Europe is a vast continent with hundreds of millions of people in it, with vastly different cultures, and languages to go with it. So this got me thinking, what are the most commonly Spoken languages in Europe?
15. Russian – 150 Million
Being the largest country on earth, Russia is both a European and Asian country, with the majority of its population being in Europe, whilst the majority of its land is in Asia.
As such, Russia’s huge population, most of whom speak Russian as either a first or second language, makes Russian the most spoken language in Europe!
Outside of Russia, there are also large Russian-speaking communities in most of the countries that formerly made up the Soviet Union (where Russian served as the official language just without the title).
Beyond that, there are also smaller Russian-speaking communities in those European countries that were formerly part of the Soviet sphere of influence, as Russian was often taught there due to the close relationship between the USSR and those European countries.
Sadly though, the Russian language is beginning to die out in both the former Soviet states and those states formerly aligned with the Soviet Union. Interestingly, many expect these Russian-speaking communities will survive for another 20 years or so.
Although these communities are small and relatively close-knit, mostly keeping to themselves, most Western European countries have Russian-speaking communities of no more than 100,000 each.
And this doesn’t even touch on the people with no connection to Russian, who’ve learned it as a second language!
Currently, it’s estimated that there are around 150 million Russian speakers across Europe, making up the bulk of Russian’s speakers globally.
14. German – 97 Million
Whilst Russia may have the largest population of any country in Europe, at about 145 million people, second place goes to Germany, who have a population of about 83 million, which allows German to be quite well spoken.
Historically, there was no such thing as “German”. Instead, there were two main dialects, Low German and High German, which were combined together to create modern, Standard German during the Protestant Reformation of the 1500’s.
Since then, modern German has become more and more popular, to the point where it has become the official language of Germany, and not only that, but the language of everyday life in the country too!
Beyond being spoken in Germany, German also has official status in Austria (more specifically, the Austro-Bavarian dialect) and Liechtenstein, as these countries have historically had close ties to modern-day Germany (through the now-defunct Holy Roman Empire).
Similarly, German holds co-official status in Switzerland (through the Swiss German dialect) and Luxembourg similarly due to the historical ties between modern-day Germany and the two countries (eg. all three were originally part of the Holy Roman Empire).
All in all, there are roughly 97 million German speakers spread through, the vast majority of whom are Germans who live in Germany.
13. French – 71.5 Million
Historically, French has played a large role in European history. Beyond being the language spoken by one of the most powerful countries on the continent (in the form of France), French also served as a lingua franca from the 17th century to the mid-20th century.
Not surprisingly, part of this was due to how widespread French was on the continent, something that’s continued to this very day!
Most obviously, French is spoken in France, where it is the country’s sole official language (as it has been since 1539). Outside of France, French also has co-official status in Belgium, Switzerland Monaco and Luxembourg, due to their close proximity to France.
Thanks to France, Belgium and Luxembourg’s EU membership, and the free travel arrangements that come with it, there are also small minorities of French-speaking immigrants (who mostly move due to their job) in almost every other European country too!
As France had previously invaded and taken over the archipelago during the Napoleonic Wars, French is an important cultural language in Malta, with it having previously served as the country’s official language before being replaced by English and Maltese.
Beyond those countries that hold France as an official, co-official or cultural language, French is commonly taught as a second language, often as an alternative to English (or as the primary second language if you live in the UK!)
Combined, French has around 71.5 million speakers across Europe, 98% of whom are located in France.
12. English – 70 Million
As one of the most spoken languages in the world, English was bound to show up in this list at some point or another.
Having served as the official language of England for hundreds of years, having replaced French (thanks to the Norman conquest in 1066) as the official language in 1362.
Eventually, the Kingdoms of England and Scotland had the same monarch from 1603 onwards, with the two kingdoms being merged into one in 1707, forming the United Kingdom. Here, English became the official language.
And this remains to this day, with 99% of Britain’s population being able to speak English as either a first or second language.
Outside of the UK, English is also has co-official status in Ireland, Cyprus and Malta, as both countries were previously owned by Britain until being given their independence.
Despite their independence, English remains as an important language in everyday life, government, education, healthcare and so on.
On a similar note, English also acts as the official language of the islands of Jersey and Guernsey, as well as the Isle of Man with varying degrees of official recognition, as well as being the official language of Gibraltar too.
Combined, there are an estimated 70 million English speakers across Europe, the overwhelming majority of whom are located in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
11. Turkish – 68 Million
When you think of “Europe” you probably don’t think of Turkey. Indeed, Turkey is primarily in Middle Eastern country, with most of its land being in Asia, yet it does have a tiny amount in Europe.
And when I say “tiny”, I do mean “tiny”. The European part of the country only comprises around 3% of the country’s land mass, and around 10% of its population, or roughly 8.2 million people, most of whom are native Turkish speakers.
So you’re probably now wondering why Turkish is “one of the most spoken languages in Europe”. Indeed, roughly 8.2 million speakers, whilst a lot of people, doesn’t even remotely contend with German’s 97 million or English’s 68 million.
The reason behind this is immigration.
Despite not being a member of the EU yet (although there have been talks for Turkey to join the EU for years), Turkey and the EU have a special relationship, which makes it easier for Turks to migrate from Turkey to the EU.
Although this may not seem like a lot, after all, countries like the UK and US have special relationships that makes getting visas easier, but it hasn’t seen mass migration of Brits to the US, or vice-versa, for many Turks, this is huge.
Unlike the US and UK example, where things like standards of living, wages and happiness are quite similar, for Turkey, moving to the EU is a massive step up. Naturally, millions of Turks have come to Europe in search of a better life.
After all, who doesn’t want to be richer, healthier and happier?
Turks can be found in pretty much every major town and city on the continent, adding up to an estimated 68 million native Turkish speakers being found on the continent!
10. Italian – 65 Million
9. Polish – 38.5 Million
Although it’s seldom talked about, Poland and the Polish people as a whole have been vital to European history, playing huge roles in almost every major historical event on the continent, sometimes under their own flag, most of the time, not.
Much like their contributions to history, the Polish language is often forgotten about, especially in Western Europe where major world languages like French, English and Spanish are spoken.
However, this doesn’t mean Polish is any less spoken.
Principally spoken by ethnic Poles in Poland, where it serves as the official language, Polish is also a minority language in Germany, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine, all countries that once controlled Poland at some point.
Thanks to Poland’s EU membership, Poles have left the country en masse, travelling to other EU countries in search of a better life for themselves and their families.
Arriving in these countries (primarily France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK – although the latter has since left the EU) Poles have taken up low-paying work that the locals often won’t do because of their low pay.
For Poles however, it allows them to build up a nice nest egg for retirement and lets their families live like monarchs back in Poland.
Due in most part to how widespread Polish immigrant communities are in Europe, many Germans, Frenchmen, Brits, Spaniards and Italians have taken to learning Polish as a second language!
When everything boils down, Europe’s Polish-speaking population numbers around 38.5 million people, most of whom are Polish immigrants or Poles in Poland, with relatively few being second language speakers.
8. Spanish – 38 Million
Speaking of Spanish being widely spoken in
7. Romanian – 24 Million
6. Dutch – 22 Million
Whilst the Netherlands may be one of the smaller countries in Europe, it has a relatively high population given its size. With this also comes a relatively high number of Dutch speakers too…
As the sole official language of the Netherlands, Dutch is spoken by over 98% of the country’s population, mostly as a first language, although many immigrants to the Netherlands understandably learn it as a second language.
Beyond being the official language of the Netherlands, Dutch also has co-official status in Belgium, with it being the de facto language spoken in the Flanders region, as well as having co-official status in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Intriguingly, these are the parts of the country that were formerly a part of the Netherlands.
Much like other nationalities, there are also large Dutch-speaking immigrant communities scattered throughout Europe, most of whom have moved abroad for their job, and plan to move back to the Netherlands when they retire or get a new job.
Owing to its historical significance (it may come as a surprise, but the Dutch trading empire once made it the most powerful nation on earth!), many in Europe have taken up learning Dutch as a second language too!
All in all, there are an estimated 22 million Dutch speakers spread around the continent, most of whom are naturally located in Belgium and the Netherlands, primarily the latter.
5. Arabic – 15 Million
Interestingly, Arabic is actually the tenth most spoken language in Europe, and it’s not even from the continent!
You see, recent years especially have seen millions of immigrants from the Muslim world come to Europe. Some, are seeking a better life for themselves and their family, others, are fleeing war and conflict (such as the Syrian Civil War).
Arriving in Europe en masse, these Arabic-speaking immigrants can be found in most European countries, where they tend to live in the center of towns and cities where house prices/rent is lowest.
Due to this, they often form their own Muslim communities, where Arabic, not the local European language, serves as the lingua franca. At one house, there may be a Bengali, next to him, there may be a Moroccan, and next to him, there may be a Syrian.
But they all speak Arabic to communicate.
Whilst there is often some pushback from the locals (for various reasons), many of these Muslim communities within Europe have been able to build things like Mosques, which have become centers of the community.
Beyond being centers of the community, these Mosques have also helped to increase the number of Arabic speakers in Europe, as young Muslim children will attend the Mosque to learn Arabic formally.
All in all, there’s an estimated 15 million people who speak Arabic throughout Europe, with the largest communities being in France, Germany and the UK (although other countries are quickly catching up!)
4. Kurdish – 15 Million
Speaking of the Syrian Civil War, a byproduct of it has been creation of millions of refugees, both Arabic-speaking Syrians and Kurdish-speaking Kurds (who have lived in parts of northern Syria, southern Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Armenia for centuries).
Despite having lived there for centuries, with the area they inhabit being known as Kurdistan, they have been harder than most ethnic groups in the region by both government and ISIS forces.
As a result, millions of Kurds have been turned into refugees, with many of them heading to Europe, which they view as a safe haven. Whilst there is a long waiting line, millions of Kurdish refugees have been let into Europe already.
Just wanting to get as far away from Syria as possible, these Kurds have settled wherever there’s room.
Most have moved to EU countries like Sweden, Germany and Paris, due to their seeming openness to foreigners, often moving to towns and cities like Malmo, Frankfurt and Paris.
Others, have moved to the UK (formerly a member of the EU) which already has a large Middle Eastern immigrant community, although it is predominantly made up of Arabic-speaking Arabs.
Regardless, there are an estimated 15 millions native Kurdish speakers spread across Europe, most of whom are in France, Germany and the UK.
3. Hungarian – 13 Million
When it comes to the most widespread European languages, Hungarian is certainly one that pretty much no one thinks of. Yet, it’s actually more well spoken than you’d think!
Primarily, Hungarian is spoken in, well… Hungary, where it has official status. As the country’s official language, it is spoken by almost everyone in the country, be it the sophisticates in Budapest, or farmers in some small village no one’s ever heard of.
Due to their geographical proximity, Hungarian is also spoken is the south of Slovakia, the northwest of Romania as well as parts of eastern Slovenia and Croatia, all of which border Hungary.
Thanks to Hungary’s position as a member of the EU, Hungarians have the right to move to another EU country. In search of higher wages to better support their families, many Hungarians have left their home country.
Arriving in countries like the UK (before it left the EU), France and Germany, Hungarian immigrants have taken whatever jobs they can, usually working in factories, or as farmhands, or in other minimum wage jobs.
Here, they form their own tight-knit Hungarian-speaking communities, usually centering around them all doing the same job and living in the same area.
All in all, there are an estimated 13 million Hungarian speakers scattered throughout the continent, most of whom are Hungarians in Hungary or Hungarian immigrants and their families (which sometimes come over with them).
2. Greek – 11 Million
Whilst the Greek language, primarily Ancient Greek, has been quite a significant language in Europe historically.
Not only has it lent words, phrases and concepts to other languages like Latin and English, but also its modern influences on Europe such as the Euro sign (€) coming from the Greek letter epsilon (Є).
Regardless, modern Greek is actually more well spoken in Europe than you’d think, being spoken by roughly 11 million people across the continent.
Most obviously, Greek is spoken in Greece, where it has official language status. Beyond that, the language also serves as one of the two official languages of Cyprus (via the Cypriot Greek dialect), alongside Cypriot Turkish.
Following Cyprus’s independence in February 1959, intercommunal violence caused many Greek-speaking Cypriots to leave Cyprus for the UK, a country who they knew would welcome them in with open arms.
On a similar note, the many Greek revolutions and counter-revolutions destabilized the country greatly. Those who could afford to leave, often did. And guess where they went? That’s right, Europe. More specifically, the UK.
Whilst many of them learned English when the arrived, most already spoke enough to get by beforehand. As such, Greek was only the language they used at home, whilst they used English when they were out of the house.
All in all, combining the Greeks in Greece, Cypriots in Cyprus and the Greek-speaking Greek and Cypriot diasporas in Europe, the total number of Greek speakers in Europe is estimated at around 11 million.
1. Portuguese – 10 Million
Rounding off this list of the most spoken languages in Europe is Portuguese, a language with approximately 270 million speakers worldwide, 10 million of whom live in Europe.
For most of these 10 million Portuguese speakers, they are located in Portugal, the country that spawned the language and where it is the sole official language.
Aside from the native Portuguese people who speak Portuguese in Portugal, the country also has large Brazilian and Macanese immigrant populations, who similarly speak Portuguese as their first language (due to Portugal colonizing them before their independence).
Due to cultural, political and economic ties between the two countries – as well as them bordering one another – there are a lot of Portuguese speakers in Spain, many of whom are bilingual in both languages thanks to living along the Spain-Portugal border.
Over the course of the 1960’s and 1970’s, Portugal was the poorest country in Western Europe, and one of the poorest in Europe as a whole.
Seeking better lives elsewhere, many Portuguese citizens left for countries like France, the UK and West Germany, where wages and living standards were higher.
On top of all this, many people across the continent have taken up learning Portuguese as a second language, which helps raise the total number of Portuguese speakers across the continent!
Which are your favorite languages of Europe? Do you speak any (besides English of course)? Tell me in the comments!
