Languages by Country 2026

According to Ethnologue, there are more than 7,000 spoken languages worldwide. Some languages are less widely spoken (1,500 languages with less than 1,000 speakers), while others are spoken across different countries. Here’s a roundup of the different languages worldwide and the countries that use them. English

It’s the most popular language with more than 1,100 million speakers across different countries and continents. English is believed to have originated from Anglo-Frisian languages brought to Britain in the mid- 5th-7th centuries. It’s the official language of many countries.

Chinese

Although the language is native to the Chinese, it’s a pretty popular language worldwide. Approximately 1117 million people speak Mandarin Chinese.

Spanish

Spanish is a second language for most English speakers, but for some countries, it’s a native language. It’s the official language of Spain and an official language in 19 countries.

Arabic

Studies show Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world and is native to the Middle East and North African countries. It’s also one of the languages written from right to left and borrows some words from Portuguese and Spanish languages.

French

The language is native to France, some parts of Canada, and Senegal. However, it has spread its roots to other countries over time.

Portuguese

With more than 234 million speakers, the Portuguese language is rooted in the region of Medieval Galicia.

German

With more than 100 million speakers, it’s often referred to as the language of thinkers and writers. German is the official language of Germany but has spread roots to other countries.

Russian

Apparently, Russian is the eighth most spoken language in the world, albeit its complex nature. The language has about 200,000 words, some of which have more than one meaning. Although there are many Russian-speaking people around the world, it’s the official language of four countries only- Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.