Explore the most spoken languages worldwide by native speakers, based on data from Ethnologue, a language intelligence research institute for the year 2024.
English
The Queen’s language reigns supreme with an astonishing 1.5 billion native speakers. As the global lingua franca, it plays a crucial role in international business, technology and diplomacy.
Mandarin Chinese
With a staggering 1.1 billion native speakers, Mandarin Chinese is the second most-spoken language.
Hindi
Primarily spoken in India, Hindi claims the third spot with 609 million native speakers. It is integral to the cultural and social fabric of the Indian subcontinent.
Spanish
Originating from Spain, Spanish has become the official language of 21 countries in Latin America and Europe and holds the fourth spot with 559 million native speakers.
French
A language of diplomacy and culture, French maintains its prominence in fashion, arts and cuisine, boasting 332 million native speakers.
Standard Arabic
With 311 million native speakers, Standard Arabic holds the sixth position and acts as the unifying language of the Arab world.
Bengali
Primarily spoken in Bangladesh and parts of India, Bengali is the seventh most-spoken language with 278 million native speakers.
Portuguese
As the official language of Portugal, Brazil and several African nations, Portuguese holds the eighth place with 263 million native speakers.
Russian
As the official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Russian maintains a strong presence in Eurasia with 255 million native speakers.
Urdu
Mostly spoken in Pakistan and India, Urdu is renowned for its poetry and rich cultural heritage. It holds the tenth spot with 237 million native speakers.
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