Have you ever wondered which languages people speak the most? Even though there are more than 7,000 languages in the world today, more than half of the people only speak 23 of them.
If you want to grow your business internationally and move up in the business world, you need to know this information. Also, knowing more than one language opens up new opportunities and helps us learn more about other cultures, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.
We’ve put together this list for you based on real data. It includes languages that are easy for English speakers to learn as well as languages that are harder.
So keep reading to find out which languages are spoken the most.
In 2024, the linguistic landscape of the world continues to be shaped by the most widely spoken languages, each with millions or even billions of speakers. **The Most Spoken Languages in the World** explores the top languages that connect people across continents, from Mandarin Chinese and Spanish to English, Hindi, and Arabic. This guide provides insights into the cultural and economic significance of these languages, their global reach, and the reasons behind their widespread use. Whether you’re interested in language learning, cultural exploration, or global communication, understanding the most spoken languages in the world offers a valuable perspective on how language influences our interconnected world.
1. English (1,132 million speakers)
- Native speakers: 379 million
- Non-native speakers: 753 million
Like Latin or Greek at the time, English is the universal language of today. It is the default language in international business, tourism, technology, and much more.
A bilingual person, who speaks Spanish and English, can understand 1 in 3 people who connect to the Internet. In addition, he or she can access over 60% of everything published on the web.
2. Mandarin (1,117 million speakers)
- Native speakers: 918 million
- Non-native speakers: 199 million
Adding native and non-native speakers, Mandarin is the second most widely spoken language in the world. However, it is the first, if only native speakers are taken into account.
Mandarin is not actually a language, but a set of dialects of the Chinese language. What unifies these dialects under the same name is that their speakers can understand each other.
Interestingly, 20% of people who connect to the internet speak Chinese, but only just over 1% of the content available on the web is in the Chinese language.
3. Hindi (615 million speakers)
- Native speakers: 341 million
- Non-native speakers: 274 million
Hindi is, along with English, one of the 22 official languages of India, the second most inhabited country in the world. The region’s linguistic diversity (more than 1,600 languages coexist) explains the high rate of non-native speakers who use it as a lingua franca.
4. Spanish (534 million speakers)
- Native speakers: 460 million
- Non-native speakers: 74 million
Spanish is the second of the most widely spoken languages globally in terms of the number of native speakers. In addition, it is the most spoken of the Romance languages, and is the third most used on the internet.
Its enormous colonial expansion took it not only to America, but also to Africa and Asia. Due to migration, the United States is the second country with the largest number of Spanish speakers in the world.
5. French (280 million speakers)
- Native speakers: 77 million
- Non-native speakers: 203 million
Colonialism allowed French to spread throughout the world. Today it is the official language of 29 countries on different continents.
If English is the language of business, French is considered the language of culture. Its enormous importance is also reflected in the fact that it is the third language with the largest number of non-native speakers.
6. Arabic (274 million speakers)
- Native speakers: 245 million
- Non-native speakers: 29 million
Arabic is the official language of 26 countries. Due to this territorial coverage, it is actually a set of dialects. It is also the liturgical language of Islam.
It is not only the language that treasures the enormous cultural legacy of the Arab world, but also a necessary tool for the field of business in that region of the world.
7. Bengali (265 million speakers)
- Native speakers: 228 million
- Non-native speakers: 37 million
Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh. In addition, people speak it in some areas of India and Burma. It may come as a surprise that a language spoken in such a small territory appears in a list of the most spoken languages in the world. However, it makes sense when you think about the population density of that region.
8. Russian (258 million speakers)
- Native speakers: 154 million
- Non-native speakers: 104 million
Less surprising is the inclusion of Russian among the most widely spoken languages globally if we think about Russian history and territories. It is the official language of four countries, but people also speak it in all those part of the former Soviet Union. It is the language with the largest number of native speakers in all of Europe.
9. Portuguese (234 million speakers)
- Native speakers: 221 million
- Non-native speakers: 13 million
Portuguese is another of the languages that expanded in the European colonial period. Today it’s the official language of nine countries divided between Europe, America, Africa and Asia. Brazil is the largest country out of those nine and has the most amount of Portuguese speakers. In addition, it is the most widely spoken language in the southern hemisphere.
10. Indonesian (198 million speakers)
- Native speakers: 43 million
- Non-native speakers: 155 million
Bahasa Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world. Peculiarly, it’s not the native language of most of its speakers. Rather, it’s a second language necessary for mutual understanding in a country with more than 200 languages.
What is your English level?
Find out your A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 level of English with our online test and receive your English certificate.
I am Nilay, an experienced English Language Assessment Director at the International English Test, where I have been working full-time since February 2020. I specialize in helping people worldwide validate their English proficiency through comprehensive assessments and certifications.
Before joining the International English Test, I worked as a self-employed English Language Assessment Consultant from January 2015 to December 2019. During this time, I assisted companies and individuals in improving their language skills, helping them achieve their academic and professional goals.
I hold a degree in Engineering and have also studied at Shafston International College in Australia. My educational background has equipped me with the tools to make a meaningful impact in the field of English language learning. Additionally, I enjoy sharing my expertise through articles that explore effective teaching methods and language assessment strategies, contributing to the International English Test and the broader assessment community.
