If you are planning to learn a new language but you are not sure about which one to learn, then this guide is for you! We have compiled the 10 most spoken languages in the world for you. Please note that our ranking is according to the total number of speakers, which includes native and non-native speakers. So, let’s check them one by one.

1. English (1.13 Billion)

As you might guess, English ranks number one with 379 million native and 753 million non-native speakers. It is the universal language that influences many languages. Needless to say, English is also the default language in many fields such as technology and the business world.

2. Mandarin Chinese (1.11 Billion)

Mandarin is a set of dialects in Chinese and thanks to the Chinese population, it is the second most spoken language in the world. While the number of non-native speakers of Mandarin is 199 million, the number of native speakers is 918 million.

3. Hindi (615 Million)

India has twenty-two official languages but no doubt, Hindi is the most commonly spoken one in the country. It has 341 million native speakers and 274 million non-native speakers. Hindi is also one of the languages that have lent many words to English.

4. Spanish (534 Million)

With 460 million native and 74 million non-native speakers, Spanish ranks number two in terms of native speakers and number four in general. Interestingly, Spanish is also the third most used language in the virtual world.

5. French (280 Million)

The Colonialist tradition of French led their language to be the fifth most spoken language in the world. It has 77 million native speakers and 203 million non-native speakers. Most of these non-native speakers are located in the African continent as well.

6. Arabic (274 Million)

Considering that Arabic is the official language of 26 countries, it is no surprise that we see it on the list. It is also the official language of Islam, and it has 245 million native speakers while non-native speakers are limited to 29 million.

7. Bengali (265 Million)

Just like Mandarin and Arabic, Bengali is also on the list due to the dense population of Bangladesh. It has 228 million native speakers and 37 million non-native speakers. Most English speakers also know this language as Bangla.

8. Russian (258 Million)

Russian is the language with the highest number of speakers on the European continent. It is also the official language of four countries and many territories. The number of native speakers of Russian is 154 million while non-native speakers are 104 million.

9. Portuguese (234 Million)

Portuguese is spoken as a native language in four continents in a total of nine countries and Brazil is the largest one among all. It has only 13 million non-native speakers while it has 221 million native speakers. Portuguese is also the most spoken language in the southern hemisphere.

10. Indonesian (198 Million)

Indonesia has more than 200 languages and Indonesian is the second language of many citizens. The total number of native speakers is only 43 million, but it has 155 million non-native speakers. Most of these non-native speakers also live in the country and learn it for mutual understanding in their daily lives.