* Defining "speak German": Do we mean native speakers? Fluent speakers? People who understand some German? This can change the numbers significantly.
* Accurate data: It's hard to get reliable data on language spoken globally, especially for smaller language groups.
* Constant change: Language use changes over time due to migration, globalization, and other factors.
However, we can give some estimates based on available data:
* Native speakers: Around 130 million people worldwide speak German as their native language. This makes German the 11th most spoken language in the world.
* Total speakers: Depending on the source, the number of people who speak German at any level ranges from 130 million to 200 million.
* Percentage of the world population: This would be about 1.6% to 2.5% of the world population, assuming a global population of around 8 billion.
Therefore, while an exact percentage is hard to pin down, it's safe to say that a relatively small percentage of the world population speaks German, but it remains a significant language due to its historical importance and cultural influence.