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Other issues important to a Minsk tourist: Belarus state holidays, Minsk internet cafes, Minsk weather, Belarus draniki recipe, Belarus travel safety, etc.

Are there many English speakers in Belarus?

Belarus is still a multiethnic state. According to the census of 2009 there are about 140 nations residing in Belarus. The Belarusians make about 84 per cent of population, 8 per cent are Russians, 3 per cent – Poles, about 2 per cent are Ukrainians.

60 per cent of the Belarus population considers Belarusian their native language, although only one third of them speak Belarusian in the family. The state languages in Belarus are Russian and Belarusian. Russian is widely spoken in the cities and towns with over 70 per cent of population using it, while in the villages they sometimes use a mixture of both languages.

English and German are compulsory school subjects and are often studied at university and therefore the number of English and German speakers constantly increases. According to statistics, in 1999 only 3.3 per cent of young Belarusians spoke fluent English and 0.8 per cent were excellent German-speakers. In 2009 there were 12 per cent of English speakers and 2.3 per cent German speakers among young Belarusians. Of all English speaking population in Belarus 64 per cent are young people.

Unfortunately the increasing demand on the higher education from the youth causes a higher number of graduates but a lower quality of education. The number of English speakers in Belarus is unlikely to increase sharply unless the local youth has more possibilities to travel and take part in the student exchange programs worldwide.

Improve your travel Russian vocabulary before hitting the road - might be handy!