<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 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 . 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> Family </Th> <Th> L1 speakers </Th> <Th> L1 Rank </Th> <Th> L2 speakers </Th> <Th> L2 Rank </Th> <Th> Total </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Mandarin Chinese (incl . Standard Chinese) </Td> <Td> Sino - Tibetan, Sinitic </Td> <Td> 897 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 193 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1.09 billion </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> English </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Germanic </Td> <Td> 371 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 611 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 983 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> Hindustani (Hindi / Urdu) </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> <Th> </Th> <Td> Spanish </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Romance </Td> <Td> 436 million </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 91 million </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 527 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 5 </Th> <Td> Arabic </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> <Th> 6 </Th> <Td> Malay (incl . Indonesian and Malaysian) </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> <Th> 7 </Th> <Td> Russian </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> <Th> 8 </Th> <Td> Bengali </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> <Th> 9 </Th> <Td> Portuguese </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> <Th> 10 </Th> <Td> French </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> <Th> 11 </Th> <Td> Hausa </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> <Th> 12 </Th> <Td> Punjabi </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Indo - Aryan </Td> <Td> 148 million </Td> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 148 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 13 </Th> <Td> Japanese </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> <Th> 14 </Th> <Td> German </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> <Th> 15 </Th> <Td> Persian </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> <Th> 16 </Th> <Td> Swahili </Td> <Td> Niger--Congo language, Coastal Tanzanian, Bantu </Td> <Td> 16 million </Td> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> 91 million </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 107 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 17 </Th> <Td> Telugu </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> <Th> 18 </Th> <Td> Javanese </Td> <Td> Austronesian, Malayo - Polynesian </Td> <Td> 84 million (2000) </Td> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 84 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 19 </Th> <Td> Wu Chinese (incl . Shanghainese) </Td> <Td> Sino - Tibetan, Chinese </Td> <Td> 80 million (2013) </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 80 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 20 </Th> <Td> Korean </Td> <Td> Koreanic </Td> <Td> 77 million (2008--2010) </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 77 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 21 </Th> <Td> Tamil </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> <Th> 22 </Th> <Td> Marathi </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> <Th> 23 </Th> <Td> Yue Chinese (incl . Cantonese) </Td> <Td> Sino - Tibetan, Chinese </Td> <Td> 72 million </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 72 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 24 </Th> <Td> Turkish </Td> <Td> Turkic, Oghuz </Td> <Td> 71 million </Td> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> <1 million </Td> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> 71 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 25 </Th> <Td> Vietnamese </Td> <Td> Austroasiatic, Viet--Muong </Td> <Td> 68 million </Td> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td>? </Td> <Td> 68 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> 26 </Th> <Td> Italian </Td> <Td> Indo - European, Romance </Td> <Td> 63 million </Td> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> 3 million </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> 66 million </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Rank </Th> <Th> Language </Th> <Th> Family </Th> <Th> L1 speakers </Th> <Th> L1 Rank </Th> <Th> L2 speakers </Th> <Th> L2 Rank </Th> <Th> Total </Th> </Tr>

Most spoken languages in the world 2017 list
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