The world with all the cultures, religions and traditions is a lot diversified. It is the language that can help people stay connected. But as different places have different languages, determining the most spoken languages in the world is quite more complicated than you imagine. Knowing the most spoken languages is essential to better understanding people and culture.
Additionally, whether it is for personal development or the workplace, knowing more than one language will provide you with the opportunity to better understand the cultures. But what are the most widely spoken languages in the world? If you wish to explore things and understand the languages, then the guide here will provide you with precise insights.
The 10 Most Spoken Languages in the World
When specified, the number is based on the speakers globally, and then the list here will state the most spoken languages in the world in 2024.
English
If considered both native and non-native speakers, then English has 1132 million speakers. Just like Greek and Latin at one time, English is the standard language. It is a default language for international tourism, business, technology, and much more. In fact, about 60% of the data are in English. Thus this has made it the most spoken language.
- Native speakers- 379 million
- Non-native speakers- 753 million
Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin Chinese has turned out to be the second most used language. However, it can only be at the first position if the native speaker is considered in the data. Mandarin is actually not a language but a dialogue that is used in the Chinese language.
An interesting thing you must know is that about 20% of the people who are connected on the internet can speak Chinese, but only one per cent of the content is in the Chinese language. As the Chinese language is in the list of most spoken languages in the world, China country is also in the list of most powerful countries in the world.
- Native speakers- 918 million
- Non-native speakers- 199 million
Hindi
Hindi, besides English, is a widely used language. In terms of population, India is the second most populous country in the world. It has Hindi as the standard language for communication. The country is diverse, with more than 1600 languages, which explains the high rate of Hindi speakers.
You can easily spot the Hindi language speakers in the world. Easy communication and understanding make it to the list of the most spoken languages in the world.
- Native speakers- 341 million
- Non-native speakers- 274 million
Spanish
When considered in global terms, Spanish turns out to be the most widely used language terms of native speakers. It is primarily a romance language and is used in the third place on the internet. It is the colonial expansion that the language is not just in America but also in Asia and Africa. Besides this, due to immigration, the US is now the second country with the most number of people using Spanish for communication.
- Native speakers- 460 million
- Non-native speakers- 74 million
French
Among the top 10 speaking languages in the world, French happens to be that of love and companionship. Colonialism allowed the French to spread their culture and language across the globe. Today there are officially 29 countries on different continents with native French speakers.
If English has been considered the language of business, then French has always been the language of culture. In fact, it happens to be the third language with the highest number of native speakers all across the globe.
- Native speakers- 77 million
- Non-native speakers- 203 million
Arabic
Arabic officially has turned out to be the native language of 26 countries. It is the territorial coverage that actually sets the dialogues. It also has been the liturgical language of Islam. The language is not only a treasure in the cultural legacy of the South Arab world, but also it has become an accessory tool for business in that region of the world.
It is among the most spoken languages in the world in 2023. So if you plan on doing business, it will be helpful if you either understand the Arabic language or take someone with you who is well aware of it.
- Native speakers- 245 million
- Non-native speakers- 29 million
Bengali
Being the official language of Bangladesh, the Bengali language surely has got a broad reach. In addition to those people in Bangladesh, people in Burma and India speak the same language. It might come as a surprise, but the language has been a part of the most spoken languages in the world. However, it makes absolute sense if you consider the population density of the region. The Bengali language is also a list of the most spoken languages in India.
- Native speakers- 228 million
- Non-native speakers- 37 million
Russian
The inclusion of the Russian language in the list of most spoken languages in the world must not come to you as a surprise. After all, it is the most widely spoken. Suppose you think about Russia’s history and territories. In that case, it will be quite clear why it has received such comprehensive coverage. It is the official language of about four countries. But besides this, some people in the former Soviet Union still speak this language.
- Native speakers- 154 million
- Non-native speakers- 104 million
Indonesian
Indonesia, at the current time, stands among the four most popular countries globally. It is quite clear why the Indonesian language has turned out in the list of most spoken languages in the world in 2023, but it is not the native language of most of the speakers. Rather it is a second language that is required for mutual understanding in the country as there are over 200 languages for communication.
- Native speakers- 43 million
- Non-native speakers- 155 million
Portuguese
Portuguese during the European colonial period has expanded its reach and turned out to be among the top 10 in the world languages list. Today it is considered the official language of 9 countries, which are divided between America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Brazil happens to be the largest country out of those 9 with the native Portuguese speaker. Besides, it also has a wide reach in the southern hemisphere.
- Native speakers- 221 million
- Non-native speakers- 13 million
The list made it clear about the top 10 speaking languages in the world. But if you search for how many languages are spoken in the world, you will be amazed to see the result of it.
Also Read
World’s 10 Most Spoken Languages FAQs(Frequently Asked Questions)
Question 1: What is the standard language in the business world?
Answer: The business world is now adopting all languages to ease communication. However, English still happens to be a major language for communication. Being on the list of the most spoken languages in the world, it surely has provided great benefit.
Question 2: Is it important to learn the native language of a place?
Answer: When you plan to move to a new country, you might worry about the language barrier. No doubt this will be quite tough for you, but English being a common communication channel will be helpful. However, you must try to understand the native language to fit in there.
Question 3: What is the most popular natively speaking language?
Answer: If the stats are considered in terms of the population, sure, it will be Mandarin Chinese that turns out to be the most spoken language in the world in 2024. This is because of the largest population of the country, which can keep the language at the top of the list.
Question 4: What is the most common language spoken in Europe?
Answer: English in Europe is by far the most spoken language. While the German speakers stand at about 36% and 29% of them speak French.
Question 5: In the world, how many languages are spoken?
Answer: Well, there are about 7100 languages that are spoken in the world regularly. This is by far a lot more than anyone can expect.