10 Countries with the Most Spoken Languages in the World

Language is one of humanity's most defining characteristics, a living, breathing expression of culture, history, geography, and identity. Across the globe, an estimated 7,170 living languages are spoken today, according to Ethnologue's 2024 database. Yet these languages are not distributed evenly.

Some countries are home to hundreds, even over eight hundred, distinct languages, while others get by with just one or two.

This article explores the ten countries with the most spoken languages, ranked by the number of living languages documented within their borders, drawing on the latest data from Ethnologue, Our World in Data, and other authoritative linguistic sources.

Papua New Guinea ranks first by a significant margin, with over 840 living languages, more than 10% of the world’s total. With a population of about 9.4 million people, this translates to roughly one language for every 11,000 residents.

This extraordinary diversity is largely due to geography and history. The island’s rugged mountains, dense forests, and isolated valleys allowed communities to develop independently for tens of thousands of years.

Without early centralised political control to impose a dominant tongue, languages evolved separately. While English, Tok Pisin, and Hiri Motu serve as official languages, many smaller indigenous languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers and are endangered.

Indonesia is home to between 700 and 721 languages. As the world’s largest archipelago, with about 17,500 islands, geographic separation played a key role in fostering linguistic diversity.

Although Bahasa Indonesia serves as the national language and unifying force, regional languages such as Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese, and Balinese remain widely spoken. Bahasa Indonesia functions primarily as a lingua franca, spoken by over 140 million people as a second language, helping maintain cohesion across this highly diverse nation.

Nigeria ranks third, with between 517 and 538 languages. As Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria’s linguistic landscape reflects centuries of migration, trade, and cultural interaction.

Major language families include Niger-Congo, Afro-Asiatic, and Nilo-Saharan. Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo are among the most widely spoken indigenous languages. English serves as the official language, largely due to colonial history, but Nigerian Pidgin has become a widely used informal lingua franca across urban centres.

India hosts approximately 456 to 459 living languages. Its linguistic complexity is rooted in millennia of civilisation, migration, and empire-building.

India’s languages belong primarily to the Indo-European and Dravidian families, with additional Austro-Asiatic and Sino-Tibetan groups. Hindi and English function as official languages at the federal level, while individual states recognise their own official languages. Despite constitutional protections, many smaller tribal languages remain endangered.

The United States surprises many by ranking fifth, with between 328 and 364 living languages. English dominates nationally, and Spanish is the second most spoken language, but immigration has introduced a wide range of languages, including Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Korean.

The country is also home to over 200 Indigenous languages, such as Navajo and Cherokee. Many of these are critically endangered, though revitalisation efforts are underway. Major urban centres like New York City are among the most linguistically diverse places on Earth.

Australia records around 319 living languages. Prior to European colonisation, hundreds of Aboriginal languages were spoken across the continent. Today, only about 120 remain in use, many with very small speaker populations.

Modern immigration has added Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Italian, and Greek to the country’s linguistic landscape. While English dominates public life, efforts to preserve Indigenous languages continue through documentation and educational programmes.

Mexico is home to roughly 287 to 295 languages. Although Spanish is spoken nationwide, Mexico officially recognises 68 Indigenous language groups.

Languages such as Nahuatl, Yucatec Maya, Mixtec, and Zapotec remain widely spoken in certain regions. The 2003 General Law of Linguistic Rights granted Indigenous languages the same legal status as Spanish, marking a major step in preservation efforts.

Cameroon is often called “Africa in miniature” due to its cultural and geographic diversity. With approximately 278 to 280 languages, Cameroon is one of the most linguistically varied countries on the continent.

English and French are official languages, reflecting colonial history. However, hundreds of Indigenous languages, including Fulfulde, Ewondo, and Duala, remain central to community identity. Cameroonian Pidgin is widely spoken in urban areas.

China has between 297 and 302 living languages. While Mandarin (Putonghua) is the official language and widely promoted, the country contains significant regional linguistic diversity.

Major language groups include Cantonese, Wu, Min, Hakka, and Gan. Additionally, China recognises over 50 ethnic minority groups, many with distinct languages such as Tibetan, Uyghur, and Mongolian. However, language shift toward Mandarin continues among younger generations.

Brazil completes the top ten with approximately 217 to 228 languages. Portuguese is nearly universal, but numerous Indigenous languages survive, particularly in the Amazon region.

Languages such as Tikuna and Guarani maintain sizable communities. Immigrant populations have also preserved German, Italian, and Japanese linguistic enclaves, especially in southern Brazil.