Human languages ranked by their number of native speakers are as follows. All such rankings should be used with caution, because it is not possible to devise a coherent set of linguistic criteria for distinguishing languages in a dialect continuum. For example, a language is often defined as a set of mutually intelligible varieties, but independent national standard languages may be considered separate languages even though they are largely mutually intelligible, as in the case of Danish and Norwegian. Conversely, many commonly accepted languages, including German, Italian, and English, encompass varieties that are not mutually intelligible. While Arabic is sometimes considered a single language centred on Modern Standard Arabic, other authors consider its mutually unintelligible varieties separate languages. Similarly, Chinese is sometimes viewed as a single language because of a shared culture and common literary language. It is also common to describe various Chinese dialect groups, such as Mandarin, Wu, and Yue, as languages, even though each of these groups contains many mutually unintelligible varieties.
There are also difficulties in obtaining reliable counts of speakers, which vary over time because of population change and language shift. In some areas, there is no reliable census data, the data is not current, or the census may not record languages spoken, or record them ambiguously. Sometimes speaker populations are exaggerated for political reasons, or speakers of minority languages may be underreported in favour of a national language.
Top languages by population
Ethnologue (2024)
The following languages are listed as having at least 50 million first-language speakers in the 27th edition of Ethnologue published in 2024. This section does not include entries that Ethnologue identifies as macrolanguages encompassing all their respective varieties, such as Arabic, Lahnda, Persian, Malay, Pashto, and Chinese.
| Language | Native speakers (in millions) | Language family | Branch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandarin Chinese | 941 | Sino-Tibetan | Sinitic |
| Spanish | 486 | Indo-European | Romance |
| English | 380 | Indo-European | Germanic |
| Hindi | 345 | Indo-European | Indo-Aryan |
| Bengali | 237 | Indo-European | Indo-Aryan |
| Portuguese | 236 | Indo-European | Romance |
| Russian | 148 | Indo-European | Balto-Slavic |
| Japanese | 123 | Japonic | Japanese |
| Yue Chinese | 86 | Sino-Tibetan | Sinitic |
| Vietnamese | 85 | Austroasiatic | Vietic |
| Turkish | 84 | Turkic | Oghuz |
| Wu Chinese | 83 | Sino-Tibetan | Sinitic |
| Marathi | 83 | Indo-European | Indo-Aryan |
| Telugu | 83 | Dravidian | South-Central |
| Western Punjabi | 82 | Indo-European | Indo-Aryan |
| Korean | 81 | Koreanic | — |
| Tamil | 79 | Dravidian | South Dravidian |
| Egyptian Arabic | 78 | Afroasiatic | Semitic |
| Standard German | 76 | Indo-European | Germanic |
| French | 74 | Indo-European | Romance |
| Urdu | 70 | Indo-European | Indo-Aryan |
| Javanese | 68 | Austronesian | Malayo-Polynesian |
| Italian | 64 | Indo-European | Romance |
| Iranian Persian | 62 | Indo-European | Iranian |
| Gujarati | 58 | Indo-European | Indo-Aryan |
| Hausa | 54 | Afroasiatic | Chadic |
| Bhojpuri | 53 | Indo-European | Indo-Aryan |
| Levantine Arabic | 51 | Afroasiatic | Semitic |
| Southern Min | 51 | Sino-Tibetan | Sinitic |
CIA World Factbook (2018 estimates)
According to the CIA World Factbook, the most-spoken first languages in 2018 were:
| Language | Percentage of world population (2018) |
|---|---|
| Mandarin Chinese | 12.3% |
| Spanish | 6.0% |
| English | 5.1% |
| Arabic | 5.1% |
| Hindi | 3.5% |
| Bengali | 3.3% |
| Portuguese | 3.0% |
| Russian | 2.1% |
| Japanese | 1.7% |
| Western Punjabi | 1.3% |
| Javanese | 1.1% |
See also
- List of languages by total number of speakers
- List of sign languages by number of native signers
- List of language families (with number of speakers)
- List of languages by the number of countries in which they are recognized as an official language
- Number of languages by country
- Languages used on the Internet
- List of ISO 639-3 codes
- Lists of languages
- List of languages by number of speakers in Europe
- Global language system
- Linguistic diversity index
- World language
References
- Paolillo, John C.; Das, Anupam (31 March 2006). "Evaluating language statistics: the Ethnologue and beyond" (PDF). UNESCO Institute of Statistics. pp. 3–5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- Chambers, J.K.; Trudgill, Peter (1998). Dialectology (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-59646-6.
- Kaye, Alan S.; Rosenhouse, Judith (1997). "Arabic Dialects and Maltese". In Hetzron, Robert (ed.). The Semitic Languages. Routledge. pp. 263–311. ISBN 978-0-415-05767-7.
- Norman, Jerry (1988). Chinese. Cambridge University Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-521-29653-3.
- Norman, Jerry (2003). "The Chinese dialects: phonology". In Thurgood, Graham; LaPolla, Randy J. (eds.). The Sino-Tibetan languages. Routledge. pp. 72–83. ISBN 978-0-7007-1129-1.
- Crystal, David (1988). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge University Press. pp. 286–287. ISBN 978-0-521-26438-9.
- Statistics, in Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2024). Ethnologue: Languages of the World (27th ed.). Dallas, Texas: SIL International.
- "The World Factbook. People and Society. Languages". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
Human languages ranked by their number of native speakers are as follows All such rankings should be used with caution because it is not possible to devise a coherent set of linguistic criteria for distinguishing languages in a dialect continuum For example a language is often defined as a set of mutually intelligible varieties but independent national standard languages may be considered separate languages even though they are largely mutually intelligible as in the case of Danish and Norwegian Conversely many commonly accepted languages including German Italian and English encompass varieties that are not mutually intelligible While Arabic is sometimes considered a single language centred on Modern Standard Arabic other authors consider its mutually unintelligible varieties separate languages Similarly Chinese is sometimes viewed as a single language because of a shared culture and common literary language It is also common to describe various Chinese dialect groups such as Mandarin Wu and Yue as languages even though each of these groups contains many mutually unintelligible varieties Current distribution of human language families There are also difficulties in obtaining reliable counts of speakers which vary over time because of population change and language shift In some areas there is no reliable census data the data is not current or the census may not record languages spoken or record them ambiguously Sometimes speaker populations are exaggerated for political reasons or speakers of minority languages may be underreported in favour of a national language Top languages by populationEthnologue 2024 The following languages are listed as having at least 50 million first language speakers in the 27th edition of Ethnologue published in 2024 This section does not include entries that Ethnologue identifies as macrolanguages encompassing all their respective varieties such as Arabic Lahnda Persian Malay Pashto and Chinese Languages with at least 50 million first language speakers Language Native speakers in millions Language family BranchMandarin Chinese 941 Sino Tibetan SiniticSpanish 486 Indo European RomanceEnglish 380 Indo European GermanicHindi 345 Indo European Indo AryanBengali 237 Indo European Indo AryanPortuguese 236 Indo European RomanceRussian 148 Indo European Balto SlavicJapanese 123 Japonic JapaneseYue Chinese 86 Sino Tibetan SiniticVietnamese 85 Austroasiatic VieticTurkish 84 Turkic OghuzWu Chinese 83 Sino Tibetan SiniticMarathi 83 Indo European Indo AryanTelugu 83 Dravidian South CentralWestern Punjabi 82 Indo European Indo AryanKorean 81 Koreanic Tamil 79 Dravidian South DravidianEgyptian Arabic 78 Afroasiatic SemiticStandard German 76 Indo European GermanicFrench 74 Indo European RomanceUrdu 70 Indo European Indo AryanJavanese 68 Austronesian Malayo PolynesianItalian 64 Indo European RomanceIranian Persian 62 Indo European IranianGujarati 58 Indo European Indo AryanHausa 54 Afroasiatic ChadicBhojpuri 53 Indo European Indo AryanLevantine Arabic 51 Afroasiatic SemiticSouthern Min 51 Sino Tibetan SiniticCIA World Factbook 2018 estimates According to the CIA World Factbook the most spoken first languages in 2018 were Top first languages by population per CIA Language Percentage of world population 2018 Mandarin Chinese 12 3 Spanish 6 0 English 5 1 Arabic 5 1 Hindi 3 5 Bengali 3 3 Portuguese 3 0 Russian 2 1 Japanese 1 7 Western Punjabi 1 3 Javanese 1 1 See alsoList of languages by total number of speakers List of sign languages by number of native signers List of language families with number of speakers List of languages by the number of countries in which they are recognized as an official language Number of languages by country Languages used on the Internet List of ISO 639 3 codes Lists of languages List of languages by number of speakers in Europe Global language system Linguistic diversity index World languageReferencesPaolillo John C Das Anupam 31 March 2006 Evaluating language statistics the Ethnologue and beyond PDF UNESCO Institute of Statistics pp 3 5 Archived PDF from the original on 10 January 2017 Retrieved 17 November 2018 Chambers J K Trudgill Peter 1998 Dialectology 2nd ed Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 59646 6 Kaye Alan S Rosenhouse Judith 1997 Arabic Dialects and Maltese In Hetzron Robert ed The Semitic Languages Routledge pp 263 311 ISBN 978 0 415 05767 7 Norman Jerry 1988 Chinese Cambridge University Press p 2 ISBN 978 0 521 29653 3 Norman Jerry 2003 The Chinese dialects phonology In Thurgood Graham LaPolla Randy J eds The Sino Tibetan languages Routledge pp 72 83 ISBN 978 0 7007 1129 1 Crystal David 1988 The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language Cambridge University Press pp 286 287 ISBN 978 0 521 26438 9 Statistics in Eberhard David M Simons Gary F Fennig Charles D eds 2024 Ethnologue Languages of the World 27th ed Dallas Texas SIL International The World Factbook People and Society Languages The World Factbook Central Intelligence Agency 29 November 2023 Retrieved 30 November 2023
