Where Spanish Is Spoken in Europe: Spain, Andorra, Gibraltar & Border Zones

Spanish is spoken in Europe primarily in:

1. Spain (Official, Nationwide)

• Castilian (Spanish) = official state language.
• Co-official: Catalan/Valencian, Galician, Basque, Aranese.
• Population: 47M native speakers.

2. Andorra (Co-official)

• One of three official languages (with Catalan, French).
• Widely spoken due to Spanish immigration, tourism, media.

3. Gibraltar (Significant Minority)

• British Overseas Territory; English official.
• ~25% population Spanish descent; Llanito (code-switched Andalusian/English) common.
• Border with Spain (La Línea) drives daily cross-border use.

4. Portugal Border Regions

• No official status, but mutual intelligibility (Galician-Portuguese continuum).
• Towns like Vila Real de Santo António / Ayamonte, Badajoz / Elvas — bilingual daily life.

5. Expat/Immigrant Communities

Large Spanish-speaking communities in France, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Belgium (Latin American & Spanish migrants). Not official, but demographically significant.