With so many languages being spoken by people across the world, there is often a question about which are the most spoken or popular ones.
Many countries have several official languages so determining which are the most spoken languages in the world is a difficult task.
Sometimes several languages are spoken as either first or second languages in a number of countries.
LANGUAGES
Being able to speak specific languages is essential for people across the world as the ability to communicate in a language can open up doors.
Languages are key to trade, international relations, diplomacy, education, employment opportunities and international tourism.
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WIDELY SPOKEN
Statista released data on the world’s most spoken languages for 2023. Here is a list of the world’s most popular languages (by millions of people/speakers).
1. ENGLISH
With almost 1.5 billion native and non-native speakers, English is the most popular language in the world. Though it isn’t the mother tongue of most people, it is the language that most people want to learn.
It is an official language in 40 countries, including The Bahamas, Fiji, Ghana, Jamaica, India, Ireland, Mauritius and New Zealand.
2. CHINESE (MANDARIN)
Chinese, spoken by nearly 1.2 billion people, is one of the most popular languages in the world.
Among the many dialects, Mandarin, which is China’s official state language, represents the most popular choice for language learners.
3. HINDI
With over 600 million native speakers, Hindi is one of the most popular languages in the world.
India is a major player in today’s world economy, and Hindi serves as the most widely spoken language in India.
4. SPANISH
After Hindi, Spanish is the next most popular language in the world. There are 550 million speakers of the language.
Spanish is the official language in more than 20 countries including Spain. Some other countries where Spanish is spoken include Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela.
5. FRENCH
With over 300 million speakers worldwide, French is the second most spoken language in Europe and is also spoken in various other countries.
The French-speaking world includes Europe, Africa and numerous islands in the Caribbean and Pacific. French is the official language in 29 countries, including Gabon, Haiti, Seychelles, Canada, Vanuatu and French Polynesia.
6. ARABIC
Arabic is the official language of numerous countries, making it a popular spoken language. Standard Arabic is spoken by nearly 275 million people.
This language is an official language in many countries including Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
7. BENGALI
Bengali is a language spoken by over 270 million people separated by a border created by the British in 1947.
The Bengali language is spoken in both West Bengal (part of India) and East Bengal (Bangladesh).
8. PORTUGUESE
Boasting over 260 million speakers, Portuguese is another one of the world’s significant languages.
It is the official language in 10 countries across South America, Africa, and Europe. Its influence extends beyond Portugal and Brazil. Portuguese is spoken in several African countries, including Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and Cape Verde.
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