Misc
Ranked: The 100 Most Spoken Languages Around the World
Ranked: The 100 Most Spoken Languages Worldwide
Even though you’re reading this article in English, there’s a good chance it might not be your mother tongue. Of the billion-strong English speakers in the world, only 33% consider it their native language.
The popularity of a language depends greatly on utility and geographic location. Additionally, how we measure the spread of world languages can vary greatly depending on whether you look at total speakers or native speakers.
Today’s detailed visualization from WordTips illustrates the 100 most spoken languages in the world, the number of native speakers for each language, and the origin tree that each language has branched out from.
How Do You Define A Language?
The data comes from the 22nd edition of Ethnologue, a database covering a majority of the world’s population, detailing approximately 7,111 living languages in existence today.
The definitions of languages are often dynamic, blurring the lines around a singular understanding of what makes a language:
- Linguistic: focused on lexical and grammatical differences, or on variations within speech communities
- Social: focused on cultural or political factors, as well as heritage and identity
For the purposes of measurement, the researchers use the ISO 693-3 set of criteria, which accounts for related varieties and dialects—ensuring that linguistics are not the only factor considered in this count of languages.
Here are the language origins of the 100 most spoken languages:
Indo-European languages have the widest spread worldwide. According to Ethnologue, the language family contains over 3 billion speakers in total. Interestingly, there are actually 1,526 Niger-Congo languages altogether, though only 12 are represented here.
Let’s now dive into the top 10 most spoken languages overall.
Which Languages Have the Most Speakers?
It comes as no surprise that English reigns supreme, with over 1.1 billion total speakers—or roughly 15% of the global population. Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, and French round out the top five.
Rank | Language | Total Speakers | Language Origin |
---|---|---|---|
1 | English | 1,132 million | Indo-European |
2 | Mandarin Chinese | 1,117 million | Sino-Tibetan |
3 | Hindi | 615 million | Indo-European |
4 | Spanish | 534 million | Indo-European |
5 | French | 280 million | Indo-European |
6 | Standard Arabic | 274 million | Afro-Asiatic |
7 | Bengali | 265 million | Indo-European |
8 | Russian | 258 million | Indo-European |
9 | Portuguese | 234 million | Indo-European |
10 | Indonesian | 199 million | Austronesian |
However, this is only one piece in the full fabric of languages.
The metrics for native speakers tell a slightly different tale, as Mandarin Chinese shoots up to 918 million—almost 2.5x that of English native speakers.
Rank | Language | Native Speakers | Language Origin |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Mandarin Chinese | 918 million | Sino-Tibetan |
2 | Spanish | 460 million | Indo-European |
3 | English | 379 million | Indo-European |
4 | Hindi | 341 million | Indo-European |
5 | Bengali | 228 million | Indo-European |
6 | Portuguese | 221 million | Indo-European |
7 | Russian | 154 million | Indo-European |
8 | Japanese | 128 million | Japanic |
9 | Western Punjabi | 93 million | Indo-European |
10 | Marathi | 83 million | Indo-European |
Note: No native speaker data was available for Filipino, Standard Arabic, Nigerian Pidgin, or Cameroonian Pidgin.
Here, Spanish comes in strong second for native speakers with 460 million, considering it’s well-used across Latin America. The Indian languages of Hindi and Bengali cap off the top five by native speakers as well.
These are the biggest languages people learn growing up, but what about the ones they pick up later in life?
What About Second (L2) Languages?
Nearly 43% of the world’s population is bilingual, with the ability to switch between two languages with ease.
From the data, second language (L2) speakers can be calculated by looking at the difference between native and total speakers, as a proportion of the total. For example, 66% of English speakers learned it as a second language.
Swahili surprisingly has the highest ratio of L2 speakers to total speakers—although it only has 16 million native speakers, this shoots up to 98 million total speakers. Overall, 82% of Swahili speakers know it as a second language.
Swahili is listed as a national or official language in several African countries: Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It’s likely that the movement of people from rural areas into big cities in search of better economic opportunities, is what’s boosting the adoption of Swahili as a second language.
Indonesian is another similar example. With a 78% proportion of L2 speakers compared to total speakers, this variation on the Malay language has been used as the lingua franca across the islands for a long time. In contrast, only 17% of Mandarin speakers know it as a second language, perhaps because it is one of the most challenging languages to learn.
Keeping Language Traditions Alive
Languages are fluid, and constantly evolving—altogether, the 100 most spoken languages paint a unique picture across centuries of a changing world. Here’s the full list of these languages, by types of speakers and language origin.
Rank | Language | Total Speakers | Native Speakers | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | English | 1,132M | 379M | Indo-European |
2 | Mandarin Chinese | 1,117M | 918M | Sino-Tibetan |
3 | Hindi | 615M | 341M | Indo-European |
4 | Spanish | 534M | 460M | Indo-European |
5 | French | 280M | 77M | Indo-European |
6 | Standard Arabic | 274M | NA | Afro-Asiatic |
7 | Bengali | 265M | 228M | Indo-European |
8 | Russian | 258M | 154M | Indo-European |
9 | Portuguese | 234M | 221M | Indo-European |
10 | Indonesian | 199M | 43M | Austronesian |
11 | Urdu | 170M | 69M | Indo-European |
12 | Standard German | 132M | 76M | Indo-European |
13 | Japanese | 128M | 128M | Japanic |
14 | Swahili | 98M | 16M | Niger-Congo |
15 | Marathi | 95M | 83M | Indo-European |
16 | Telugu | 93M | 82M | Dravidian |
17 | Western Punjabi | 93M | 93M | Indo-European |
18 | Wu Chinese | 82M | 81M | Sino-Tibetan |
19 | Tamil | 81M | 75M | Dravidian |
20 | Turkish | 80M | 69M | Turkic |
21 | Korean | 77M | 77M | Koreanic |
22 | Vietnamese | 77M | 76M | Austronesian |
23 | Yue Chinese | 74M | 73M | Sino-Tibetan |
24 | Javanese | 68M | 68M | Austronesian |
25 | Italian | 68M | 65M | Indo-European |
26 | Egyptian Spoken Arabic | 65M | 65M | Afro-Asiatic |
27 | Hausa | 63M | 44M | Afro-Asiatic |
28 | Thai | 61M | 21M | Kra-Dai |
29 | Gujarati | 61M | 56M | Indo-European |
30 | Kannada | 56M | 44M | Dravidian |
31 | Iranian Persian | 53M | 53M | Indo-European |
32 | Bhojpuri | 52M | 52M | Indo-European |
33 | Southern Min Chinese | 50M | 50M | Sino-Tibetan |
34 | Hakka Chinese | 48M | 48M | Sino-Tibetan |
35 | Jinyu Chinese | 47M | 47M | Sino-Tibetan |
36 | Filipino | 45M | NA | Austronesian |
37 | Burmese | 43M | 33M | Sino-Tibetan |
38 | Polish | 40M | 40M | Indo-European |
39 | Yoruba | 40M | 38M | Niger-Congo |
40 | Odia | 38M | 34M | Indo-European |
41 | Malayalam | 38M | 37M | Dravidian |
42 | Xiang Chinese | 37M | 37M | Sino-Tibetan |
43 | Maithili | 34M | 34M | Indo-European |
44 | Ukrainian | 33M | 27M | Indo-European |
45 | Moroccan Spoken Arabic | 33M | 27M | Afro-Asiatic |
46 | Eastern Punjabi | 33M | 33M | Indo-European |
47 | Sunda | 32M | 32M | Austronesian |
48 | Algerian Spoken Arabic | 32M | 29M | Afro-Asiatic |
49 | Sudanese Spoken Arabic | 32M | 32M | Afro-Asiatic |
50 | Nigerian Pidgin | 30M | NA | Indo-European |
51 | Zulu | 28M | 12M | Niger-Congo |
52 | Igbo | 27M | 27M | Niger-Congo |
53 | Amharic | 26M | 22M | Afro-Asiatic |
54 | Northern Uzbek | 25M | 25M | Turkic |
55 | Sindhi | 25M | 25M | Indo-European |
56 | North Levantine Spoken Arabic | 25M | 25M | Afro-Asiatic |
57 | Nepali | 25M | 16M | Indo-European |
58 | Romanian | 24M | 24M | Indo-European |
59 | Tagalog | 24M | 24M | Austronesian |
60 | Dutch | 23M | 23M | Indo-European |
61 | Sa'idi Spoken Arabic | 22M | 22M | Afro-Asiatic |
62 | Gan Chinese | 22M | 22M | Sino-Tibetan |
63 | Northern Pashto | 21M | 21M | Indo-European |
64 | Magahi | 21M | 21M | Indo-European |
65 | Saraiki | 20M | 20M | Indo-European |
66 | Xhosa | 19M | 8M | Niger-Congo |
67 | Malay | 19M | 16M | Austronesian |
68 | Khmer | 18M | 17M | Austronesian |
69 | Afrikaans | 18M | 7M | Indo-European |
70 | Sinhala | 17M | 15M | Indo-European |
71 | Somali | 16M | 16M | Afro-Asiatic |
72 | Chhattisgarhi | 16M | 16M | Indo-European |
73 | Cebuano | 16M | 16M | Austronesian |
74 | Mesopotamian Spoken Arabic | 16M | 16M | Afro-Asiatic |
75 | Assamese | 15M | 15M | Indo-European |
76 | Northeastern Thai | 15M | 15M | Kra-Dai |
77 | Northern Kurdish | 15M | 15M | Indo-European |
78 | Hijazi Spoken Arabic | 15M | 15M | Afro-Asiatic |
79 | Nigerian Fulfulde | 14M | 14M | Niger-Congo |
80 | Bavarian | 14M | 14M | Indo-European |
81 | Bamanankan | 14M | 4M | Niger-Congo |
82 | South Azerbaijani | 14M | 14M | Turkic |
83 | Northern Sotho | 14M | 5M | Niger-Congo |
84 | Setswana | 14M | 6M | Niger-Congo |
85 | Souther Sotho | 14M | 6M | Niger-Congo |
86 | Czech | 13M | 11M | Indo-European |
87 | Greek | 13M | 13M | Indo-European |
88 | Chittagonian | 13M | 13M | Indo-European |
89 | Kazakh | 13M | 13M | Turkic |
90 | Swedish | 13M | 10M | Indo-European |
91 | Deccan | 13M | 13M | Indo-European |
92 | Hungarian | 13M | 13M | Uralic |
93 | Jula | 12M | 2M | Niger-Congo |
94 | Sadri | 12M | 5M | Indo-European |
95 | Kinyarwanda | 12M | 12M | Niger-Congo |
96 | Cameroonian Pidgin | 12M | NA | Indo-European |
97 | Sylheti | 12M | 10M | Indo-European |
98 | South Levantine Spoken Arabic | 12M | 12M | Afro-Asiatic |
99 | Tunisian Spoken Arabic | 12M | 12M | Afro-Asiatic |
100 | Sanaani Spoken Arabic | 11M | 11M | Afro-Asiatic |
One reason these languages are popular is that they are actively and consistently used. Unfortunately, nearly 3,000 (about 40%) of all languages are at risk of being lost, or are already in the process of dying out today.
Languages play a crucial role in our daily lives. … [Their] losses have huge negative impacts indigenous peoples’ most basic human rights.
—UN, IYoIL statement
As a result, the United Nations declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYoIL), with a resolution to continue fostering these languages and pass on their knowledge for future generations.
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Science
The Elemental Composition of the Human Body
Of the 118 chemical elements found on Earth, only 21 make up the human body. Here we break down the elemental composition of the average human.

The Elemental Composition of a Human Body
This was originally posted on Elements. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on natural resource megatrends in your email every week.
The human body is a miraculous, well-oiled, and exceptionally complex machine. It requires a multitude of functioning parts to come together for a person to live a healthy life—and every biological detail in our bodies, from the mundane to the most magical, is driven by just 21 chemical elements.
Of the 118 elements on Earth, just 21 of them are found in the human body. Together, they make up the medley of divergent molecules that combine to form our DNA, cells, tissues, and organs.
Based on data presented by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), in the above infographic, we have broken down a human body to its elemental composition and the percentages in which they exist.
These 21 elements can be categorized into three major blocks depending on the amount found in a human body, the main building block (4 elements), essential minerals (8 elements), and trace elements (9 elements).
The Elemental Four: Ingredients for Life
Four elements, namely, oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, are considered the most essential elements found in our body.
Oxygen is the most abundant element in the human body, accounting for approximately 61% of a person’s mass. Given that around 60-70% of the body is water, it is no surprise that oxygen and hydrogen are two of the body’s most abundantly found chemical elements. Along with carbon and nitrogen, these elements combine for 96% of the body’s mass.
Here is a look at the composition of the four elements of life:
Element | Weight of Body Mass (kg) | Percentage of Body Mass (%) |
---|---|---|
Oxygen | 43 kg | 61.4% |
Carbon | 16 kg | 22.9% |
Hydrogen | 7.0 kg | 10.0% |
Nitrogen | 1.8 kg | 2.6% |
Values are for an average human body weighing 70 kg.
Let’s take a look at how each of these four chemical elements contributes to the thriving functionality of our body:
Oxygen
Oxygen plays a critical role in the body’s metabolism, respiration, and cellular oxygenation. Oxygen is also found in every significant organic molecule in the body, including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and nucleic acids. It is a substantial component of everything from our cells and blood to our cerebral and spinal fluid.
Carbon
Carbon is the most crucial structural element and the reason we are known as carbon-based life forms. It is the basic building block required to form proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Breaking carbon bonds in carbohydrates and proteins is our primary energy source.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen, the most abundantly found chemical element in the universe, is present in all bodily fluids, allowing the toxins and waste to be transported and eliminated. With the help of hydrogen, joints in our body remain lubricated and able to perform their functions. Hydrogen is also said to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, helping improve muscle function.
Nitrogen
An essential component of amino acids used to build peptides and proteins is nitrogen. It is also an integral component of the nucleic acids DNA and RNA, the chemical backbone of our genetic information and genealogy.
Essential and Supplemental Minerals
Essential minerals are important for your body to stay healthy. Your body uses minerals for several processes, including keeping your bones, muscles, heart, and brain working properly. Minerals also control beneficial enzyme and hormone production.
Minerals like calcium are a significant component of our bones and are required for bone growth and development, along with muscle contractions. Phosphorus contributes to bone and tooth strength and is vital to metabolizing energy.
Here is a look at the elemental composition of essential minerals:
Element | Weight of Body Mass (g) | Percentage of Body Mass (%) |
---|---|---|
Calcium | 1000 g | 1.43% |
Phosphorus | 780 g | 1.11% |
Potassium | 140 g | 0.20% |
Sulphur | 140 g | 0.20% |
Chlorine | 100 g | 0.14% |
Sodium | 95 g | 0.14% |
Magnesium | 19 g | 0.03% |
Iron | 4.2 g | 0.01% |
Values are for an average human body weighing 70 kg.
Other macro-minerals like magnesium, potassium, iron, and sodium are essential for cell-to-cell communications, like electric transmissions that generate nerve impulses or heart rhythms, and are necessary for maintaining thyroid and bone health.
Excessive deficiency of any of these minerals can cause various disorders in your body. Most humans receive these minerals as a part of their daily diet, including vegetables, meat, legumes, and fruits. In case of deficiencies, though, these minerals are also prescribed as supplements.
Biological Composition of Trace Elements
Trace elements or trace metals are small amounts of minerals found in living tissues. Some of them are known to be nutritionally essential, while others may be considered to be nonessential. They are usually in minimal quantities in our body and make up only 1% of our mass.
Paramount among these are trace elements such as zinc, copper, manganese, and fluorine. Zinc works as a first responder against infections and thereby improves infection resistance, while balancing the immune response.
Here is the distribution of trace elements in our body:
Element | Weight of Body Mass (mg) | Percentage of Body Mass (%) |
---|---|---|
Fluorine | 2600 mg | 0.00371% |
Zinc | 2300 mg | 0.00328% |
Copper | 72 mg | 0.00010% |
Iodine | 13 mg | 0.00002% |
Manganese | 12 mg | 0.00002% |
Molybdenum | 9.5 mg | 0.00001% |
Selenium | 8 mg | 0.00001% |
Chromium | 6.6 mg | 0.00001% |
Cobalt | 1.5 mg | 0.000002% |
Values are for an average human body weighing 70 kg.
Even though only it’s found in trace quantities, copper is instrumental in forming red blood cells and keeping nerve cells healthy. It also helps form collagen, a crucial part of bones and connective tissue.
Even with constant research and studies performed to thoroughly understand these trace elements’ uses and benefits, scientists and researchers are constantly making new discoveries.
For example, recent research shows that some of these trace elements could be used to cure and fight chronic and debilitating diseases ranging from ischemia to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.
Misc
Iconic Infographic Map Compares the World’s Mountains and Rivers
This iconic infographic map is an early and ambitious attempt to compare the world’s tallest mountains and longest rivers.

Today, highly detailed maps of our planet’s surface are just a click away.
In times past, however, access to information was much more limited. It wasn’t until the 1800s that comparison diagrams and maps became widely accessible, and people found new ways to learn about the world around them.
The image above, published by J.H. Colton in 1849, is believed to be the first edition of the iconic mountains and rivers infographic map. This comparison chart concept would see a number of iterations over the years as it appeared in Colton’s world atlases.
Inspiring a Classic Infographic Map
A seminal example of this style of infographic was produced by Alexander von Humboldt in 1805. The diagram below is packed with information and shows geographical features in a way that was extremely novel at the time.
In 1817, the brothers William and Daniel Lizars produced the first comparative chart of the world’s mountains and rivers. Breaking up individual natural features into components for comparison was a very innovative approach at that time, and it was this early French language prototype that lead to the Colton’s versions we’re familiar with today.
Digging into the Details
As is obvious, even at first glance, there is a ton of detail packed into this infographic map.
Firstly, rivers are artificially straightened and neatly arranged in rows for easy comparison. Lakes, mountain ranges, and cities are all labeled along the way. This unique comparison brings cities like New Orleans and Cairo side by side.
Of course, this visualization was based on the best available data at the time. Today, the Nile is widely considered to be the world’s longest river, followed by the Amazon and Yangtze.
Over on the mountain side, there are more details to take in. The visualization includes volcanic activity, notes on vegetation, and even the altitude of selected cities and towns.
Above are a few of South America’s high-altitude population centers, including La Paz, which is the highest-elevation capital city in the world.
In the legend, many of the mountains are simply named “peak”. While this generic labeling might seem like a throwback to a time when the world was still being explored, it’s worth noting that today’s second tallest mountain is still simply referred to as K2.
What details do you notice while exploring this iconic infographic map?
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