| Language | Approx. number of speakers |
|---|---|
| 1. Chinese (Mandarin) | 1,075,000,000 |
| 2. English | 514,000,000 |
| 3. Hindustani1 | 496,000,000 |
| 4. Spanish | 425,000,000 |
| 5. Russian | 275,000,000 |
| 6. Arabic | 256,000,000 |
| 7. Bengali | 215,000,000 |
| 8. Portuguese | 194,000,000 |
| 9. Malay-Indonesian | 176,000,000 |
| 10. French | 129,000,000 |
Source: Ethnologue, 13th Edition, and other sources.
1. Encompasses multiple dialects, including Hindi and Urdu.
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