Table shows the number of first-language speakers (in millions) of the seven most widely spoken languages. Note: there are 3800 known languages worldwide; one-seventh are expected to die out over the next 40 years and 72.5 percent over the next 100 years; three-sevenths of the world's population speak these seven as a first language and a further 1.7 billion speak one as a second language.
| Language | First-language Speakers (millions) |
|---|---|
| English | 1386 |
| Chinese | 1000 |
| Spanish | 280 |
| Russian | 270 |
| French | 220 |
| Portuguese | 160 |
| Arabic | 140 |
How many speakers of the seven most widely spoken languages are there, spoken as either a first or a second language?
The total is 5.156 billion, so the answer is 5.156 billion.
Adding the first-language speakers gives 1386 plus 1000 plus 280 plus 270 plus 220 plus 160 plus 140.
That total is 3456 million, which is 3.456 billion.
A further 1.7 billion speak one of these languages as a second language.
So the grand total is 3.456 billion plus 1.7 billion.
That is 5.156 billion.
So the answer is 5.156 billion.
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