* Varying Definitions of "First Language": What constitutes a "first language" is open to interpretation. Does it mean the language someone learned first? The language they are most proficient in? The language they use most often?
* Language Proficiency Levels: Even if we agree on a definition of "first language," how do we measure proficiency? Do we count those who speak German fluently, or those who have basic knowledge?
* Data Collection Challenges: Accurate data on language use across Europe is challenging to collect, and different sources may use different methodologies.
However, we can provide some estimates:
* Germany: With approximately 83 million people, it's estimated that around 75 million speak German as their native language.
* Austria: With around 9 million people, about 8.5 million speak German as their native language.
* Switzerland: With around 8.7 million people, about 6.5 million speak German as their native language.
* Other German-speaking countries: This includes Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and some parts of Italy, Belgium, and France. It's estimated that several million people in these areas speak German as their native language.
Overall, a conservative estimate for the number of people in Europe who speak German as their first language would be around 90 million. However, the actual number could be higher.
It's important to note that this is just an estimate. The actual number may vary depending on the definition of "first language" and the data sources used.