What are the most spoken languages in the world?

Charlotte Guest
A group of friends backpacking outdoors smiling and embracing eachother
Reading time: 5 minutes

Have you ever wondered which world languages are spoken by the largest number of people globally? Whether you¡¯re a language enthusiast or someone looking to learn a new language, understanding the most spoken languages around the world can be incredibly insightful. In this blog post, we¡¯ll explore the top languages by number of speakers, shedding light on languages with the most native speakers and widely spoken languages globally.

Introduction to spoken languages

Spoken languages are a vital part of human communication, culture and identity. With over 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, each language has its unique characteristics, nuances and significance. Understanding the most spoken languages globally provides valuable insights into geopolitics, economics and social dynamics. In this article, we will explore the top languages spoken in the world, their distribution and use.

Why knowing the most spoken languages matters

Knowing which languages are most popular worldwide can influence your language learning decisions. Enhancing your language skills in these widely spoken languages can significantly boost your communication abilities and cultural understanding. It can open up opportunities for travel, business and cultural exchange. Additionally, understanding global language popularity can give you a broader perspective of the world¡¯s linguistic diversity.

Criteria for measuring language popularity

Measuring language popularity is a complex task that involves various factors, including the number of native speakers, global influence, and use as a second or foreign language. The criteria for measuring language popularity include:

  • Number of native speakers: This refers to the number of people who speak a language as their first or native language. Languages with the highest number of native speakers often have a significant cultural and historical impact.

  • Global influence: This measures the extent to which a language is used in international communication, business, science and diplomacy. Languages with a broad global influence are often used as lingua francas in various regions.

  • Use as a second or foreign language: This considers the number of people who speak a language as a second language or foreign language. Languages that are widely taught and learned around the world tend to have a larger speaking population.

By considering these criteria, we can better understand why certain languages are more prominent and widely spoken globally.

Top 10 most spoken languages in the world

Here¡¯s a closer look at the ten most spoken languages by number of speakers:

When evaluating these languages, it's important to consider not just the number of native speakers but also the total number of language speakers, including those who speak it as a second language.

1. English

Speakers: Approximately 1.5 billion

Native speakers: Around 360 million

Regions: Widely spoken in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Highlights: English is the most widely spoken language worldwide when combining native and non-native speakers. It's the primary language in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. English is the dominant language in international business, science and technology.

2. Mandarin Chinese

Speakers: Over 1.1 billion

Native speakers: About 920 million

Regions: Mainly in China, Taiwan and Singapore

Highlights: Mandarin is the language with the largest number of native speakers. It's one of the six official languages of the United Nations and has a significant cultural and historical importance.

3. Hindi

Speakers: Around 600 million

Native speakers: Approximately 341 million

Regions: Predominantly in India and Nepal

Highlights: Hindi is predominantly spoken in India and Nepal, with approximately 341 million native speakers. It is one of the official languages of India and is spoken by a large portion of the Indian population. It has numerous dialects and is written in the Devanagari script.

4. Spanish

Speakers: Approximately 560 million

Native speakers: About 460 million

Regions: Spain, Latin America and parts of the United States

Highlights: Spanish is the official language in 21 countries and is widely spoken in the Americas. In many of these countries, Spanish serves as the national language, playing a crucial role in government, education and media. It¡¯s known for its rich literature and cultural heritage.

5. French

Speakers: Around 280 million

Native speakers: About 77 million

Regions: France, parts of Africa, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland

Highlights: French is another of the six official languages of the United Nations. It's widely used in international diplomacy and has a significant number of speakers in Africa due to France's colonial history.

6. Arabic

Speakers: Approximately 270 million

Native speakers: Around 310 million

Regions: Middle East and North Africa

Highlights: Arabic is a central Semitic language that is the liturgical language of Islam. It has many dialects, with Modern Standard Arabic being used in formal settings and media. Arabic has numerous spoken forms, with significant variations in dialects across different regions.

7. Bengali

Speakers: Around 265 million

Native speakers: About 230 million

Regions: Bangladesh and parts of India

Highlights: Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and the second most spoken language in India. Alongside other languages like Hindi and Urdu, Bengali plays a crucial role in the cultural and linguistic landscape of the region. It¡¯s known for its rich literary tradition.

8. Portuguese

Speakers: Approximately 220 million

Native speakers: Around 220 million

Regions: Brazil, Portugal and parts of Africa

Highlights: Portuguese is mainly spoken in Brazil, which is the largest Portuguese-speaking country. It has a growing number of speakers in Africa.

9. Russian

Speakers: Around 258 million

Native speakers: Approximately 154 million

Regions: Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Highlights: Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and is widely spoken in the former Soviet Union countries.

10. Japanese

Speakers: Approximately 128 million

Native speakers: Around 128 million

Regions: Japan

Highlights: Japanese is predominantly spoken in Japan and is known for its three writing systems¡ªHiragana, Katakana and Kanji. It has a rich cultural history and is influential in technology and entertainment.

Conclusion

Understanding the most spoken languages in the world can provide valuable insights for language learners. Developing strong language skills in these world languages can open up numerous opportunities for travel, business and cultural exchange. Whether you¡¯re looking to enhance your travel experiences, broaden your cultural horizons, or improve your career prospects, learning one of these widely spoken languages could be a significant advantage.

Ready to start your language learning journey? Learn a new language with Mondly by ɫèAV.

Read our blog post 'What is the hardest language to learn?' and 'Why language learning is better than machine translation'.

More blogs from ɫèAV

  • A group of friends smiling

    How language learning can improve your life for the better

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 7 minutes

    Language learning is more than just something you study¡ªit's a strategic move that integrates into every aspect of your life¡ªsocially, professionally and mentally. With English often being the common ground for global business, communicating effectively in this language has never been more important.
    In this post, we uncover the benefits of language proficiency, particularly in English, backed by relevant statistics and insights from ɫèAV's recent?ground-breaking new research.

  • A group of business people clapping their hands

    3 ways to boost employee retention with language learning

    By Samantha Ball
    Reading time: 4 minutes

    Did you know? According to our research, employees who work for a company that provides English language training are more than?twice as likely?to say they are very satisfied at work, compared to those working in companies that do not.

    To retain top talent in an increasingly competitive marketplace, all evidence points to developing communication and language skills.

    Communication: the most in-demand business skill

    showed that communication skills including English language skills are the most in-demand power skills across the board. PwC¡¯s agrees: the top five predictors for employee turnover all had the same themes in common ¨C communication, empathy and listening skills.

    According to , a focus on developing employees¡¯ strengths (as opposed to focusing on fixing weaknesses) can lead to a 20-73% reduction in employee attrition. That¡¯s a startling statistic and one that has the potential to transform your business.

    So, the message is clear: by investing in your employees¡¯ existing communication and language strengths, you¡¯re helping them refine a comprehensive range of business power skills. In turn, this will make them feel more engaged and therefore far more likely to stay with you.

    3 ways to implement English training to retain top talent

    Let¡¯s explore three ways to implement an English language skills learning and development plan that underpins communication skills, refines business soft skills and makes your employees want to stay.

    1. Find out what training employees want

    To tailor a culture of learning that supports the development of your employees¡¯ language and communication skills, you¡¯ll find it helpful to get their input first. Survey and interview your team to better understand current barriers to language-specific learning, skills gaps, preferred learning styles and current frustrations.

    For example, is it speaking, listening or reading English that they currently struggle with the most? The better you understand your employees¡¯ needs, the more consulted and engaged with the process they¡¯ll feel.

    2. Reward those who commit to language learning

    In 2023, Forbes outlined , and perhaps unsurprisingly, reward featured strongly. Your performance management system should include a structure that acknowledges employees who are committing to achieving their objectives and developing their skills, and demonstrates the career trajectory that might be possible with improved communication and language skills.

    What that looks like will differ from organization to organization, but it¡¯s important that employees understand the potential opportunities that come with refining their language skills.

    3. Promote the link between language skills and career progression

    Your employees may not naturally make the link between developing language skills and career progression, so help them understand how better language skills can help them move forward in their role and how you will support them in this.

    When they see that language skills have been built into their development plans, they¡¯ll feel invested in staying with your organization and developing their skills with you.

    In a world where communication-based soft skills are more valuable than ever before, the ability to confidently converse in different languages within a business context is an impressive skill that¡¯s transferable to a multitude of other business soft skills, such as teamwork, leadership and problem-solving.

    Once they understand the full range of benefits that come with developing their language skills, they¡¯ll be grateful that you¡¯re committed to helping them do that and will be more likely to stay.

    Boost your workforce¡¯s English language skills and reap the business benefits

    It¡¯s clear that when employees feel that their communication skills are improving, they feel a sense of continued progression and engagement ¨C not only in their language abilities but also across a range of other business power skills.

    The key to retaining talent lies in increasing engagement, and since higher engagement rates are linked to , according to Gallup, there really is no better way to retain a happy workforce.

    Start building your team¡¯s English language skills

    Learn how Mondly by ɫèAV can help you reinforce a culture of learning and retain top talent within your organization, with flexible English language learning solutions for your business.

    If you liked this blog post and want to learn more,?download the PDF report here.

    Find out more about how language training and assessment can drive your business forward by checking out our resources for HR professionals, including articles, whitepapers and research.

  • Office works stood in a cubicle and in a hallway talking

    Goal setting: A path to achieving team fluency

    By Samantha Ball

    Reading time: 5 minutes

    We know businesses that invest in skills development are more likely to retain top talent, and see many other benefits as well. Upskilling your team's English proficiency can have a transformative effect on the business, leading to new opportunities, growth, and a more engaged workforce. However, implementing a corporate language learning program can be challenging. Using traditional goal-setting frameworks can support you and your team on this journey. Here's how: