List of languages by total number of speakers
Evaluation by highest estimate
This table classifies the raw data obtained into ranks by the highest estimate of speakers for a particular language. For example, English has been predicted to have 500 million to 1800 million, therefore "1800 million" will be the total number of speakers in this list.
| Language | Total number of speakers (million) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| English | 500 to 1800 | 1 |
| Chinese (all dialects) | 1300 | 2 |
| Hindi | 360 to 775 | 3 |
| Spanish | 400 to 500 | 4 |
| French | 115 to 500 | 4 |
| Arabic | 246 to 422 | 5 |
| Russian | 278 | 6 |
| Bengali | 230 | 7 |
| Portuguese | 230 | 7 |
| German | 170 | 8 |
| Japanese | 130 | 9 |
| Punjabi | 104 | 10 |
| Urdu | 104 | 10 |
Average
| Language | Total number of speakers (million) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese (all dialects) | 1300 | 1 |
| English | 1150 | 2 |
| Hindi | 568 | 3 |
| Arabic | 334 | 5 |
| French | 308 | 6 |
| Russian | 278 | 7 |
| Bengali | 230 | 8 |
| Portuguese | 230 | 8 |
| German | 170 | 9 |
| Japanese | 130 | 10 |