5 Most Spoken Second Languages in the World

In this article, we will look at the 5 most spoken second languages in the world. If you want to read our detailed analysis of the global translation services market, you can directly go to the 25 Most Spoken Second Languages in the World. 

5. Urdu

Number of Speakers as a Second Language: 161,162,800

Making it to the top 5 on our list is Urdu. It is spoken as a second language by over 161 million people around the globe. Urdu belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family and is the official language of Pakistan. 

4. Mandarin Chinese

Number of Speakers as a Second Language: 198,985,000

Ranking 4th on our list with over 198 million second-language speakers is the Mandarin dialect of the Chinese language. Mandarin is the most common dialect spoken in China and Taiwan.

3. French

Number of Speakers as a Second Language: 229,034,030

French is the 3rd most spoken second language in the world and is spoken by over 229 million people as a second language. While it is the official language of France and a number of other nations, it is also a common official language for international organizations such as the International Olympic Committee.

2. Hindi

Number of Speakers as a Second Language: 264,803,900

Divided based on two regions, Eastern and Western, Hindi is the most common language spoken in India and is the 2nd most spoken second language in the world. It resembles Urdu’s dialect and vocabulary and belongs to the Indo-Aryan language family.

1. English

Number of Speakers as a Second Language: 1,076,766,120

With over a billion people speaking English as a second language around the globe, English ranks at the top of our list. English is recognized as the International business language and the dominant language in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. 

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