More than 7,000 languages are spoken around the world today. However, just a small group of them account for the majority of global communication.
When ranking the most spoken languages, it’s important to distinguish between:
- Native speakers (L1): People who speak the language as their first language from birth
- Non-native speakers (L2): People who learned the language as a second or additional language
Some languages dominate because of large native populations. Others rise in global influence because millions learn them as non-native speakers. Below are the top 10 most spoken languages ranked by total speakers (L1 + L2), with a breakdown of native vs non-native usage.
1. English
- Native (L1): ~380 million
- Non-native (L2): ~1.1 billion
- Total: ~1.5 billion
English is the world’s leading lingua franca — a common bridge language used between people who do not share the same mother tongue. While it does not have the highest number of native speakers, it dominates globally because of its massive non-native adoption.
English is the primary language of international business, aviation, science, technology, diplomacy, and much of the internet. Over 50 countries list it as an official language, and it is often the default working language in multinational companies.
Its global reach began with British colonial expansion and expanded further with the economic and cultural influence of the United States. Today, English connects speakers from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas in cross-border communication.
2. Mandarin Chinese
- Native (L1): ~940 million
- Non-native (L2): ~200 million
- Total: ~1.1–1.2 billion
Mandarin Chinese has the largest native-speaking population in the world. It is the official language of China and Taiwan and one of the official languages of Singapore.
Unlike English, Mandarin’s global ranking is driven primarily by its enormous native population rather than non-native learners. The language uses Chinese characters instead of an alphabet and relies on tones, meaning pitch changes word meaning.
As China continues to play a central role in global trade and manufacturing, Mandarin’s international importance continues to grow.
3. Hindi
- Native (L1): ~345 million
- Non-native (L2): ~260 million
- Total: ~600+ million
Hindi is one of the official languages of India and is widely spoken across northern and central regions of the country. It is written in the Devanagari script.
A significant portion of Hindi speakers use it as a second language within India, where hundreds of regional languages exist. Spoken Hindi is highly mutually intelligible with Urdu, though the two use different writing systems.
India’s population size and global diaspora contribute to Hindi’s growing global presence.
4. Spanish
- Native (L1): ~485 million
- Non-native (L2): ~75 million
- Total: ~560 million
Spanish is one of the most geographically widespread languages in the world, serving as the official language in more than 20 countries across Europe and Latin America.
Unlike English, Spanish’s strength comes primarily from its large native-speaking base. However, it is also one of the most studied foreign languages globally, especially in the United States and Europe.
Spanish-language media, music, and film have significantly expanded its cultural influence worldwide.
5. French
- Native (L1): ~80 million
- Non-native (L2): ~230 million
- Total: ~310 million
French has a relatively modest native-speaking population but a very large non-native community. It is widely spoken in Europe, West and Central Africa, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean.
French is an official language of the United Nations and plays an important role in diplomacy and international organizations.
Due to strong population growth in francophone African countries, French is projected to expand significantly in the coming decades.
6. Arabic (Modern Standard + regional varieties)
- Native (L1): ~310 million
- Non-native (L2): ~50 million
- Total: ~360 million
Arabic is spoken across the Middle East and North Africa. It consists of many regional varieties, while Modern Standard Arabic is used in formal writing, media, and official communication.
Arabic is written from right to left and holds deep religious significance as the language of the Quran.
Its cultural, historical, and geopolitical importance makes it one of the most influential languages globally.
7. Bengali
- Native (L1): ~230 million
- Non-native (L2): ~40 million
- Total: ~270 million
Bengali is the official language of Bangladesh and widely spoken in the Indian state of West Bengal. It has one of the largest native-speaking populations concentrated in a single geographic region.
The language has a rich literary history, including Nobel Prize–winning works, and plays a central role in Bengali cultural identity.
8. Portuguese
- Native (L1): ~235 million
- Non-native (L2): ~25 million
- Total: ~260 million
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, and several other countries.
Brazil accounts for the vast majority of native speakers. While its non-native population is smaller compared to English or French, demographic growth in Brazil and parts of Africa continues to strengthen its global presence.
9. Russian
- Native (L1): ~150 million
- Non-native (L2): ~105 million
- Total: ~255 million
Russian is the most widely spoken native language in Europe. It remains a key regional lingua franca across parts of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Millions speak Russian as a second language due to historical ties from the Soviet era. The language uses the Cyrillic alphabet and maintains strong influence in science and engineering fields.
10. Urdu
- Native (L1): ~70 million
- Non-native (L2): ~165 million
- Total: ~235 million
Urdu is Pakistan’s national language and serves as a unifying language across diverse regional groups. Although relatively few people speak it as their mother tongue, a large portion of Pakistan’s population uses it as a second language.
Urdu shares high mutual intelligibility with Hindi in everyday speech but uses a modified Perso-Arabic script. It has a rich poetic and literary tradition.