Visualizing All the Global Endangered Languages
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Almost half of the world’s approximately 7,000 signed and spoken languages are currently endangered.
This graphic, from Stephen Jones, CEO of Derivation.co, examines the current global landscape of languages that could become extinct.
Almost 90 million Speak Languages at Risk of Extinction
An extinct language is one that no longer has any first-language or second-language speakers.
In modern times, languages have usually become extinct due to cultural assimilation, leading to language shift, and the gradual abandonment of a native language in favor of a foreign language, primarily those of European countries.
For instance, numerous Native American languages were supplanted by English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, or Dutch due to European colonization of the Americas.
Currently, out of the world’s 7,168 living languages, 3,078 (43%) are classified as Endangered. Over 88 million people speak languages at risk of extinction.
| Locations | Endangered Languages |
|---|---|
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 425 |
| 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | 312 |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 190 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | 180 |
| 🇨🇳 China | 133 |
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 128 |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 124 |
| 🇮🇳 India | 114 |
| 🇧🇷 Brazil | 107 |
| 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 83 |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 82 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | 66 |
| 🇳🇵 Nepal | 62 |
| 🇷🇺 Russian Federation | 62 |
| 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | 55 |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | 48 |
| 🇵🇪 Peru | 43 |
| 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 40 |
| 🇸🇩 Sudan | 39 |
| 🇨🇴 Colombia | 37 |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | 36 |
| 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo | 34 |
| 🇳🇨 New Caledonia | 30 |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 29 |
| 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 25 |
| 🌐 Rest of the world | 594 |
| Total | 3078 |
Additionally, 100 of them face the genuine threat of extinction within a few decades if no action is taken.
While every language matters to the individuals speaking, writing, and signing them across the planet, 80% of endangered languages (2,484) exist within just 25 countries.
Of those, the top four countries alone – Indonesia (425), Papua New Guinea (312), Australia (190), and the U.S. (180) – account for well over a thousand endangered languages.
Just as during the colonization period, the majority of endangered languages are spoken in Indigenous communities, putting their inherent culture and knowledge at risk of loss.
Languages, however, can be revitalized.
Over the last 50 years, for example, government support to teach native languages in schools has helped increase the number of speakers of the Māori language in New Zealand, and Hawaiian in the American state.
Advancements in AI are also providing tools to preserve languages.
This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Culture
Ranked: The World’s Most Spoken Languages by Total Speakers
More than 1.5 billion people speak English, but just 26% of them are native-speakers.
Published
23 hours ago
on
December 25, 2025
The Most Spoken Languages: Native vs. Non-Native Speakers
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Key Takeaways
- English is the most spoken language globally, with over 1.5 billion total speakers.
- Mandarin Chinese has the largest number of native speakers, nearing 1 billion.
- Only about 26% of English speakers are native speakers, highlighting its position as a global second language.
Language plays a central role in shaping global communication, culture, and economic exchange. While some languages dominate due to large native-speaking populations, others achieve global reach through widespread adoption as a second language.
This infographic compares the native and non-native usage of the world’s most spoken languages in 2025, using data from Ethnologue.
The World’s Most Spoken First and Second Languages
English is the most spoken language with approximately 1.53 billion speakers worldwide.
However, just 390 million people speak English as their first language, meaning nearly 75% of English speakers use it as a second language, making it the dominant global lingua franca across industries and professions.
The table below shows native and non-native speaker counts for the world’s most spoken languages in 2025:
| Language | Native speakers (millions) | Non-native speakers (millions) | Total speakers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 390 | 1,138 | 1,528 |
| Mandarin Chinese | 990 | 194 | 1,184 |
| Hindi | 345 | 264 | 609 |
| Spanish | 484 | 74 | 558 |
In total, about 18.8% of the world’s population speaks English, but only a quarter of those are native speakers.
Mandarin Chinese ranks second with roughly 1.18 billion speakers. In contrast to English, Mandarin is primarily spoken as a first language, with more than 83% of its speakers being native.
Hindi and Spanish follow as the next most spoken languages worldwide. Hindi has around 609 million speakers, split more evenly between native and non-native usage due to India’s multilingual population.
Spanish stands out as one of the most widely spoken native languages globally, with nearly 87% of its speakers using it as their first language. Spoken Spanish is concentrated across Spain, Latin America, and parts of the United States.
Learn More on the Voronoi App 
If you enjoyed today’s post, explore more language and culture insights on Voronoi, including The Most Used Languages on the Internet.
Culture
Mapped: Countries That Work on December 25th
In Taiwan, December 25th is a public holiday for Constitution Day, not Christmas.
Published
2 days ago
on
December 24, 2025
Countries That Work on December 25th
See visuals like this from many other data creators on our Voronoi app. Download it for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Key Takeaways
- While Christmas is widely celebrated, dozens of countries around the world treat December 25th as a normal workday.
- A combination of religious, cultural, and political factors shape whether Christmas is recognized as a public holiday.
Christmas Day is often viewed as a near-universal public holiday. In many parts of the world, December 25th brings nationwide closures, family gatherings, and religious observances.
Across Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, however, millions of people still go to work on December 25th as if it were any other day.
The data for this visualization comes from World Population Review. It highlights countries where Christmas is not recognized as a public holiday, meaning government offices, schools, and businesses typically remain open.
Where Christmas Is Not a Day Off
Countries that do not observe Christmas as a public holiday span multiple regions and belief systems. They include Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bhutan, China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau), Iran, Israel, Japan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, Vietnam, and Yemen, among others.
| Country | Aprox. Population (2025) |
|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China (excl. HK & Macau) | 1.41 billion |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 123 million |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 101 million |
| 🇮🇷 Iran | 90 million |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | 86 million |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 71 million |
| 🇩🇿 Algeria | 46 million |
| 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 43 million |
| 🇲🇦 Morocco | 38 million |
| 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 37 million |
| 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | 36 million |
| 🇾🇪 Yemen | 35 million |
| 🇰🇵 North Korea | 26 million |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 23 million |
| 🇸🇴 Somalia | 18 million |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 17 million |
| 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 12 million |
| 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | 11 million |
| 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | 10 million |
| 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 10 million |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | 10 million |
| 🇱🇾 Libya | 7 million |
| 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan | 6 million |
| 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 5 million |
| 🇴🇲 Oman | 5 million |
| 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 4 million |
| 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 3 million |
| 🇶🇦 Qatar | 3 million |
| 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 2 million |
| 🇰🇲 Comoros | 1 million |
| 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 800,000 |
| 🇪🇭 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic | 600,000 |
| 🇲🇻 Maldives | 500,000 |
In many of these nations, Christianity is not the dominant religion, and public holidays instead reflect Islamic, Buddhist, or secular traditions.
Celebration vs. Public Recognition
Not recognizing Christmas as a public holiday does not necessarily mean it is banned or ignored. In several countries, Christian minorities are still free to celebrate privately or through church services. Workers may take personal leave if permitted, and festive traditions may persist in limited forms.
Taiwan presents a unique example. December 25th is a public holiday, but not because of Christmas—it marks Constitution Day. As a result, most people have the day off, even though Christmas itself is not the official reason.
Turkey, meanwhile, currently does not recognize any Christian religious holidays at the national level. However, in December 2025, Syriac member of parliament George Aryo proposed legislation to make Christmas an official public holiday, citing multiculturalism and equal citizenship.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The world’s top 10 spoken languages in 1996 versus 2025 on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.