Swahili language
The exact number of Swahili speakers, be it native or second-language speakers, is unknown and a matter of debate. Various estimates have been put forward and they vary widely, from 50 million to over 100 million. Swahili serves as a national language of four nations: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and the DRC. Shikomor, the official language in Comoros and also spoken in Mayotte (), is related to Swahili. Swahili is also one of the working languages of the African Union and officially recognised as a lingua franca of the East African Community. South Africa legalized the teaching of Swahili in South African schools as an optional subject beginning in 2020.
Shabelle Zone
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 464,253, of whom 258,558 are men and 205,695 women. While 89,593 or 19.3% are urban inhabitants, a further 118,608 or 25.55% were pastoralists. The largest ethnic group reported in Gode was the Somalis (98.62%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.38% of the population. Somali language is spoken as a first language by 98.98%; the remaining 1.02% spoke all other primary languages reported. 98.76% of the population said they were Muslim.