Here's a breakdown of some factors:
* Native speakers: This includes people who speak German as their first language. According to estimates, there are around 80-100 million native German speakers worldwide.
* L2 speakers: These are individuals who learned German as a second language. There are millions of people around the world who speak German at varying levels of proficiency.
* Total speakers: This includes both native and L2 speakers. The total number of German speakers is estimated to be around 130 million, but this is just an approximation.
Important factors to consider:
* Regional variations: The number of German speakers varies greatly depending on the region. Germany itself has the most, followed by Austria and Switzerland. There are also significant German-speaking populations in other countries like Belgium, Luxembourg, and Italy.
* Language dialects: German has various dialects, some of which are not mutually intelligible with standard German. This adds complexity to defining the number of speakers.
* Immigration and language shift: Over time, language usage can change due to immigration, assimilation, and language shift.
In summary: Providing an exact number of German speakers is difficult due to the complexities of defining who counts as a speaker. However, estimates suggest that there are around 130 million people worldwide who speak German, including both native and non-native speakers.