How many people speak German worldwide?

[shobhak]

How many people speak German worldwide?

German, being one of Europe's most commonly spoken languages, is natively spoken by more than 100 million people all over the globe. It is mostly the national language of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg. Belgium and a portion of Italy (the South Tyrol) also have native German-speaking inhabitants. Altogether, there are approximately 76 to 78 million native German speakers.

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Still, if we include second-language speakers, the number of people that can speak German increases significantly. German is learned as a second language by a large number of people in Poland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic due to historical, geographic, or economic reasons connected to German-speaking nations. As a matter of fact, German is the foreign language most studied in Europe after English. This makes the total figure of German speakers 120 to 130 million people worldwide.

German as a Global Language
The German impact is not limited to Europe alone. As a result of migration, economic links, and past influence, there are also significant German-speaking populations in other parts of the globe, such as the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. German migrants to these nations took the language with them, and consequently, there are more than 1 million German speakers in the United States alone, a large proportion of whom are offspring of 19th and 20th-century migrants.

In terms of global ranking, German is the 11th most spoken language in the world when considering both native and second-language speakers. It holds significant importance in fields like philosophy, science, engineering, and business. Historically, German was the language of many renowned philosophers and scientists, such as Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Einstein, and Max Planck. As a result, proficiency in German is still highly valued in academic and research fields.

The role of German in the European Union
Being the most widely spoken native language in the European Union, German is a central player in the politics, economy, and culture of the EU. It is an official language of the EU and a leading language of academic instruction in universities throughout Europe. The German-speaking world is also extremely integrated into the broader global economy, particularly because of Germany's position as a top economic power in Europe.

Besides being an academic and cultural language, German also has a rich literary heritage, with works by renowned authors such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Franz Kafka, and Thomas Mann adding to its status. Germany also boasts high-quality film, music, and art scenes, which are presented mostly in the German language.


Although German does not have the international scope of languages such as English or Spanish, its position as a leading European language guarantees that it is an important language for communication across industries. Whether through scholarly endeavor, commercial transactions, or cultural exchange, the global population of German speakers continues to expand. Being a language that is spoken by more than 100 million native speakers and many others as a secondary language, German remains a significant language worldwide that demonstrates the past and contemporary German world influence.

German Language Course in Pune

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