Top 10 most spoken languages in the world-
| No. | Language | Speakers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 1.42 billion |
| 2 | Mandarin Chinese | 1.38 billion |
| 3 | Hindi | 662 million |
| 4 | Spanish | 559 million |
| 5 | French | 309 million |
| 6 | Arabic (Standard) | 274 million |
| 7 | Bengali | 272 million |
| 8 | Portuguese | 263 million |
| 9 | Russian | 245 million |
| 10 | Urdu | 231 million |
1. English
With over 1.5 billion speakers, English is the most spoken language in the world. In fact, it is the official language of 67 countries and 27 non-sovereign entities as well.
The majority of English speakers do not have English as their native language, rather they speak it as a second language.
2. Mandarin Chinese
The population is a major factor in this ranking. China is the world's second most populous country, and Mandarin has been its official language since the 1930s, making it the world's second most spoken language. While there are other widely spoken dialects like Cantonese, and Huanese, more than 70% of the Chinese population speaks Mandarin
3. Hindi
As mentioned above, population is a huge driving factor behind the ranking of these languages. The majority of the population in the most populous country in the world, speaks Hindi. India is the only country in this list with 22 officially recognised languages. While there is no national language in India, there are two official languages- Hindi and English.
4. Spanish
Over 500 million people around the globe, speak Spanish. It is the official language of 20 countries and one dependent territory. It is the national language of Spain.
5. French
With around 309 speakers, French is the 5th most spoken language in the world. It is recognized as the official language of 29 countries. There are other countries where French is spoken unofficially.
6. Arabic (Standard)
Although Arabic is the official language of 26 nations, many countries and areas have their own dialect. Standard Arabic is the most often spoken accent among Arabs.
7. Bengali
Bengali is one of the officially recognised and widely spoken languages in India. It is also the national language of Bangladesh. With over 272 million speakers, it is the 7th most widely spoken language in the world.
8. Portuguese
Portuguese has over 263 million speakers globally. It is the official language of nine countries and is spoken in many other regions as well.
9. Russian
With over 245 million speakers worldwide, Russian is primarily spoken in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, as it is the national language of the aforementioned countries.
10. Urdu
Urdu occupies the 10th spot in the rankings of the most spoken languages in the world. It is the official state language of Pakistan and is also used in India. Around 231 million people in the world speak Urdu.