WHICH COUNTRIES SPEAK ENGLISH

English originated in Britain back in the 5th century. The most significant spread of modern English throughout the world was facilitated by the ever-expanding British Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. That is why English is today the de jure or de facto official language in major former British colonies such as India, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the United States.

Then during the twentieth century, especially after World War II, the United States emerged as a major superpower. Largely due to the geopolitical influence of the state, combined with Hollywood show business, the development of American entrepreneurship, and the journalistic work of the British Broadcasting Corporation, there was a further spread of the language around the world.

In 2024, more than two billion people speak English. In terms of reach of all inhabitants of the planet, it is the third, after Chinese and Spanish. But when you combine native and non-native speakers, English is the most widely spoken language in the world. In addition, for millions of people from all corners of the globe, learning English is associated with opportunity and an improved quality of life.

Next, let's highlight the countries that speak English.

ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES – CURRENT LISTSM

COUNTRIES WITH ENGLISH AS THE DE FACTO OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

â„– COUNTRY LOCATION POPULATION (MILLIONS) MAIN LANGUAGE
1. Australia Oceania 25 Yes
2. New Zealand Oceania 4,9 Yes
3. UK Europe 66 Yes
4. United States North America 328,2 Yes

COUNTRIES WHERE ENGLISH IS THE DE FACTO AND DE JURE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

â„– COUNTRY LOCATION POPULATION (MILLIONS) MAIN LANGUAGE
1. Antigua and Barbuda North America 0.085 Yes
2. Bahamas North America 0.331 Yes
3. Barbados North America 0.294 Yes
4. Belize North America 0.288 Yes
5. Botswana Africa 1,882 No
6. Burundi Africa 10,1 No
7. Vanutau Oceania 0.226 No
8. Guyana South America 0.738 Yes
9. Gambia Africa 1,709 No
10. Ghana Africa 27 Yes
11. Grenada North America 0.111 Yes
12. Dominica North America 0.073 Yes
13. Zambia Africa 16,212 No
14. Zimbabwe Africa 13,061 No
15. India Asia 1,247,540 No
16. Ireland Europe 4,9 Yes
17. Cameroon Africa 22,5 No
18. Canada North America 36 Yes (partially)
19. Kenya Africa 45,001 Yes
20. Kiribati Oceania 0.095 No
21. Lesotho Africa 2,008 No
22. Liberia Africa 3,750 Yes
23. Mauritius Africa 1,262 No
24. Malawi Africa 16,407 No
25. Malta Europe 0.430 No
26. Marshall Islands Oceania 0.059 No
27. Micronesia Oceania 0.110 No
28. Namibia Africa 2,074 No
29. Nauru Oceania 0.010 No
30. Nigeria Africa 182,202 Yes
31. Pakistan Asia 212,743 No
32. Palau Oceania 0.020 No
33. Papua New Guinea Oceania 7,060 Yes
34. Rwanda Africa 11,263 No
35. Samoa Oceania 0.188 No
36. Seychelles Africa 0.087 No
37. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines North America 0.120 Yes
38. Saint Kitts and Nevis North America 0.050 Yes (partially)
39. Saint Lucia North America 0.165 Yes
40. Singapore Asia 5,470 Yes
41. Solomon Islands Oceania 0.507 Yes
42. Sudan Africa 40,235 No
43. Sierra Leone Africa 6,190 Yes
44. Tanzania Africa 51,820 No
45. Tonga Oceania 0.100 No
46. Trinidad and Tobago North America 1,133 Yes
47. Tuvalu Oceania 0.011 No
48. Uganda Africa 37,873 No
49. Fiji Oceania 0.828 Yes
50. Philippines Asia 102,885 No
51. Eswatini Africa 1,141 No
52. South Africa 54,957 Yes
53. South Sudan Africa 12,340 No
54. Jamaica North America 2,714 Yes (partially)

Note. Only sovereign/recognized states are included in the lists.

Finally, we note that Russian, with over 150 million speakers, is the eighth most spoken language in the world, after Chinese, Spanish, English, Hindi, Arabic, Bengali and Portuguese.

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