While Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers, English boasts a significantly larger number of people who speak it as a second language.
Here's a breakdown:
* English: Around 1.5 billion non-native speakers. This is due to its widespread use in global trade, education, and media.
* Mandarin Chinese: Estimated 1 billion native speakers, but significantly fewer non-native speakers.
* Hindi: Around 600 million native speakers, with a relatively smaller number of non-native speakers.
* Spanish: Around 500 million native speakers, with a large number of non-native speakers.
* Arabic: Around 400 million native speakers, with a significant number of non-native speakers.
This dominance in the number of non-native speakers makes English a truly global language.