Global Language Diversity Plummets, Study Finds
A new study documents a precipitous decline in the number of languages spoken worldwide. Currently, about 7,500 languages are in use, with English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, and French being the most common among native and nonnative speakers. This figure is significantly lower than the historical peak number of languages. The research, covered by Reuters via Yahoo!, highlights the accelerating loss of linguistic diversity globally.
Key facts
- Globally, people currently use roughly 7,500 languages.
- The most common languages are English, Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, and French.
- The current number of languages is far lower than the historical peak.
- The study documents a precipitous decline in language numbers.
- The report was covered by Reuters and published via Yahoo!.
Entities
Institutions
- Reuters
- Yahoo!