The following is a list of languages categorized by the total number of speakers. It is important to note that the classification of languages can be challenging, as dialects and variations can blur the lines between distinct languages. Therefore, this list should be interpreted cautiously, considering the complexity of linguistic categorization and the vast diversity in language use worldwide.
English
- Language Family: Indo-European
- Branch: Germanic
- First-language (L1) speakers: 380 million
- Second-language (L2) speakers: 1.077 billion
- Total speakers (L1 + L2): 1.456 billion
Mandarin Chinese
- Language Family: Sino-Tibetan
- Branch: Sinitic
- First-language (L1) speakers: 939 million
- Second-language (L2) speakers: 199 million
- Total speakers (L1 + L2): 1.138 billion
Hindi
- Language Family: Indo-European
- Branch: Indo-Aryan
- First-language (L1) speakers: 345 million
- Second-language (L2) speakers: 266 million
- Total speakers (L1 + L2): 609 million
Spanish
- Language Family: Indo-European
- Branch: Romance
- First-language (L1) speakers: 485 million
- Second-language (L2) speakers: 74 million
- Total speakers (L1 + L2): 559 million
French
- Language Family: Indo-European
- Branch: Romance
- First-language (L1) speakers: 81 million
- Second-language (L2) speakers: 229 million
- Total speakers (L1 + L2): 310 million
Modern Standard Arabic
- Language Family: Afro-Asiatic
- Branch: Semitic
- First-language (L1) speakers: Not specified
- Second-language (L2) speakers: 274 million
- Total speakers (L1 + L2): 274 million
Bengali
- Language Family: Indo-European
- Branch: Indo-Aryan
- First-language (L1) speakers: 234 million
- Second-language (L2) speakers: 39 million
- Total speakers (L1 + L2): 273 million
Portuguese
- Language Family: Indo-European
- Branch: Romance
- First-language (L1) speakers: 236 million
- Second-language (L2) speakers: 27 million
- Total speakers (L1 + L2): 264 million
Russian
- Language Family: Indo-European
- Branch: Balto-Slavic
- First-language (L1) speakers: 147 million
- Second-language (L2) speakers: 108 million
- Total speakers (L1 + L2): 255 million
Urdu
- Language Family: Indo-European
- Branch: Indo-Aryan
- First-language (L1) speakers: 71 million
- Second-language (L2) speakers: 161 million
- Total speakers (L1 + L2): 232 million
Please note that these figures are based on data from the 26th edition of Ethnologue published in 2023. Macrolanguages, which encompass various varieties, are not included in this list. Additionally, the classification and counting of speakers may vary over time and in different sources due to population changes, language shifts, and other factors. It is essential to exercise caution when interpreting and using language statistics.
References:
- Ethnologue (2023) – List of languages with 45 million or more total speakers.
- CIA World Factbook (2022) – Estimated percentage of the world population speaking each language in 2022.
