What Percentage of the World Speaks English?

Many people may wonder what percentage of the world speaks English. The answer to this question is hard to determine, as not all countries have accurate census data. Moreover, these data may not include all languages spoken in a country. Depending on the definition of “speak,” the number of English speakers could range from 1,800 million to 510 million. So, the real answer to the question, “What percentage of the world speaks English?” is more likely to range from 13% to 60 million.

13%

Although English is spoken by over one billion people, only one third of the population is fluent in it. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom are the three largest English-speaking countries in the world. These countries are home to 230 million and 60 million native speakers of English, respectively. While the number of English-speaking countries in the Caribbean is smaller, many countries have a history of colonialism and have adopted English as their official language. Other English-speaking countries include: Cuba, New Zealand, and Australia.

231 million

There are more than two hundred and thirty million English-speaking native speakers around the world. Besides the United States, there are 67 countries in the world where English is the official language and another twenty-seven do not. These five countries are known as the core Anglosphere and together speak 231 million native English words. The list of English-speaking countries includes the United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Marshall Islands. In terms of age groups, only 5% of people in Russia speak English. Their overall English proficiency is rated as low by the international English Proficiency Index.

60 million

According to Ethnologue’s most recent edition, 1.268 billion people speak English. Modern English was spread during the 17th century when Britain was building an empire. It also coincided with the discovery of the United States and its rebellion against colonizers. However, the exact number of English-speaking people is unknown. The world is a complex place and statistics are unreliable. Here are some facts about English speakers in various countries.

Canada

How many people speak English? While the question of “How many people speak English?” may be a common one, the answer is not as simple as pointing to the number of people. There are over seven thousand languages spoken around the world, but English is the most widely spoken. There are approximately 743 million native speakers of English, and about 378 million of those are non-native speakers. About half of all scientific and technical periodicals are written in English.

United States

The debate about whether the United States speaks English or Spanish is often emotional, involving questions of patriotism, racism, language loyalty, assimilation, and more. A debate about this question occurred in Miami a few years ago, when supporters and opponents nearly came to blows. While the English Language Act is the de facto language of the United States, enforcing its use is extremely difficult. The legend of the German vote still persists, despite the fact that English is the official language of the U.S.

Europe

What percentage of the world speaks English? This question seems rather silly, but it is not. Approximately 400 million people in the world are native English speakers, according to CIA’s Factbook. That’s a quarter of the total world population. It’s also the most widely spoken “second” language, according to the Ethnologue website. In fact, according to the Ethnologue, English is spoken in 104 countries.

Africa

If you’re wondering, “What percentage of the world speaks English?”, you’re in luck! A new study shows that nearly one billion people in the world speak English as their first language, but there are still more who don’t. The British Council estimates that 25 percent of the population speaks English, but their statistics don’t separate native speakers from those who only speak English in basic phrases. A Science study found that nine percent of the world’s population spoke English as their first language by the 19th century. Ethnologue predicts that five percent of the world’s population will speak English as their native language by the year 2050.