | 🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe | 0.23 | 2003 |
| 120e | 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | 0.22 | 2003 |
| 121e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 0.22 | 2003 |
| 122e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 0.22 | 2003 |
| 123e | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 0.22 | 2003 |
| 124e | 🇬🇱 Greenland | 0.22 | 2003 |
| 125e | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | 0.21 | 2003 |
| 126e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 0.21 | 2003 |
| 127e | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 0.21 | 2003 |
| 128e | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 0.2 | 2003 |
| 129e | 🇨🇱 Chile | 0.19 | 2003 |
| 130e | 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 0.19 | 2003 |
| 131e | 🇸🇾 Syria | 0.18 | 2003 |
| 132e | 🇫🇷 France | 0.18 | 2003 |
| 133e | 🇦🇸 American Samoa | 0.17 | 2003 |
| 134e | 🇷🇴 Romania | 0.17 | 2003 |
| 135e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 0.17 | 2003 |
| 136e | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 0.17 | 2003 |
| 137e | 🇩🇪 Germany | 0.16 | 2003 |
| 138e | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 0.16 | 2003 |
| 139e | 🇦🇹 Austria | 0.15 | 2003 |
| 140e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 0.15 | 2003 |
| 141e | 🇫🇮 Finland | 0.14 | 2003 |
| 142e | 🇹🇻 Tuvalu | 0.14 | 2003 |
| 143e | 🇨🇳 China | 0.13 | 2003 |
| 144e | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | 0.13 | 2003 |
| 145e | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | 0.13 | 2003 |
| 146e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 0.13 | 2003 |
| 147e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 0.13 | 2003 |
| 148e | 🇮🇹 Italy | 0.11 | 2003 |
| 149e | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 0.11 | 2003 |
| 150e | 🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda | 0.11 | 2003 |
| 151e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 0.1 | 2003 |
| 152e | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 0.09 | 2003 |
| 153e | 🇧🇧 Barbados | 0.09 | 2003 |
| 154e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 0.09 | 2003 |
| 155e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 0.09 | 2003 |
| 156e | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 0.08 | 2003 |
| 157e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 0.08 | 2003 |
| 158e | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 0.08 | 2003 |
| 159e | 🇱🇾 Libya | 0.08 | 2003 |
| 160e | 🇲🇭 Marshall Islands | 0.07 | 2003 |
| 161e | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 0.07 | 2003 |
| 162e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 0.07 | 2003 |
| 163e | 🇳🇴 Norway | 0.07 | 2003 |
| 164e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 0.06 | 2003 |
| 165e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 0.06 | 2003 |
| 166e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 0.05 | 2003 |
| 167e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 0.05 | 2003 |
| 168e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 0.05 | 2003 |
| 169e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 0.05 | 2003 |
| 169e | 🇵🇱 Poland | 0.05 | 2003 |
| 171e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 0.04 | 2003 |
| 172e | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 0.04 | 2003 |
| 173e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 0.04 | 2003 |
| 174e | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 0.04 | 2003 |
| 175e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 0.03 | 2003 |
| 176e | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 0.03 | 2003 |
| 177e | 🇬🇷 Greece | 0.03 | 2003 |
| 178e | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 0.03 | 2003 |
| 179e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 0.02 | 2003 |
| 179e | 🇰🇮 Kiribati | 0.02 | 2003 |
| 181e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 0.02 | 2003 |
| 182e | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 0.02 | 2003 |
| 183e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 0.02 | 2003 |
| 184e | 🇯🇵 Japan | 0.02 | 2003 |
| 185e | 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 0.02 | 2003 |
| 186e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 0.01 | 2003 |
| 187e | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 0.01 | 2003 |
| 188e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 0.01 | 2003 |
| 189e | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 0.01 | 2003 |
| 190e | 🇰🇵 North Korea | 0 | 2003 |
| 191e | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇩🇲 Dominica | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇫🇴 Faroe Islands | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇬🇩 Grenada | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇭🇹 Haiti | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇮🇲 Isle of Man | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇯🇪 Jersey | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 0 | 2003 |
| 192e | 🇸🇲 San Marino | 0 | 2003 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Linguistic diversity (fractionalization index)"?
The highest value is in Uganda, at 0.92 (2003).
Which country has the lowest value for "Linguistic diversity (fractionalization index)"?
The lowest value is in San Marino, at 0 (2003).
What is the world median value of "Linguistic diversity (fractionalization index)"?
The world median is 0.34, calculated across 203 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
What is the value of "Linguistic diversity (fractionalization index)" for France?
France scores 0.18 (2003), ranking 132 out of 203 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Linguistic diversity (fractionalization index)" data come from?
It comes from Alesina et al. (2003), « Fractionalization », Journal of Economic Growth, via Wikipédia. Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
What does the linguistic index measure?
It measures the probability that two people chosen at random do not speak the same mother tongue. It ranges from 0 to 1.
Does a high index mean the country is divided?
No. The index only describes the number and weight of language groups, not the relations between them.
Source and update
Source : Alesina et al. (2003), « Fractionalization », Journal of Economic Growth, via Wikipédia. Site last updated: November 8, 2026.
Indicators in the same category : Origins, languages and religions
- Ethnic diversity (fractionalization index)Measures the probability that two people randomly drawn in the country do not belong to the same ethnic group. Calculation published by Alesina and coauthors (2003) from sources such as the Encyclopædia Britannica; the groups used are those of these sources and the data date from different periods depending on the country.
- Religious diversity (fractionalization index)Measures the probability that two people randomly drawn in the country do not belong to the same religious group. Calculation published by Alesina and coauthors (2003) from sources such as the Encyclopædia Britannica; the groups used are those of these sources and the data date from different periods depending on the country.
- Regular attendance at places of worshipShare of respondents who say they attend a religious service at least once a month (excluding weddings, funerals and baptisms), based on the World Values Surveys. The data come from opinion surveys conducted in a limited number of countries (about 80 to 120 depending on the question); absent countries were not surveyed. The year shown is that of the latest survey wave available for the country.
- Share of the population: other religions (including folk religions)Share of the population that identifies with another religion (folk or traditional religions, Sikhism, Baha'i Faith, Taoism, Shinto and others), based on Pew Research Center estimates for 2020. The figures come from Pew Research Center estimates based on censuses and surveys; each person is counted according to their own religious identity, regardless of practice.
- Share of the population: BuddhistsShare of the population that identifies as Buddhist, based on Pew Research Center estimates for 2020. The figures come from Pew Research Center estimates based on censuses and surveys; each person is counted according to their own religious identity, regardless of practice.
- Share of the population: ChristiansShare of the population that identifies as Christian, based on Pew Research Center estimates for 2020. The figures come from Pew Research Center estimates based on censuses and surveys; each person is counted according to their own religious identity, regardless of practice.
- Share of the population: HindusShare of the population that identifies as Hindu, based on Pew Research Center estimates for 2020. The figures come from Pew Research Center estimates based on censuses and surveys; each person is counted according to their own religious identity, regardless of practice.
- Share of immigrants in the populationShare of the population born abroad or, failing that, of foreign nationality, according to estimates from the UN Population Division reused by the World Bank. This also includes refugees.
- Share of the population: JewsShare of the population that identifies as Jewish, based on Pew Research Center estimates for 2020. The figures come from Pew Research Center estimates based on censuses and surveys; each person is counted according to their own religious identity, regardless of practice.
- Share of the population: MuslimsShare of the population that identifies as Muslim, based on Pew Research Center estimates for 2020. The figures come from Pew Research Center estimates based on censuses and surveys; each person is counted according to their own religious identity, regardless of practice.
- Share of the population: people with no religious affiliationShare of the population that reports no religious affiliation (atheists, agnostics or no particular religion), based on Pew Research Center estimates for 2020. This category does not exclude personal beliefs or practices. The figures come from Pew Research Center estimates based on censuses and surveys; each person is counted according to their own religious identity, regardless of practice.
- Frequent prayerShare of respondents who say they pray at least several times a week (excluding weddings and funerals), based on the World Values Surveys. The data come from opinion surveys conducted in a limited number of countries (about 80 to 120 depending on the question); absent countries were not surveyed. The year shown is that of the latest survey wave available for the country. The question has only been asked since 2014.
- Importance of religion in lifeShare of respondents who say religion is "very" or "rather" important in their life, in answer to the question asked in the World Values Surveys. The data come from opinion surveys conducted in a limited number of countries (about 80 to 120 depending on the question); absent countries were not surveyed. The year shown is that of the latest survey wave available for the country.
- Majority religionIndicator calculated from Pew Research Center population shares (2020). A religion is shown when more than 50% of inhabitants identify with it; otherwise the country is classified as "No absolute majority". People with no religious affiliation are counted as a separate group.