List of countries by English speaking population

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This is a list of countries of the world sorted by the total English-speaking population in that country. This includes both native speakers and second language speakers of English. Statistics on second language speakers are usually imprecise, in part because there is no widely agreed definition of second language speakers, so these figures should be treated with caution.

Rank Country Total First language As an Additional language National language Official languages Comment
1 USA 251,388,301 215,423,557 35,964,744 * Source: US Census 2000, Report QT-P17 Figure for second language speakers are respondents who reported they do not speak english at home but know it "very well" or "well"
2 China 200,000,000–
300,000,000 (?) 200,000,000–
300,000,000 Figures are for English users, not speakers. Source: Hong Kong contributes an additional 2.5 million speakers (1996 by-census[link]).
3 India 90,221,085 178,598 90,042,487 * Source: 1991 Census of India. Number with English as a mother tongue: [link] Number with mother tongue among the 18 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India who were multilingual in English: [link] Native speakers of these 18 languages account for over 96% of all speakers of any language in India. Figures exclude Jammu and Kashmir, and another 33 villages with a total population of 16,052 people.
4 United Kingdom 55,000,000 55,000,000 (?) * Source: Ethnologue. Date given is 1984. Note that the 2003 U.K. Labour Force Survey estimated that, out of some 46 million residents aged 16 or more, over 2 million spoke another language at home (besides English, Welsh, Ulster Scots and Gaelic).[link] A substantial number of these people are second language English speakers.
5 Philippines 43,961,539 32,802 43,928,737 * 52% of the population said they could speak English as a second language
6 Canada 25,246,220 20,014,645 * Source: 2001 Census.[link] The figure shown in the first language English speakers column is actually the number of English speakers who do not speak French. This does not include any of the 5 million people who spoke both English and French, some of whom would speak English as a first language, so it is probably too low.
7 Australia 17,357,833 15,013,965 2,343,868 * Source: 2001 Census.[link] The figure shown in the first language English speakers column is actually the number of Australian residents who speak English at home. The additional language column shows the number of other residents who claim to speak English "well" or "very well". Another 5% of residents did not state their home language or English proficiency.
8 Ireland 4,130,000 4,050,000 80,000 *
9 South Africa 3,673,203 3,673,203 (?) * 2001 Census: [Census in Brief], page 15 (Table 2.5)
10 New Zealand 3,425,301 >2,868,000 (?) * [2001 Census: National Summary], Tables 12 and 15
11 Singapore 3,369,261 227,000 3,142,261 * Second-language users (literate in English) are 71% of population
12 Tanzania 1,500,000 1,500,000 *
13 Ghana 1,000,000 1,000,000 *
14 Nigeria 1,000,000 1,000,000 * This figure has been criticized as appearing too small.[Wolf (2001)] It also does not include over 40 million speakers of Nigerian Pidgin English.
15 Uganda 1,000,000 1,000,000 *
16 Puerto Rico 458,371 82,000 376,371 *
17 Zimbabwe 375,490 375,490 *
18 Malta 246,157 (?) (?) * Source: Maltese Census 1995. [link][link] respondents aged 10 or more.
19 Ethiopia 171,712 1,986 169,726 *
20 Israel 100,000 100,000
21 Sri Lanka 74,170 74,170
22 Liberia 69,000 69,000 *
23 Bermuda 58,800 58,800 *
24 Belize 55,998 55,998 *
25 Papua New Guinea 50,000 50,000 *
26 Bahamas 49,331 49,331 *
27 Zambia 41,434 41,434 *
28 Honduras 31,500 31,500
29 Guam 28,800 28,800 *
30 Cayman Islands 20,000 20,000 *
31 Fiji 19,857 4,929 14,928 *
32 American Samoa 16,298 1,248 15,050 *
33 Malawi 16,000 16,000 *
34 Barbados 13,000 13,000 *
35 Namibia 10,941 10,941 *
36 Dominica 10,000 10,000 *
37 U.S. Virgin Islands 8,414 8,414 *
38 Brunei 8,000 8,000 *
39 Dominican Republic 8,000 8,000
40 Nauru 7,254 714 6,540 *
41 Saint Helena 5,400 5,400 *
42 Micronesia 5,341 5,341 *
43 British Indian Ocean Territory 3,500 3,500 *
44 Gibraltar 3,300 3,300 *
45 Lebanon 3,300 3,300
46 Aruba 3,000 3,000
47 Mauritius 3,000 3,000 *
48 Trinidad and Tobago 2,600 2,600 *
49 Malay Peninsula 2,400 2,400
50 Niue 2,160 78 2,082 *
51 British Virgin Islands 2,000 2,000 *
52 Falkland Islands 1,991 1,991 *
53 Vanuatu 1,900 1,900 *
54 Netherlands Antilles 1,800 1,800
55 Norfolk Island 1,678 1,678 *
56 Seychelles 1,601 1,601 *
57 Saint Lucia 1,600 1,600 *
58 Gambia 1,000 1,000 *
59 Anguilla 946 946 *
60 Turks and Caicos Islands 920 920 *
61 Grenada 750 750 *
62 Cook Islands 683 683 *
63 Kiribati 492 492 *
64 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 400 400 *
65 Rwanda 300 300 *
66 Guadeloupe 200 200
67 Saint Kitts and Nevis 200 200 *
68 Samoa 200 200 *
69 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 188 188
70 Montserrat 100 100 *
71 Pitcairn 46 46 *
72 Tokelau 40 40 *
? European Union (?) (?) *
? Germany (?) (?) (?)
? Spain (?) (?) (?)
? France (?) (?) (?)
? Indonesia (?) (?) (?)
? Thailand (?) (?) (?)
? Russia (?) (?) (?)
? China (?) (?) (?)
? Japan (?) (?) (?)
? Korea (?) (?) (?)
? Taiwan (?) (?) (?)
(?) Antigua and Barbuda (?) (?) *
(?) Botswana (?) (?) *
(?) Cameroon (?) (?) *
(?) Eritrea (?) (?) *
(?) Guyana (?) (?) *
(?) Jamaica (?) (?) *
(?) Kenya (?) (?) * Mainly second-language speakers in Kenya.
(?) Lesotho (?) (?) *
(?) Northern Mariana Islands (?) (?) *
(?) Pakistan (?) (?) * Mainly second-language speakers in Pakistan.
(?) Palau (?) (?) *
(?) Sierra Leone (?) (?) *
(?) Solomon Islands (?) (?) *
(?) Somalia (?) (?) *
(?) Swaziland (?) (?) *
(?) Tonga (?) (?) *
(?) Cambodia (?) (?) Replacing French as second language, especially in Phnom Penh. Also used for mobile phone texting
(?) Marshall Islands (?) (?) *

Rank	Country	Total	First language	As an Additional language	National language	Official languages	Comment
1	USA	251,388,301	215,423,557	35,964,744		*	Source: US Census 2000, Report QT-P17 Figure for second language speakers are respondents who reported they do not speak english at home but know it "very well" or "well"
2	China	200,000,000– 300,000,000	(?)	200,000,000– 300,000,000			Figures are for English users, not speakers. Source: Hong Kong contributes an additional 2.5 million speakers (1996 by-census[link]).
3	India	90,221,085	178,598	90,042,487	*		Source: 1991 Census of India. Number with English as a mother tongue: [link] Number with mother tongue among the 18 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India who were multilingual in English: [link] Native speakers of these 18 languages account for over 96% of all speakers of any language in India. Figures exclude Jammu and Kashmir, and another 33 villages with a total population of 16,052 people.
4	United Kingdom	55,000,000	55,000,000	(?)	*		Source: Ethnologue. Date given is 1984. Note that the 2003 U.K. Labour Force Survey estimated that, out of some 46 million residents aged 16 or more, over 2 million spoke another language at home (besides English, Welsh, Ulster Scots and Gaelic).[link] A substantial number of these people are second language English speakers.
5	Philippines	43,961,539	32,802	43,928,737		*	52% of the population said they could speak English as a second language
6	Canada	25,246,220	20,014,645			*	Source: 2001 Census.[link] The figure shown in the first language English speakers column is actually the number of English speakers who do not speak French. This does not include any of the 5 million people who spoke both English and French, some of whom would speak English as a first language, so it is probably too low.
7	Australia	17,357,833	15,013,965	2,343,868	*		Source: 2001 Census.[link] The figure shown in the first language English speakers column is actually the number of Australian residents who speak English at home. The additional language column shows the number of other residents who claim to speak English "well" or "very well". Another 5% of residents did not state their home language or English proficiency.
8	Ireland	4,130,000	4,050,000	80,000	*
9	South Africa	3,673,203	3,673,203	(?)		*	2001 Census: [Census in Brief], page 15 (Table 2.5)
10	New Zealand	3,425,301	>2,868,000	(?)		*	[2001 Census: National Summary], Tables 12 and 15
11	Singapore	3,369,261	227,000	3,142,261		*	Second-language users (literate in English) are 71% of population
12	Tanzania	1,500,000		1,500,000		*
13	Ghana	1,000,000		1,000,000		*
14	Nigeria	1,000,000		1,000,000		*	This figure has been criticized as appearing too small.[Wolf (2001)] It also does not include over 40 million speakers of Nigerian Pidgin English.
15	Uganda	1,000,000		1,000,000		*
16	Puerto Rico	458,371	82,000	376,371	*
17	Zimbabwe	375,490	375,490			*
18	Malta	246,157	(?)	(?)		*	Source: Maltese Census 1995. [link][link] respondents aged 10 or more.
19	Ethiopia	171,712	1,986	169,726		*
20	Israel	100,000		100,000
21	Sri Lanka	74,170		74,170
22	Liberia	69,000	69,000			*
23	Bermuda	58,800	58,800			*
24	Belize	55,998		55,998		*
25	Papua New Guinea	50,000	50,000			*
26	Bahamas	49,331	49,331			*
27	Zambia	41,434	41,434			*
28	Honduras	31,500	31,500
29	Guam	28,800	28,800		*
30	Cayman Islands	20,000	20,000		*
31	Fiji	19,857	4,929	14,928		*
32	American Samoa	16,298	1,248	15,050		*
33	Malawi	16,000	16,000			*
34	Barbados	13,000	13,000		*
35	Namibia	10,941	10,941			*
36	Dominica	10,000	10,000			*
37	U.S. Virgin Islands	8,414	8,414			*
38	Brunei	8,000	8,000		*
39	Dominican Republic	8,000	8,000
40	Nauru	7,254	714	6,540	*
41	Saint Helena	5,400	5,400		*
42	Micronesia	5,341	5,341			*
43	British Indian Ocean Territory	3,500	3,500			*
44	Gibraltar	3,300	3,300			*
45	Lebanon	3,300		3,300
46	Aruba	3,000		3,000
47	Mauritius	3,000		3,000		*
48	Trinidad and Tobago	2,600	2,600			*
49	Malay Peninsula	2,400		2,400
50	Niue	2,160	78	2,082	*
51	British Virgin Islands	2,000	2,000			*
52	Falkland Islands	1,991	1,991		*
53	Vanuatu	1,900	1,900			*
54	Netherlands Antilles	1,800		1,800
55	Norfolk Island	1,678	1,678			*
56	Seychelles	1,601	1,601			*
57	Saint Lucia	1,600	1,600			*
58	Gambia	1,000	1,000			*
59	Anguilla	946	946			*
60	Turks and Caicos Islands	920	920			*
61	Grenada	750	750			*
62	Cook Islands	683	683			*
63	Kiribati	492	492			*
64	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	400	400		*
65	Rwanda	300	300			*
66	Guadeloupe	200	200
67	Saint Kitts and Nevis	200	200		*
68	Samoa	200	200			*
69	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	188	188
70	Montserrat	100	100		*
71	Pitcairn	46	46			*
72	Tokelau	40	40		*
?	European Union	(?)		(?)		*
?	Germany	(?)	(?)		(?)
?	Spain	(?)	(?)		(?)
?	France	(?)	(?)		(?)
?	Indonesia	(?)	(?)		(?)
?	Thailand	(?)	(?)		(?)
?	Russia	(?)	(?)		(?)
?	China	(?)	(?)		(?)
?	Japan	(?)	(?)		(?)
?	Korea	(?)	(?)		(?)
?	Taiwan	(?)	(?)		(?)
(?)	Antigua and Barbuda		(?)	(?)		*
(?)	Botswana		(?)	(?)		*
(?)	Cameroon		(?)	(?)		*
(?)	Eritrea		(?)	(?)	*
(?)	Guyana		(?)	(?)	*
(?)	Jamaica		(?)	(?)	*
(?)	Kenya		(?)	(?)		*	Mainly second-language speakers in Kenya.
(?)	Lesotho		(?)	(?)		*
(?)	Northern Mariana Islands		(?)	(?)	*
(?)	Pakistan		(?)	(?)		*	Mainly second-language speakers in Pakistan.
(?)	Palau		(?)	(?)		*
(?)	Sierra Leone		(?)	(?)		*
(?)	Solomon Islands		(?)	(?)	*
(?)	Somalia		(?)	(?)		*
(?)	Swaziland		(?)	(?)		*
(?)	Tonga		(?)	(?)		*
(?)	Cambodia		(?)	(?)			Replacing French as second language, especially in Phnom Penh. Also used for mobile phone texting
(?)	Marshall Islands		(?)	(?)		*

This list is [Incomplete listsincomplete]; you can help by [http://encycl.opentopia.com/ expanding it].

Sources

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List of countries by English speaking population

Sources

See also