Top 100 Languages

Some languages listed here are technically dialects, not separate languages. They are listed separately because they are mutually incomprehensible, like the language/dialect Chinese, Hindi/Urdu and Arabic.

Of the 6.5 billion (at 31/12/2007) of inhabitants of the planet, about 5.8 (89.23%) billion speak one of the 100 languages related below:

The 100 most spoken languages on the world

Ord

Language

Speakers – #

Where the language is spoken?

01 Mandarin Chinese Nat – 1,081,9 b

China, Malaysia and Taiwan, with significant nucleous of speakers in South Africa, Brunei, Cambodia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries.

2nd  – 38,6 m
Tot 1,120,5 b
02 English [1] Nat – 355,1 m

South Africa, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada (except Quebec), Dominica, United States, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Fiji Islands, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Malaysia, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Micronesia, Namibia, Nigeria, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Samoa, St. Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leon, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with significant nucleous of speakers in Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Philippines, India, Israel, Maldives, Micronesia, Nauru, Pakistan, Singapore and other countries.

2nd – 198,8 m
Tot  – 553,9 m
03 Spanish Nat –    298,7 m

Argentina, Bolivia, Canary Islands, Ceuta, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Melilla, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela, with significant nucleous of speakers in Belize, United States, Ivory Coast, Philippines, France and other countries.

2nd –     49,4 m
Tot –    348,1 m
04 Hindi [2] Nat –    288,6 m

India – North, Central and West of this country.

2nd –     39,2 m
Tot –    327,8 m
05 Portuguese Nat –    236,1 m

Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Damão, Diu and Goa (India), Galicia (Spain), Guine-Bissau, Macau (China), Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe and East Timor, with significant nucleous of speakers in Germany, Canada, Spain, United States, France, Netherlands, UK, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Japan, Paraguay and other countries.

2nd –     36,8 m
Tot –    272,9 m
06 Russian [3] Nat –    164,3 m

Abecasis (Georgia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova (Transnistria and Gagauzia) Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Transnistria (Moldova), Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, with significant nucleous of speakers in Israel and other countries.

2nd –      98,7 m
Tot –     263,0 m
07 French [4] Nat –     108,4 m

Belgium (Brussels and Wallonia), Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central Republic African, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Ivory Coast, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Guadeloupe, Equatorial Guinea, France, Polynesia France, Gabon, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, India (Karikal, Punducherry), Italy (Valle d’Aosta), Lebanon, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Martinique, Mauritius, Monaco, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland (Berne, Canton of Freiburg, Canton of Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel, Valais, Vaud), Togo, with significant nucleous of speakers in the United States (Louisiana, especially), Vanuatu, United Kingdom (Guernsey and Jersey) and other countries.

2nd –     121,3 m
Tot –     229,7 m
08 Bengali Nat –     199,7 m

Bangladesh, India – Tripura, West Bengal and Assam.

2nd –       16,1 m
Tot –      215,8 m
09 Malay/Indonesian [5] Nat –     198,5 m

Indonesia, with significant nucleous of speakers in Malaysia, Philippines (South), East Timor, Singapore, New Caledonia and other countries.

2nd – 4,7 m
Tot –   203,2 m
10 German Nat – 108,3 m

Germany, Austria, Belgium (East Canton), France (Alsace and Lorraine region), Italy (South Tyrol of Namibia and South), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland (Oppeln), Switzerland (Aarfau, Appensell Exterior, Appenzell Interior, Basel-Countryside, Basel-City, Bern, Freiburg, Glarus, Lucerne, St. Gall, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Zug, Zurich, Graubbden, Nidwald, Obwalden, Thurgau, Uri and Valais), with significant nucleous of speakers in United States, Brazil (South), Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Romania, Lithuania, Russia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania and Slovenia.

2nd –   64,4 m
Tot –  172,7 m
11 Japanese Nat –  127,2 m

Japan, Palau (Angaur), Guam, with significant nucleous of speakers in Brazil, United States (Hawaii), Peru, South Korea, Taiwan, Marshall Islands and other countries.

2nd –     8,1 m
Tot –  135,3 m
12 Italian Nat –   73,4 m

Croatia (Istrian County), Slovenia, Italy, San Marino, Switzerland (Graubbden, Ticino), with significant nucleous of speakers in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, United States (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island), France, Greece, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Uruguay, Vatican and other countries.

2nd –   41,9 m
Tot –  115,3 m
13 Persian Nat –   98,2 m

Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan, with significant nucleous of speakers in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Uzbekistan and other countries.

2nd –     6,1 m
Tot –   104,3 m
14 Panjabi Nat –    92,4 m

India (Panjab) and Pakistan, with significant nucleous of speakers in Kenya and Singapore.

2nd –     9,8 m
Tot –  102,2 m
15 Urdu [2] Nat –   68,9 m

India (Kashmir, New Delhi, Jammu and Uttar Pradesh), Pakistan and Afghanistan, with significant nucleous of speakers in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, UK, United States, Bahrain, Botswana, Fiji, Mauritius, Malawi, Oman and Qatar.

2nd –   32,7 m
Tot –  101,6 m
16 Marathi Nat –   77,7 m

India (Maharashtra, Daman and Diu, Goa), with significant nucleous of speakers in Islands Mauritius.

2nd –   13,4 m
Tot –    91,1 m
17 Turkish Nat –   72,4 m

Bulgaria (Kurdzhali Province and areas of South and West), Cyprus and Turkey, with significant nucleous of speakers in Australia, Austria, Georgia, Greece, Netherlands, Iran, Moldova, Macedonia, Syria, Azerbaijan and other countries.

2nd –   17,8 m
Tot –    90,2 m
18 Telugu Nat –   72,8 m India (Andhra Pradesh, district of Yanam), with significant nucleous of speakers in Bahrain, Islands Fiji, Islands Mauritius, Singapore and other countries
2nd –     8,1 m
Tot –   80,9 m
19 Egyptian Arabic [6] Nat –   48,7 m

Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen, with significant nucleous of speakers in England, United States and other countries.

2nd –   31,8 m
Tot –    80,5 m
20 Javanese Nat –   77,8 m

Indonesia, Java and Bali.

2nd –    2,5 m
Tot –   80,3 m
21 Wu Chinese Nat –  76,4 m

China (Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Xuancheng Anhui), Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

2nd –    1,9 m
Tot –   78,3 m
22 Korean Nat –   76,7 m

North Korea, South Korea and China (Yanbian), with significant nucleous of speakers in Australia, United States (Guam, Hawaii, Marianas North), Japan, Brazil and other countries.

2nd –    1,4 m
Tot –   78,1 m
23 Thai Nat –   31,8 m

Thailand and Laos.

2nd –   41,5 m
Tot –    73,3 m
24 Vietnamese Nat –    69,1 m

Vietnam, with significant nucleous of speakers in Australia, Cambodia, United States (California), France (New Caledonia), Laos, Norway, and Vanuatu other countries.

2nd –     4,1 m
Tot –    73,2 m
25 Yue Chinese (Cantonese) Nat –   69,7 m

China (South and Southeast), with significant nucleous of speakers in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and other countries.

2nd –     2,5 m
Tot –    72,2 m
26 Tamil Nat –    65,7 m

India (Tamil Nadu, and Karaikal districts of Pondicherry), Singapore, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, with significant nucleous of speakers in Bahrain, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, France (Réunion), Islands Fiji, Mauritius, Malaysia and other countries.

2nd –      6,1 m
Tot –     71,8 m
27 Maghrebi Arabic [7] Nat –    53,5 m

Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, with significant nucleous of speakers in France, Holland, Italy, Spain and other countries

2nd –    8,9 m
Tot –   62,4 m
28 Min Nan Chinese Nat –  48,2 m

China and Taiwan, with significant nucleous of speakers in Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

2nd –    2,7 m
Tot –  50,9 m
29 Polish Nat –  43,6 m

Poland, with significant nucleous of speakers in Belarus, United States (Connecticut, Illinois, NJ), Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Germany, Romania, Slovakia, Russia, Brazil and other countries.

2nd –    6,5 m
Tot –  50,1 m
30 Gugarati Nat –   47,4 m

India (Gujarati, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli), with significant nucleous of speakers in South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Pakistan, United States, England, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Canada.

2nd –     1,9 m
Tot –   49,3 m
31 Jin Yu Chinese Nat –  43,3 m

China and Taiwan.

2nd –    3,6 m
Tot –  46,9 m
32 Ukrainian Nat –  42,7 m

Ukraine and Transnistria (Moldova), with significant nucleous of speakers in Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Brazil, United States, Canada and other countries

2nd –   3,9 m
Tot –  46,6 m
33 Hausa Nat –  25,2 m

Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Foso, Cameroon, Ghana, Sudan and Togo

2nd –  16,9 m
Tot –  42,1 m
34 Kannada Nat –  33,7 m

India (Karnataka).

2nd –    8,0 m
Tot –   41,7 m
35 Pashto Nat –   31,4 m

Afghanistan (Southeast and Northwest) and Pakistan (West), with significant nucleous of speakers in India.

2nd –    9,7 m
Tot –   41,1 m
36 Xiang Chinese Nat –  37,2 m

China.

2nd –   2,7 m
Tot –  39,9 m
37 Levantine Arabic [8] Nat –  34,8 m

Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel (and Judea Sesmaria), Gaza Strip and Jordan, with significant nucleous of speakers in Kuwait, Iraq and other countries.

2nd –    4,5 m
Tot –   39,3 m
38 Malayalam [9] Nat –  34,9 m

India (Karalla, Lakshadweep and Mahe) with significant groups of speakers in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and other countries.

2nd –   4,2 m
Tot –  39,1 m
39 Hakka Chinese Nat –  35,1 m

China, with significant nucleous of speakers in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Panama, Singapore, Suriname, Taiwan and Thailand

2nd –    1,2 m
Tot –  36,3 m
40 Berber Nat –   31,4 m

Algeria, with significant nucleous of speakers in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sahara West, Mali, France, Belgium, Spain, United States and Canada.

2nd –     4,6 m
Tot –   36,0 m
41 Amharic Nat –  28,2 m

Ethiopia and Israel

2nd –    7,4 m
Tot –  35,6 m
42 Oromo Nat –  33,8 m Ethiopia and Kenya
2nd –    1,6 m
Tot –  35,4 m
43 Burmese Nat –  33,5 m Myanmar
2nd –    1,6 m
Tot –  35,1 m
44 Oriya Nat –  32,0 m

India (Orissa), Mendipur (West Bengal), Saraikela Kharsawan district (Jharkhand) and Gujarati.

2nd –    2,3 m
Tot –  34,3 m
45 Nepali Nat –  26,1 m Nepal, India and Bhutan
2nd –    7,6 m
Tot –  33,7 m
46 Sundanese Nat –  26,8 m Indonesia
2nd –    6,8 m
Tot –  33,6 m
47 Bhojpuri Nat –  28,7 m India and Nepal.
2nd –    4,1 m
Tot –  32,8 m
48 Tagalog Nat –  23,7 m Philippines (Cuzon’s Southern and Central)
2nd –    8,2 m
Tot –  31,9 m
49 Romanian Nat –  27,4 m

Romania and Moldova, with significant nucleous of speakers in Serbia, United States and other countries.

2nd –    3,9 m
Tot –  31,3 m
50 Kurdish Nat –  29,8 m Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria, with significant nucleous of speakers in Egypt, Israel, Iran, Jordan and Lebanon.
2nd –    1,2 m
Tot –  31,0 m
51 Haryanvi Nat –  28,1 m India (Haryana) and Pakistan
2nd –    1,8 m
Tot –  29,9 m
52 Dutch Nat –  24,8 m

Netherlands, Belgium (North), France (Northeast), Suriname, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, with significant nucleous of speakers in Germany, Indonesia, South Africa and other countries.

2nd –    1,7 m
Tot –  26,5 m
53 Azerbaijani Nat –  24,0 m

Azerbaijan, Iran, parts of neighboring countries such as: Georgia, Russia, Iraq, Turkey and Ukraine.

2nd –    2,1 m
Tot –  26,1 m
54 Yoruba Nat –  23,6 m Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Sierra Leon
2nd –    2,3 m
Tot –  25,9 m
55 Serbo-croatian Nat –  22,9 m

Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, with significant nucleous of speakers in Albania, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Turkey and Macedonia.

2nd –    1,6 m
Tot –  24,5 m
56 Uzbek Nat –  21,9 m

Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, with significant nucleous of speakers in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Russia, China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

2nd –    1,4 m
Tot –  23,3 m
57 Gan Chinese Nat –  20,8 m China (regions of Fujian, Anhui and Hubei).
2nd –    1,8 m
Tot –  22,6 m
58 Assamese Nat –  21,5 m India, Bangladesh and Bhutan
2nd –    1,0 m
Tot –  22,5 m
59 Sindhi Nat –  20,4 m India and Pakistan (Southeast).
2nd –    1,8 m
Tot –  22,2 m
60 Malagasy Nat –   17,1 m Madagascar, France (Reunion), Comoros, Mayotte.
2nd –     4,7 m
Tot –   21,8 m
61 Khme Nat –  19,8 m

Cambodia and Vietnam, with significant nucleous of speakers in Thailand, Taiwan, United States and Australia.

2nd –    1,3 m
Tot –   21,1 m
62 Igbo Nat –  18,4 m Nigeria
2nd –    1,9 m
Tot –   20,3 m
63 Sa’ide Arabic Nat –   18,3 m Egypt (south of Cairo to the border with Sudan).
2nd –     1,4 m
Tot –   19,7 m
64 Sudanese Arabic Nat –  18,1 m Sudan.
2nd –    1,5 m
Tot –  19,6 m
65 Greek Nat –   14,9 m

Greece and Cyprus, with significant nucleous of speakers in the United Kingdom and the United States.

2nd –     3,8 m
Tot –   18,7 m
66 Saraiki Nat –  17,6 m

Pakistan, with significant nucleous of speakers in India

2nd –    0,2 m
Tot –  17,8 m
67 Somali Nat –   16,3 m Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Djibouti
2nd –    1,4 m
Tot –   17,7 m
68 Cebuano Nat –  16,3 m Philippines
2nd –    0,1 m
Tot –  16,4 m
69 Hungarian Nat –  14,9 m Hungary, Austria, Israel, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Serbia
2nd –   1,3 m
Tot –  16,2 m
70 Chitagonian Nat –   14,0 m Bangladesh and Myanmar.
2nd –     2,1 m
Tot –   16,1 m
71 Mesopotamian Arabic Nat –   13,5 m

Iraq and Syria (South), with significant nucleous of speakers in Iran and Turkey.

2nd –     2,3 m
Tot –   15,8 m
72 Zhuang Chinese Nat –   13,1 m China
2nd –     2,2 m
Tot –   15,3 m
73 Madurese Nat –  14,2 m

Madura Island (Indonesia), and Kangean islands and Sapudi in East Java.

2nd –    1,1 m
Tot –   15,3 m
74 Fula Nat –  13,3 m

Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Republic Central Africa, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Togo.

2nd –    1,9 m
Tot –   15,2 m
75 Shinhala Nat –   14,0 m

Sri Lanka and India with significant nucleous of speakers in England and the United States.

2nd –    1,1 m
Tot –   15,1 m
76 Kazakh Nat –   10,9 m

Kazakhstan, with significant nucleous of speakers  in China, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Russia and Iran

2nd –     2,8 m
Tot –   13,7 m
77 Swedish Nat –    9,8 m

Sweden and Finland, with significant nucleous of speakers in the United States, Canada, Argentina and Australia.

2nd –    3,6 m
Tot –  13,4 m
78 Marwari Nat –   12,9 m India
2nd –     0,3 m
Tot –   13,2 m
79 Czech Nat –   11,5 m

Czech Republic, with significant nucleous of speakers in Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Israel, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and the United States.

2nd –     1,4 m
Tot –   12,9 m
80 Hiligaynon Nat –   9,4 m Philippines (Visayas).
2nd –   2,7 m
Tot –  12,1 m
81 Magadhi Nat –   11,3 m India (south of Bihar).
2nd –     0,6 m
Tot –   11,9 m
82 Haitian Creole Nat –    8,9 m

Haiti, with significant nucleous of speakers in Canada, United States, France, Republic Dominican, Cuba and Bahamas.

2nd –    2,7 m
Tot –  11,6 m
83 Quechua Nat –   10,9 m

Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia and Argentina.

2nd –     0,4 m
Tot –   11,3 m
84 Chhattisgarh Nat –   11,0 m India (Chhattisgarh).
2nd –     0,2 m
Tot –   11,2 m
85 Uyghur Nat –    8,3 m

China, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

2nd –    2,9 m
Tot –   11,2 m
86 Dekhni Nat –   10,4 m India.
2nd –     0,7 m
Tot –   11,1 m
87 Min Bei Chinese Nat –    8,8 m

China, with significant nucleous of speakers in United States (California).

2nd –    2,1 m
Tot –   10,9 m
88 Uyghur Nat –   8,7 m

China (Xinjiang), with significant nucleous of speakers in Afghanistan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Belgium, Canada, United States, Indonesia, Mongolia, Pakistan, UK, Kyrgyz Republic, Sweden, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

2nd –   2,1 m
Tot –  10,8 m
89 Belarusian Nat –    9,8 m Belarus and Poland.
2nd –    0,7 m
Tot –  10,5 m
90 kinyarwanda Nat –   9,3 m Rwanda, Congo and Uganda
2nd –   1,2 m
Tot –  10,5 m
91 Ilokano Nat –    8,1 m Philippines and Hawaii..
2nd –    2,3 m
Tot –   10,4 m
92 Hebrew Nat –         6,1

Israel, with significant nucleous of speakers in United States, Gibraltar, Canada, Belgium, France, Argentina, UK, Germany, Russia and several other countries.

2nd –         4,2 m
Tot –       10,3 m
93 Bulgarian Nat –       9,7 m

Bulgaria, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, Serbia and Montenegro and Macedonia.

2nd –       0,5 m
Tot –     10,2 m
94 Najdi Arabic Nat –       9,8 m

Saudi Arabia, with significant nucleous of speaking in Jordan, Iraq and Syria.

2nd –       0,3 m
Tot –     10,1 m
95 Zulu Nat –       9,8 m

South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

2nd –       0,1 m
Tot –       9,9 m
96 Akan Nat –      9,1 m Ghana and Suriname.
2nd –       0,2 m
Tot –      9,3 m
97 Gulf Arabic Nat –      8,2 m Kuwait, the Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman.
2nd –       0,7 m
Tot –       8,9 m
98 Shona Nat –       8,3 m Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique.
2nd –       0,2 m
Tot –       8,5 m
99 Tatar Nat –       8,1 m Russia.
2nd –       0,3 m
Tot –       8,4 m
100 Fulfulde Nat –       7,8 m Nigeria.
2nd –       0,5 m
Tot –       8,3 m
X Total Nat–   5.769,6 b Planet Earth
2nd –  1.319,2 b
Tot –   7.088,8 b
Nat = Native, 2nd = Second language  and Tot = Total.       m = million,  b = billion

Source: https://frankherles.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/the-100-most-spoken-languages-on-the-world/