Here are some ways to approach it:
* Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein: These are the countries where German is the official language. Their combined population is around 100 million (as of 2023).
* Luxembourg: German is one of the official languages here, though it's less widely spoken than French.
* Other regions with significant German-speaking populations: This includes parts of Belgium, Italy (South Tyrol), and some regions in Eastern Europe. These populations vary greatly.
* German speakers worldwide: If we include all people who speak German as a native or second language, the number jumps to over 130 million, according to estimates.
Therefore, it's more accurate to say that over 100 million people live in countries where German is an official language, and over 130 million speak German worldwide.