List of countries and territories where Tamil is an official language
The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where Tamil is an official language or language of government. Tamil is the 17th most spoken language in the world. Tamil language speakers make up approximately 1.06% of the world population. The Tamil language is native to Tamil Nadu (India), Puducherry (India) and Sri Lanka, where most of the native Tamil speaking population is highly concentrated. Tamil is also recognized as a classical language by the Government of India in 2004 and was the first language to achieve such status. Tamil is one of the 22 official languages of India. Tamil was one of the prominent languages of trade in the region during the pre-colonial era. Tamil mercantile guilds like Ainnurruvar were active in Southeast Asia, and several Tamil inscriptions and coins can be found in parts of Asia and Africa such as in China, Cambodia, Egypt and Indonesia. During the 18th century, British and French colonial rulers relocated several Tamil citizens to their other colonial possessions in Asia and Africa, which today contain sizeable Tamil-speaking communities as a result. Sovereign states

Dependent entities

International institutions

Recognized as a minority language

Dependent entities and territories where Tamil was formerly an official language

