Overview
The Rohingya language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily by the Rohingya people, an ethnic group historically from the Arakan (Rakhine) region of Myanmar. It belongs to the same broad language family as Bengali, Hindi, and Urdu.
How many people speak Rohingya?
Estimates suggest between 1.5 and 2.5 million people speak Rohingya as their first language. The majority now live in Bangladesh, particularly in Cox’s Bazar, which hosts one of the largest refugee settlements in the world. Significant communities also exist in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, and Western countries including the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia.
Where is Rohingya spoken?
Rohingya was historically the language of Arakan (now called Rakhine State in Myanmar). Following decades of persecution and displacement — particularly after the military crackdown of 2017 — the majority of Rohingya speakers now live outside Myanmar.
Key Rohingya-speaking populations today:
- Bangladesh — Cox’s Bazar refugee camps (700,000+)
- Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur and surrounding areas
- Saudi Arabia — diaspora communities
- Pakistan — Karachi
- Western diaspora — UK, USA, Canada, Australia
What language family does Rohingya belong to?
Rohingya is an Indo-Aryan language, part of the larger Indo-European language family. It is most closely related to Chittagonian, a dialect/language spoken in the Chittagong region of Bangladesh. It shares significant vocabulary and grammatical features with Bengali, though speakers of standard Bengali and Rohingya cannot easily understand each other.
See also: Is Rohingya different from Chittagonian?
What scripts are used to write Rohingya?
Unlike many languages that use a single writing system, Rohingya has three main writing systems in active use:
- Hanifi Rohingya script — a purpose-built script created in the 1980s and officially encoded in Unicode in 2018. Considered by many the “national script” of the Rohingya people.
- Arabic/Fonna script — based on the Arabic alphabet, used historically in religious education. Also called “Rohingyalish Fonna.”
- Rohingyalish — a Latin-based writing system designed for ease of use on digital devices.
Learn more: Rohingya alphabet explained
Is Rohingya a recognised language?
Rohingya is not officially recognised by Myanmar, which has historically denied the Rohingya people citizenship and cultural rights. However, it is recognised by international organisations including the United Nations, and Rohingya-language materials are produced by UNHCR, MSF, and major NGOs working in refugee contexts.
Why does the Rohingya language matter?
Language is central to identity, community, and survival. For a displaced population spread across many countries, maintaining the Rohingya language helps preserve cultural continuity, enables effective humanitarian communication, and supports the legal and medical needs of Rohingya individuals who may not speak the host country’s language.
Organisations working with Rohingya communities should consider professional Rohingya translation and interpretation services to ensure accurate and culturally sensitive communication.