5 Most Spoken Languages in the World in 2024

In this article, we will take a look at the 5 most spoken languages in the world in 2024. If you would like to read our discussion on the language services market, you can go to the 30 Most Spoken Languages in the World in 2024.

5. French

Total Speakers: 274.1 million

French is one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, and 29 other countries, including Haiti and Rwanda. Over 40% of its vocabulary has influenced the English language. French has its origins in Gallo-Romance, a derivative of Latin that was spoken in Gaul, particularly in Northern Gaul. Its most closely related languages are the ones that were traditionally spoken in northern France and southern Belgium. The development of French was also shaped by the influence of native Celtic languages in Northern Roman Gaul, such as Gallia Belgica, as well as the Frankish language spoken by the post-Roman Frankish invaders.