While Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers globally, English is spoken as a second language by far more people. Estimates vary, but it's generally agreed that there are around 1.5 billion non-native English speakers worldwide.
This is due to a number of factors, including:
* Global influence: English is the dominant language of international business, diplomacy, science, and popular culture.
* Colonial history: Many countries around the world were colonized by English-speaking nations, leading to English becoming an official language.
* Education: English is often taught as a foreign language in schools worldwide.
While the exact number is difficult to determine, it's clear that English has a huge number of non-native speakers, making it the most widely spoken language globally.