By Native Speakers:
1. Mandarin Chinese: Over 1 billion native speakers
2. Hindi: Over 600 million native speakers
3. English: Over 370 million native speakers
4. Spanish: Over 500 million native speakers
5. Arabic: Over 300 million native speakers
6. Bengali: Over 250 million native speakers
7. Russian: Over 150 million native speakers
8. Portuguese: Over 250 million native speakers
9. Urdu: Over 170 million native speakers
10. Japanese: Over 120 million native speakers
By Total Speakers (including native and non-native):
1. Mandarin Chinese: Over 1.1 billion speakers
2. English: Over 1.5 billion speakers
3. Hindi: Over 600 million speakers
4. Spanish: Over 500 million speakers
5. Arabic: Over 400 million speakers
6. Bengali: Over 250 million speakers
7. Russian: Over 250 million speakers
8. Portuguese: Over 250 million speakers
9. Indonesian: Over 200 million speakers
10. Urdu: Over 170 million speakers
Important Notes:
* Dialect vs. Language: It's important to note that there is often debate about what constitutes a distinct language versus a dialect. For example, Mandarin Chinese is considered a single language but has many distinct dialects.
* Fluency vs. Proficiency: The number of speakers can also vary depending on how "speaker" is defined. Someone may be considered a speaker if they have basic proficiency, while others may only count those who are fluent.
* Global Impact: While English is not the most spoken language in terms of native speakers, it is the most widely spoken language in the world overall due to its global influence in business, technology, media, and education.
This information can help you understand the global distribution of languages and their influence on different cultures and societies.