* No official definition of "speakers": Do we count those who speak it fluently, those who understand it but don't speak it, or everyone who has ever been exposed to it?
* Continuum, not a divide: English is a global language with many regional variations, and the distinction between British and American English is more of a continuum than a sharp divide.
* Shifting demographics: The number of speakers is constantly changing due to factors like population growth, migration, and language acquisition.
However, we can provide some estimates:
* British English: About 67 million people live in the UK. While not everyone speaks English as their first language, the vast majority do.
* American English: About 330 million people live in the US. The majority of them speak English as their first language.
* Global English: Over 1.5 billion people worldwide speak English, making it the most widely spoken language.
Therefore, while we cannot give precise figures for British English and American English speakers, we know that hundreds of millions of people worldwide use these varieties. It's important to remember that this number is constantly fluctuating and that English is spoken in many other variations beyond these two major ones.