<Li> Second, there is no single criterion for how much knowledge is sufficient to be counted as a second - language speaker . For example, English has about 400 million native speakers but, depending on the criterion chosen, can be said to have as many as 2 billion speakers . </Li> <P> The following 25 languages are listed as having 50 million or more total speakers in the 2017 edition of Ethnologue, a language reference published by SIL International based in the United States (although Ethnologue also lists more than only these 25 languages as having 50 million or more total speakers, e.g., the Wikipedia page for the Tagalog language reports 70 + million speakers by as early as 2000 and 73 + million speakers by 2013: 28 million L1 speakers as of 2007 and 45 million L2 speakers as of 2013; these are largely based on Ethnologue reports and would, e.g., unless further updated, rank it as the language with the 26th most L1 speakers, the 13th most L2 speakers, and the 23rd most speakers in total). Speaker totals are generally not reliable, as they add together estimates from different dates and (usually uncited) sources; language information is not collected on most national censuses . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Rank </Th> <Th> Language </Th> <Th> Ethnologue </Th> <Th> Family </Th> <Th> L1 speakers </Th> <Th> L1 Rank </Th> <Th> L2 speakers </Th> <Th> L2 Rank </Th> <Th> Total </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Mandarin Chinese (incl . Standard Chinese) </Td> <Td> cmn </Td> <Td> Sino - Tibetan, Sinitic </Td> <Td> 960 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 193 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1.15 billion </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> English </Td> <Td> eng </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Germanic </Td> <Td> 400 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 660 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1.06 billion </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Spanish </Td> <Td> spa </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Romance </Td> <Td> 570 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 91 million </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 661 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Hindustani (Hindi / Urdu) </Td> <Td> hin urd </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Indo - Aryan </Td> <Td> 329 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 215 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 544 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> Arabic </Td> <Td> ara </Td> <Td> Afro - Asiatic, Semitic </Td> <Td> 290 million (2017) </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> 132 million </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> 422 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Malay (incl . Indonesian and Malaysian) </Td> <Td> msa </Td> <Td> Austronesian, Malayo - Polynesian </Td> <Td> 77 million (2007) </Td> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> 204 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 281 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Russian </Td> <Td> rus </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Slavic </Td> <Td> 153 million </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 113 million (2010) </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> 267 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> Bengali </Td> <Td> ben </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Indo - Aryan </Td> <Td> 242 million </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> 19 million in Bangladesh (2011) </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> 261 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Portuguese </Td> <Td> por </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Romance </Td> <Td> 218 million </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> 11 million </Td> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> 229 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> French </Td> <Td> fra </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Romance </Td> <Td> 76 million </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> 153 million </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> 229 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Hausa </Td> <Td> hau </Td> <Td> Afro - Asiatic, Chadic </Td> <Td> 85 million </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> 65 million </Td> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> 150 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> Punjabi </Td> <Td> lah </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Indo - Aryan </Td> <Td> 148 million </Td> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 148 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> German </Td> <Td> deu </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Germanic </Td> <Td> 76 million </Td> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> 52 million </Td> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> 129 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Japanese </Td> <Td> jpn </Td> <Td> Japonic </Td> <Td> 128 million </Td> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> 1 million (2010) </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> 129 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> Persian </Td> <Td> fas </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Iranian </Td> <Td> 60 million (2009) </Td> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> 61 million </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> 121 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> Swahili </Td> <Td> swa </Td> <Td> Niger--Congo, Bantu </Td> <Td> 16 million </Td> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> 91 million </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 107 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> Telugu </Td> <Td> tel </Td> <Td> Dravidian </Td> <Td> 80 million (2011) </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> 12 million in India (2011) </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> 92 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> Italian </Td> <Td> ita </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Romance </Td> <Td> 63 million </Td> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> 24 million </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> 87 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> Javanese </Td> <Td> jav </Td> <Td> Austronesian, Malayo - Polynesian </Td> <Td> 84 million (2000) </Td> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 84 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> Wu Chinese (incl . Shanghainese) </Td> <Td> wuu </Td> <Td> Sino - Tibetan, Chinese </Td> <Td> 80 million (2013) </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 80 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> Korean </Td> <Td> kor </Td> <Td> Koreanic </Td> <Td> 77 million (2008--2010) </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 77 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> Tamil </Td> <Td> tam </Td> <Td> Dravidian </Td> <Td> 67 million (2001) </Td> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> 8 million in India </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> 75 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> Marathi </Td> <Td> mar </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Indo - Aryan </Td> <Td> 71 million (2001) </Td> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> 3 million in India </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> 74 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Yue Chinese (incl . Cantonese) </Td> <Td> yue </Td> <Td> Sino - Tibetan, Chinese </Td> <Td> 72 million </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> 72 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> Vietnamese </Td> <Td> vie </Td> <Td> Austroasiatic, Viet--Muong </Td> <Td> 68 million </Td> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 68 million </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Rank </Th> <Th> Language </Th> <Th> Ethnologue </Th> <Th> Family </Th> <Th> L1 speakers </Th> <Th> L1 Rank </Th> <Th> L2 speakers </Th> <Th> L2 Rank </Th> <Th> Total </Th> </Tr>

List of the most spoken languages in the world 2017
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