Top Ten Most Widely Spoken Languages in the World
In the modern world there are an estimated 6800 to 6900 distinct languages spoken. With that being said, here are the top ten most widely spoken languages in the world:
10
Punjabi
Primarily spoken in: Punjab region (Pakistan and India)
Native speakers: 96 millioni
Percentage of world population: 1.44%
9
Japanese
Primarily spoken in: Japan
Native speakers: 127 million
Percentage of world population: 1.92%
8
Russian
Primarily spoken in: Russia, former Republics of the Soviet Union, Mongolia, and Israel
Native speakers: 160 million
Percentage of world population: 2.42%
7
Bengali
Primarily spoken in: Bangladesh, West Bengal, and Tripura
Native speakers: 202 million
Percentage of world population: 3.05%
6
Portuguese
Primarily spoken in: Angola, Brazil, Mozambique, and Portugal
Native speakers: 204 million
Percentage of world population: 3.08%
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5
Arabic
Primarily spoken in: North Africa and Middle East
Native speaker: 280 million
Percentage of world population: 4.23%
4
Hindi
Primarily spoken in: India
Native speakers: 295 million
Percentage of world population: 4.46%
3
English
Primarily spoken in: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, and South Africa
Native speakers: 365 million
Percentage of world population: 5.52%
2
Spanish
Primarily spoken in: Latin America, Spain, United States, and Equatorial Guinea
Native speakers: 407 million
Percentage of world population: 5.85%
1
Mandarin
Primarily spoken in: China, Taiwan, and Singapore
Native speakers: 935 million
Percentage of world population: 14.1%