List of languages in the Eurovision Song Contest#References

From {{Escyr|1956}} until {{Escyr|1965}}, there was no rule restricting the language(s) in which the songs could be sung. For example, in the 1965 contest, Sweden's Ingvar Wixell sang his song in English. After this, a rule was imposed that a song must be performed in one of the official languages of the country participating. This new language policy remained in place until {{Escyr|1973}}.

From 1973 to {{Escyr|1976}} inclusive, participants were allowed to enter songs in any language. Several winners took advantage of this, with songs in English by countries where other languages are spoken, this included ABBA's "Waterloo" in {{Escyr|1974}} for Sweden and Teach-In's "Ding-a-dong" for the Netherlands in {{Escyr|1975}}.{{cite web |title=Facts & Trivia |url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/facts-figures |access-date=10 July 2012 |publisher=European Broadcasting Union}}

In {{Escyr|1977}}, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the contest's organisers, reimposed the national language restriction. However, Germany and Belgium were given a special dispensation to use English, as their national song selection procedures were already too advanced to change. During the language rule, the only countries which were allowed to sing in English were Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom as English is an official language in those countries. The restriction was imposed from 1977 to {{Escyr|1998}}.

From {{Escyr|1999}} onwards, a free choice of language was again allowed. Since then, several countries have chosen songs that mixed languages, often English and their national language. Prior to that, songs such as Croatia's "Don't Ever Cry" ({{Escyr|1993}}), Austria's "One Step" and Bosnia and Herzegovina's "Goodbye" ({{Escyr|1997}}) had a title and one line of the song in a non-native language. In {{Escyr|1994}}, Poland caused a scandal when Edyta Górniak broke the rules by singing her song in English during the dress rehearsal{{cite web|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/by-year/contest?event=309|title= Eurovision Song Contest 1994|publisher=Eurovision.tv|access-date=9 November 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history/by-year/contest?event=309|title= Poland1994 - Edyta Gorniak To Nie Ja (Polish/English)|publisher=YouTube clip|access-date=30 June 2016}} (which is shown to the juries who selected the winner). Only six countries demanded that Poland should be disqualified, and with the rules requiring at least 13 countries to complain, the proposed removal did not occur.{{cite web|url=http://www.eurovision-contest.eu/news-archive/1994-eurovision-song-contest-facts|title=Eurovision Song Contest 1994 facts|publisher=eurovision-contest.eu|access-date=9 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109144728/http://www.eurovision-contest.eu/news-archive/1994-eurovision-song-contest-facts|archive-date=9 November 2014}}

Since {{Escyr|2000}}, some songs have used constructed languages (conlangs): the Belgian entries in {{Escyr|2003}} ("Sanomi") and {{Escyr|2008}} ("O Julissi") were entirely in constructed languages. In {{Escyr|2006}}, the Dutch entry "Amambanda" was sung partly in English and partly in a conlang.

The entry which used the most languages was "It's Just a Game", which represented Norway in 1973. It was performed in English and French, with some lyrics in Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Gaelic, Serbo-Croatian, Hebrew, Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian. In {{Escyr|2012}}, Bulgaria was represented by the song "Love Unlimited", which mainly had lyrics in Bulgarian, but with phrases in Turkish, Greek, Spanish, Serbo-Croatian, French, Balkan Romani, Italian, Azerbaijani, Arabic and English. The {{Escyr|1969}} Yugoslav entry "Pozdrav svijetu" was mainly sung in Croatian, but also had phrases in Spanish, German, French, English, Dutch, Italian, Russian and Finnish.

For the first time since the reintroduction of a free choice of language in 1999, more than half of the entries of the {{Escyr|2025|3=2025 contest}} were in their representative country's national language. Out of 37 entries, 26 at least partially contained one of their national languages (five were in English along with their national languages). The remaining 11 entries were in languages other than their national languages, and this was the first contest since 1998 where less than half of the songs were fully in English. Sweden was represented by a song in Swedish for the first time since 1998, Germany was represented by a song mainly in German for the first time since {{ESCYr|2007}}, and {{Esccnty|Latvia}} was represented by a song entirely in Latvian for the second time in its history, with the other being {{ESCYr|2004}}.{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Mariahelena |date=2025-03-20 |title=At Eurovision, music no longer speaks just English |trans-title= |url=https://zetaluiss.it/2025/03/20/at-eurovision-music-no-longer-speaks-just-english/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=Zetaluiss.it |publisher= |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Wyser |first=Daniel |date=2025-05-06 |title=Rekordmånga sjunger på annat än engelska i Eurovision 2025 |trans-title=Record number of people singing in languages other than English in Eurovision 2025 |url=https://www.svt.se/kultur/rekordmanga-sjunger-pa-annat-an-engelska-i-eurovision-2025 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=SVT Nyheter |language=sv}}{{Cite web |last=Rossini |first=Federico |date=2025-05-12 |title=Tutte le lingue dell'Eurovision: mai così tante dal 1998 |trans-title=All the languages of Eurovision: never so many since 1998 |url=https://www.eurofestivalnews.com/2025/05/12/tutte-le-lingue-delleurovision-mai-cosi-tante-dal-1998/ |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=Eurofestival News |language=it-IT}}

{{As of|2025|post=,}} the only country that has never entered a song completely in one or more of its national languages is {{Esccnty|Azerbaijan}}, which has never entered a song fully in the Azerbaijani language (although the aforementioned "Love Unlimited" contained a line in the language, the {{Escyr|2021}} Azerbaijani entry "Mata Hari" contained a repeated phrase in the language, and the chorus of the {{Escyr|2024}} Azerbaijani entry "{{lang|az|Özünlə apar|i=no}}" is in Azerbaijani). {{Esccnty|Monaco}} has never used Monégasque, its traditional national language, but French is Monaco's official and most commonly spoken language, and all of Monaco's entries have been entirely or primarily in French.

On the other hand, {{As of|2025|lc=y|post=,}} there are ten countries whose representatives have performed all their songs at least partially in an official, regional or national language: {{Esccnty|Andorra}}, {{Esccnty|Australia}}, {{Esccnty|France}}, {{Esccnty|Ireland}}, {{Esccnty|Italy}}, {{Esccnty|Luxembourg}}, {{Esccnty|Malta}}, {{Esccnty|Monaco}}, {{Esccnty|Morocco}} and the {{Esccnty|United Kingdom}}. In addition, former countries {{Esccnty|Serbia and Montenegro}} and {{Esccnty|Yugoslavia}} (Serbo-Croatian was an official language in both) and current countries Australia, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom (English is an official language in all four), Monaco (French) and Morocco (Arabic) have only been represented by songs fully in an official language.

The only editions not to feature any English-language entries were 1956 and {{escyr|1958}}, while {{escyr|2022}} was the first time in the history of the event that no entry was performed in French – with the two being the official languages of the contest. In 1956 and 1958, no Anglophone country participated, whereas in 2022, the three Francophone participants entered songs in English (Belgium and Switzerland) and Breton (France) respectively. While non-Francophone countries have in the past sent entries wholly or partially in French, none did so in 2022.

French legislator François-Michel Gonnot criticised broadcaster France Télévisions and launched an official complaint in the French Parliament, as the song which represented France in {{Escyr|2008}}, "Divine" by Sébastien Tellier, was sung in English.{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/arts/17arts-FRENCHSINGER_BRF.html?_r=2&ref=arts&oref=slogin |title= French Singer Stirs Storm | newspaper = nytimes.com | date=2008-04-17 | access-date=2010-05-07 | first=Lawrence | last=Van Gelder}} A similar incident occurred again in {{Escyr|2014}}, when Ruth Lorenzo was criticised by the Royal Spanish Academy after winning the Spanish national selection with her song "Dancing in the Rain", which contained some lyrics in English.

The following natural languages have appeared in at least one competing entry in the Eurovision Song Contest:

{{div col|colwidth=15em}}

• Abkhaz{{cite web |title=Eurovision Class of 2019: This year's languages |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/eurovision-class-of-2019-languages |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=7 March 2024 |language=en |date=5 April 2019}}
• Albanian;{{cite news |title=Albania to Compete in Eurovision Song Contest 2021 Finals Tonight |url=https://exit.al/en/albania-to-compete-in-eurovision-song-contest-2021-finals-tonight/ |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=Exit News |date=22 May 2021}} incl.
• Gheg Albanian
• Amharic{{cite news |last1=Judah |first1=Jacob |title=Israel's Eurovision song to feature English, Hebrew, Amharic and Arabic |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/israels-eurovision-song-to-feature-english-hebrew-amharic-and-arabic-wnuv9q2m |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=The Jewish Chronicle |date=4 March 2020}}
• Arabic{{cite news |last1=McCarthy |first1=Rory |title=Israel's Jewish and Arab Eurovision duet criticised |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/feb/26/israel-eurovison-jewish-arab-duet |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=26 February 2009}}{{cite news |last1=Carlo |first1=Andrea |title=It shouldn't matter that Italy's Eurovision rep is half Egyptian – but in Salvini's far-right government, it means everything |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/italy-sanremo-festival-eurovision-mahmood-soldi-arabic-matteo-salvini-a8775371.html |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=The Independent |date=12 February 2019}}
• Aramaic{{Cite web |last=Bijuvignesh |first=Darshan |date=2024-06-10 |title=🇸🇪 Eurovision 2024 In A Cultural Context: Languages |url=https://eurovoix.com/2024/06/10/eurovision-2024-in-a-cultural-context-languages/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Eurovoix}}
• Armenian
• Azerbaijani
• Belarusian{{cite news |last1=Zhuk |first1=Alyona |title=Naviband brings Belarusian language to Eurovision |url=https://archive.kyivpost.com/lifestyle/naviband-brings-belarusian-language-eurovision.html |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=Kyiv Post |date=20 April 2017}}
• Breton{{cite news |title=Meet the people fighting for the survival of the Breton language |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230210-meet-the-people-fighting-for-the-survival-of-the-breton-language |access-date=5 March 2024 |work=France 24 |date=10 February 2023 |language=en}}
• Bulgarian
• Catalan{{cite web |title=Andorra: Looking back over a vibrant Eurovision legacy |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/andorra-eurovision-legacy |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=7 March 2024 |date=21 September 2023}}
• Corsican{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=Will |title=Q&A With Amaury Vassili, France's Eurovision 2011 Contestant |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/qa-with-amaury-vassili-fr_b_859385 |access-date=6 March 2024 |work=HuffPost |date=9 May 2011}}
• Crimean Tatar{{cite news |last1=Sasse |first1=Gwendolyn |title=The Crimean Tatars and the Politics of Eurovision |url=https://carnegieendowment.org/europe/strategic-europe/2016/05/the-crimean-tatars-and-the-politics-of-eurovision?lang=en |access-date=7 June 2025 |work=Carnegie Europe |date=17 May 2016}}
• Czech
• Danish{{cite news |last1=Julians |first1=Joe |title=Meet Denmark's Eurovision 2021 act Fyr & Flamme who will sing Øve os på hinanden |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/eurovision-2021-denmark-entry-fyr-and-flamme/ |access-date=6 March 2024 |work=Radio Times |date=22 May 2021}}
• Dutch{{cite news |title=Dutch performer Joost Klein releases Eurovision entry "Europapa" {{!}} NL Times |url=https://nltimes.nl/2024/02/29/video-dutch-performer-joost-klein-releases-eurovision-entry-europapa |access-date=6 March 2024 |work=NL Times |date=29 February 2024}}
• English{{cite web |title=Only songs performed in English do well? |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/only-songs-performed-in-english-do-well |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=5 March 2024 |language=en |date=3 December 2019}}
• Estonian;{{cite news |last1=Fox |first1=Jennifer |title=5miinust and Puuluup to represent Estonia at Eurovision 2024 |url=https://estonianworld.com/culture/video-5miinust-and-puuluup-to-represent-estonia-at-eurovision-2024/ |access-date=6 March 2024 |work=Estonian World |date=17 February 2024}} incl.
• Võro{{cite web |last1=Björk |first1=Steinunn |title=10 reasons why we love Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2018/09/02/10-reasons-estonia-eurovision-song-contest/225755/ |publisher=Wiwibloggs |access-date=6 March 2024 |date=2 September 2018}}
• Finnish;{{cite news |last1=Bugel |first1=Safi |title=Cha cha cha! Eurovision stars dominate UK Top 10 after record-breaking final |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/19/cha-cha-cha-eurovision-stars-dominate-uk-top-10-after-record-breaking-final |access-date=6 March 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=19 May 2023}} incl.
• Karelian{{cite web |title=Finland: What's the opposite of Lordi? |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/finland-what-s-the-opposite-of-lordi |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=6 March 2024 |date=2 May 2010}}
• French{{cite news |title=Fans celebrate France's highest-ever score at Eurovision |url=https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/French-news/Fans-celebrate-France-s-highest-ever-score-at-Eurovision-after-Barbara-Pravi-emotional-performance |access-date=5 March 2024 |work=The Connexion |date=25 May 2021}}
• French Creole; incl.
• Martinican Creole
• Georgian
• German; incl.
• Mühlviertlerisch
• Styrian
• Viennese German
• Vorarlbergish
• Greek; incl.
• Ancient Greek{{Cite web |last=Scarpone |first=Cristian |date=2017-02-15 |title=Italy: What's the meaning of Francesco Gabbani's song "Occidentali's Karma"? |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2017/02/15/occidentalis-karma-lyrics/174193/ |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=wiwibloggs |language=en-US}}
• Pontic Greek{{Cite web |date=2016-03-10 |title=Greece: Eurovision song "Utopian Land" released |url=https://eurovisionworld.com/esc/greece-eurovision-song-utopian-land-released |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=Eurovisionworld |language=en-gb}}
• Hebrew
• Hungarian
• Icelandic{{cite web |title=Iceland: Systur shine a light over Europe with their song of hope |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/systur-iceland-22 |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=7 March 2024 |date=4 May 2022}}
• Irish{{cite news |title=First and Only Irish Language Entry |url=https://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/2889-eurovision/700324-first-and-only-irish-language-entry/ |access-date=6 March 2024 |work=RTÉ Archives}}
• Italian;{{cite news |last1=Frey |first1=Angelica |title=Eurovision winners Måneskin: 'Cocaine? Damiano barely drinks beer!' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/10/eurovision-winners-maneskin-cocaine-damiano-barely-drinks-beer |access-date=5 March 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=10 June 2021}} incl.
• {{ill|Broccolino pidgin|lt=Broccolino|it|Broccolino}}{{cite web|language = et|url = https://kroonika.delfi.ee/artikkel/120358523/eestlane-itaalias-vaga-paljud-itaallased-vaatavad-maakaardilt-jarele-kus-see-eesti-oieti-asub|title = Eestlane Itaalias: väga paljud itaallased vaatavad maakaardilt järele, kus see Eesti õieti asub|publisher = Kroonika|date = 20 February 2025|access-date = 21 February 2025}}{{cite web|url = https://www.ilmessaggero.it/persone/tommy_cash_espresso_macchiato_eurovision_lettoni_stereotipi_italiani-8661424.html|title = Eurovision, ad affrontare Olly ci sarà l'estone Tommy Cash. La sua "Espresso macchiato" è un concentrato di stereotipi italiani che fa (già) impazzire i social|website = Il Messaggero|date = 16 February 2025|access-date = 21 February 2025|language=it}}
• Japanese
• Latin
• Latvian
• Lithuanian;{{cite news |title='I'm here to make Lithuanian cool': Monika Liu advances to Eurovision final |url=https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1691944/i-m-here-to-make-lithuanian-cool-monika-liu-advances-to-eurovision-final |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=Lithuanian National Radio and Television |date=11 May 2022}} incl.
• Samogitian{{cite web |title=Congratulations Silvester: From Lithuania's 'Eurovizija.LT' to Eurovision |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/congratulations-silvester-lithuanias-eurovizijalt-eurovision |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=7 March 2024 |date=17 February 2024 |quote=The singer Aistė represented the country with the song Strazdas which was sung in Samogitian, a dialect of the Lithuanian language.}}
• Luxembourgish{{cite web |last1=Levy |first1=Izhar |title=10 reasons why we loved Luxembourg at the Eurovision Song Contest |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2020/09/12/10-reasons-why-we-loved-luxembourg-at-the-eurovision-song-contest/246073/ |publisher=Wiwibloggs |access-date=7 March 2024 |date=12 September 2020}}
• Macedonian
• Maltese
• Neapolitan
• Norwegian
• Polish
• Portuguese{{cite magazine |last1=Adams |first1=William Lee |title=Portugal's Salvador Sobral Quietly Wins Eurovision Song Contest |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/portugal-salvador-sobral-quietly-wins-eurovision-song-contest-2017-7793093/ |access-date=5 March 2024 |magazine=Billboard |date=14 May 2017}}
• Proto-Slavic{{Cite web |title=Blog - Agmy - słowiańska mantra Jarga-art |url=https://jarga-art.pl/pl/blog/Agmy-slowianska-mantra/17 |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=jarga-art.pl}}{{Cite web |last=Blazewicz |first=Maciej |date=2023-12-24 |title=Justyna Steczkowska wprowadzi na Eurowizję agmy? Czym są i w jaki sposób Polska ma okazję pokazać coś nowego w konkursie? • Perełki językowe w historii ESC – języki, dialekty, narzecza i gwary. Kto i kiedy wpadł na pomysł, by z nich skorzystać? |url=https://dziennik-eurowizyjny.pl/2023/12/24/justyna-steczkowska-wprowadzi-na-eurowizje-agmy-czym-sa-i-w-jaki-sposob-polska-ma-okazje-pokazac-cos-nowego-w-konkursie-perelki-jezykowe-w-historii-esc-jezyki-dialekty-narzecza-i-gwary/ |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=DZIENNIK-EUROWIZYJNY.pl |language=pl-PL}}{{Cite web |title=2024: A Soundtrack / Blog {{!}} beaquinn.com |url=https://www.beaquinn.com/blog/2250371_2024-a-soundtrack |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=www.beaquinn.com |language=en-GB}}
• Romansh
• Romani; incl.
• Balkan Romani
• Carpathian Romani
• Romanian
• Russian
• Northern Sámi
• Sanskrit
• Serbo-Croatian; incl.
• Bosnian
• Croatian; incl.
• Chakavian
• Dalmatian Croatian
• Montenegrin
• Serbian; incl.
• Torlakian
• Slovak
• Slovene
• Sranan Tongo
• Spanish; incl.
• Andalusian Spanish
• Swahili{{cite news |title=Germany hosts the 56th Eurovision Song Contest |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20110514-germany-plays-host-annual-eurovision-song-contest |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=France 24 |date=14 May 2011}}
• Swedish; incl.
• Finland Swedish; incl.
• Vörå Swedish{{Cite web|url=https://yle.fi/a/7-10073308|title=Vi badar bastu och dansar med KAJ: "Aldrig vågat drömma om det här"|date=26 February 2025|lang=sv|first1=Jenny|last1=Jägerhorn|first2=Atte|last2=Henriksson|publisher=Yle|access-date=2 March 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://yle.fi/a/7-10073305|title=KAJ toppar Spotifylistan också i Finland|date=25 February 2025|lang=sv|publisher=Yle|first1=Ingrid|last1=Mallén|first2=Sandra|last2=Anttila|access-date=2 March 2025}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hbl.fi/2024-11-26/experter-om-kajs-mellomedverkan-voradialekt-deras-framsta-vapen/|title=Experter om KAJ:s Mellomedverkan: Vörådialekt deras främsta vapen|date=26 November 2024|lang=sv|first=Sandra|last=Broborn|work=Hufvudstadsbladet|access-date=2 March 2025}}
• Tahitian
• Turkish
• Udmurt{{cite news |title=Forgettable Songs, Memorable Scandals |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/25369337.html |access-date=7 March 2024 |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=1 May 2014}}
• Ukrainian; incl.
• Surzhyk
• Yankunytjatjara{{cite web |title=Electric Fields to represent Australia in Malmö |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/electric-fields-represent-australia-malmo |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |access-date=5 March 2024 |date=5 March 2024}}

{{div col end}}

Most Europeans speak one or several Indo-European languages as a first language, second language or both. Of the main branches of Indo-European, Germanic and Romance have been represented at every ESC. Balto-Slavic languages, another branch of Indo-European with hundreds of millions of speakers, were first introduced to the contest by Yugoslavia and have become more common after the end of the Cold War as more and more countries with a Slavic national language participated. The Baltic subgroup of Baltoslavic has only sporadically appeared as these languages have few speakers outside Lithuania and Latvia. Smaller branches such as Hellenic languages, Albanoid, Celtic languages (including Breton and Irish), Armenian languages and others have likewise depended on whether the national broadcaster representing that language participates and selects an entry in that language. For example despite Irish being de jure a co-official national language in Ireland, there has been only one Irish-language entry, but two in Breton, a language that has been actively fought against by the French state in the 20th century. While the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European includes some of the most spoken languages in the world, few people in EBU member states speak one of those languages and thus their presence at Eurovision thus far has been minimal.

Non-Indo-European languages have been appearing since the 1960s. The first group to appear were the Uralic languages which include Northern Sámi, Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian. In the 1970s Semitic languages (of the wider Afroasiatic family) which have been represented by the Maltese language, Hebrew and various varieties of Arabic first appeared in the contest. The Turkic languages have mostly been represented by Turkey (Azeri which is also a Turkic language has only been used for a few lines in a few songs thus far). As Turkey hasn't participated since 2012, the representation of Turkic languages has decreased.

Besides those languages that have notable communities of native speakers in EBU member states, there have been conlangs (languages "made up" by identifiable individuals or groups of individuals in recent times – some of the entries used a conlang devised specifically for that song bordering on glossolalia), languages from outside the EBU area as well as "dead" classical languages such as Ancient Greek, Sanskrit or Classical Latin used for songs, their titles or parts of their lyrics.

Spoken languages are fully counted below when they are used in at least an entire verse or chorus of a song. First brief uses of a language and first uses of dialects are also noted.

{{Pie chart

| thumb = right

| caption =

| other =

| label1 = English

| value1 = 48.47 | color1 = #50B432

| label2 = French

| value2 = 16.31 | color2 = #ED561B

| label3 = Dutch

| value3 = 3.93 | color3 = #DDDF00

| label4 = Italian

| value4 = 3.93 | color4 = #24CBE5

| label5 = Hebrew

| value5 = 3.93 | color8 = #6AF9C4

| label6 = German

| value6 = 2.62 | color5 = #64E572

| label7 = Spanish

| value7 = 2.62 | color6 = #FF9655

| label8 = Swedish

| value8 = 2.62 | color7 = #FFF263

| label9 = Norwegian

| value9 = 2.62 | color9 = #2F7ED8

| label10 = Ukrainian

| value10 = 2.62 | color12 =#1AADCE

| label11 = Danish

| value11 = 1.31 | color10 =#0D233A

| label12 = Serbo-Croatian

| value12 = 1.31 | color11 =#910000

| label13 = Serbian

| value13 = 1.31 | color13 =#8BBC21

| label14 = Crimean Tatar

| value14 = 1.31 | color14 =Orchid

| label15 = Portuguese

| value15 = 1.31 | color15 =#8A2BE2

}}Between 1966 and 1972, and again between 1977 and 1998, countries were only permitted to perform in a official, national or regional language of their country. Since language restrictions were last lifted in 1999, only four songs in non-English languages have won: Serbia's "Molitva" in 2007 (Serbian), Portugal's "Amar pelos dois" in 2017 (Portuguese), Italy's "Zitti e buoni" in 2021 (Italian) and Ukraine's "Stefania" in 2022 (Ukrainian). Also, Ukraine's winning entries in 2004 and 2016 combined lyrics in English with Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar, respectively.

In 2017, "Amar pelos dois" became the first Portuguese-language song to win the contest, the first winner since 2007 to both be in a language that had never produced a winning song before and be entirely in a language other than English. Among all Eurovision winning entries, only Ukraine's were performed in more than one language.

2021 was the first year since 1995, and the first since language restrictions were last lifted in 1999, that the top three songs were all sung in a non-English language: Italian (first) and French (second and third).

Three times in the history of the contest, songs have been sung, wholly or partially, in constructed languages or gibberish.{{cite web|title=Ishtar from Belgium to Belgrade|url=https://eurovision.tv/story/ishtar-for-belgium-to-belgrade|publisher=EBU|access-date=9 September 2020|date=10 March 2008}}{{cite news |last1=Chini |first1=Maïthé |title=Twelve points you need to know about the Eurovision Song Contest |url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/500321/twelve-points-you-need-to-know-about-the-eurovision-song-contest |access-date=15 April 2024 |work=The Brussels Times |date=13 May 2023}}

Some performances have included phrases in sign languages on stage.

• List of languages in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest

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{{reflist}}

• [http://www.eurovision.tv/page/history Eurovision Song Contest history]. Eurovision.tv. Retrieved on 19 August 2007.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070817062852/http://www.esctoday.com/annual/contests.php?section=history History]. ESCtoday.com. Retrieved on 19 August 2007.
• John Kennedy O'Connor (2005). The Eurovision Song Contest 50 Years The Official History. London: Carlton Books Limited. {{ISBN|1-84442-586-X}}.
• {{cite book | last = O'Connor | first = John Kennedy | year = 2005 | title = The Eurovision Song Contest 50 Years The Official History | publisher = Carlton Books Limited | location = London|isbn = 1-84442-586-X}}
• {{cite web|publisher=eurovision.tv |year=2005 |url=http://www.eurovision.tv/english/611.htm |title=Historical Milestones |access-date=2006-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526065558/http://www.eurovision.tv/english/611.htm |archive-date=2006-05-26 }}
• {{cite web |date= 28 September 2004 |url= http://www.urbantrad.com/html/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=26 |title= Urban Trad |publisher= UrbanTrad.com |access-date= 2006-07-18 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070208182501/http://www.urbantrad.com/html/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=26 |archive-date= 8 February 2007 }}
• {{cite web|publisher=eurovision.tv |url=http://www.eurovision.tv/english/406.htm |title=Treble will represent the Netherlands |access-date=2006-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060525090937/http://www.eurovision.tv/english/406.htm |archive-date=2006-05-25 }}
• {{cite web|url=http://esctoday.com/news/read/10829|title=Belgium: Ishtar to Eurovision|last=Klier|first=Marcus|date=2008-03-09|publisher=ESCToday|access-date=2008-10-11}}

{{Eurovision years}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Languages in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

Eurovision Song Contest

languages

Category:Linguistics