Ranked: Duolingo’s Most Popular Languages in Every Country in 2024

Ranked: Duolingo’s Most Popular Languages in Every Country

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About half of the world’s population speaks at least two languages.

Learning a second language is a valuable endeavor, improving cognitive function, social awareness, and providing more career opportunities.

But what languages are people around the world trying to learn, and how does it differ from country to country?

We map the most popular languages studied on Duolingo from their 2024 language report.

The Most Popular Languages For Learning

English is the number #1 ranked language on Duolingo in 134 different countries. It is also the most prominent language on the planet, with approximately 1.5 billion speakers.

Browse the below table to see the top language and second-most popular language in every country Duolingo is available in.

Aside from English, other popular languages include Spanish (#1 in 33 countries) and French (#1 in 16 countries). But there’s clearly an overwhelming preference.

According to Duolingo research, the top reasons people learn English are to support their education, connect with others, and boost their careers.

English’s journey to become the dominant global language goes all the way back to British colonialism that spread it around the world. Back then, other languages—also part of empires—competed for lingua franca status, like French and Spanish.

However, with the Industrial Revolution, English gained economic influence, and after the U.S. emerged as a global superpower, it became the preferred language for trade.

American cultural exports—Hollywood movies, music, clothing brands—also increased the language’s prominence.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

Everyone may want to learn English but there is incredible language diversity in the world, even within nations. Check out: The Number of Living Languages Spoken in Each Country for a quick overview.