Cantonese is mainly spoken in southern China—especially Guangdong and Guangxi provinces—as well as in Hong Kong and Macao, and in many overseas Chinese communities worldwide.

Core regions

  • Guangdong & Guangxi (China): These southern provinces are the historical heartland of Cantonese, including major cities like Guangzhou.
  • Hong Kong : Cantonese is the dominant everyday language and one of the official languages used in government, media, and education.
  • Macao (Macau) : Widely spoken and co-official alongside other languages in administration and daily life.

Overseas communities

  • Southeast Asia : Large Cantonese-speaking communities exist in places such as Vietnam and Malaysia, with smaller but notable communities in Singapore and Cambodia.
  • North America & Europe: Historic Chinese communities in Canada, the United States, and several European countries include many Cantonese speakers, especially in older Chinatowns and migrant communities.
  • Australia and beyond : Cantonese is also common in long‑standing Chinese diaspora communities in Australia and other parts of the Western world.

Quick geographic table

[1][3][5] [9][5] [5][9][1] [9][1][5] [3][1][9]
Area Role of Cantonese
Guangdong & Guangxi Major regional language in southern China.
Hong Kong Dominant, widely used in public life and media.
Macao Co‑official language and common daily speech.
Southeast Asia Spoken in many older Chinese communities, notably in Vietnam and Malaysia.
Western countries Common in historic Chinatowns and long‑established diaspora.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.