In 2023, there were around 1.5 billion people worldwide who spoke English either natively or as a second language, slightly more than the 1.1 billion Mandarin Chinese speakers at the time of survey. Hindi and Spanish accounted for the third and fourth most widespread languages that year.
Languages in the United States
The United States does not have an official language, but the country uses English, specifically American English, for legislation, regulation and other official pronouncements. The United States is a land of immigrations and the languages spoken in the United States vary as a result of the multi-cultural population. The second most common language spoken in the United States is Spanish or Spanish Creole, which over 41 million people spoke at home in 2021. There were also 3.5 million Chinese speakers (including both Mandarin and Cantonese),1.7 million Tagalog speakers and 1.5 million Vietnamese speakers counted in the United States that year.
Different languages at home
The percentage of people in the United States speaking a language other than English at home varies from state to state. The state with the highest percentage of population speaking a language other than English is California. About 44 percent of California’s population was speaking a language other than English at home in 2021.
The most spoken languages worldwide in 2023
(by speakers in millions)
The source does not specify the survey period.
Values account for total usage, including both native speakers and people who speak the language as a second language.
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Ethnologue. (June 16, 2023). The most spoken languages worldwide in 2023 (by speakers in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/266808/the-most-spoken-languages-worldwide/
Ethnologue. "The most spoken languages worldwide in 2023 (by speakers in millions)." Chart. June 16, 2023. Statista. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/266808/the-most-spoken-languages-worldwide/
Ethnologue. (2023). The most spoken languages worldwide in 2023 (by speakers in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/266808/the-most-spoken-languages-worldwide/
Ethnologue. "The Most Spoken Languages Worldwide in 2023 (by Speakers in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 16 Jun 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/266808/the-most-spoken-languages-worldwide/
Ethnologue, The most spoken languages worldwide in 2023 (by speakers in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/266808/the-most-spoken-languages-worldwide/ (last visited November 21, 2024)
The most spoken languages worldwide in 2023 (by speakers in millions) [Graph], Ethnologue, June 16, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/266808/the-most-spoken-languages-worldwide/