List of Countries that Speak English

English is the most spoken language in the world, followed by Mandarin, Hindi, and Spanish. English is the official language of 67 countries and 27 non-sovereign entities. However, it is also widely spoken in countries where it isn’t the official language. Continue reading to learn about the countries that speak English and why English became the global language.

Top 10 Countries that Speak English as Primary Language

Below is a list of countries that speak English as their primary language. The number of English-speaking population is written inside the brackets.

1. United States (316,107,532)
2. United Kingdom (62,912,000)
3. Canada (30,480,750)
4. Australia (21,715,910)
5. Liberia (3,100,000)
6. Ireland (4,350,000)
7. New Zealand (4,181,902)
8. Jamaica (2,650,000)
9. Trinidad and Tobago (1,145,000)
10. Guyana (680,000)

Keep in mind that this list only includes the countries that speak English as their primary language. There are other countries where English is widely spoken but isn’t the official or primary language. If you want to check the list including those countries, see the following list.

Top 10 Countries that have the most English Speakers

This list includes countries where English is not the primary language and isn’t the first language of the majority of the population. The number of total English-speaking population is written inside the brackets.

1. United States (316,107,532)
2. India (128,539,090)
3. Pakistan (115,044,691)
4. Nigeria (103,198,040)
5. Philippines (64,025,890)
6. United Kingdom (62,912,000)
7. Germany (45,400,000)
8. Uganda (39,800,000)
9. Canada (30,480,750)
10. Egypt (28,101,325)

Only three countries out of the 10 countries speak English as their primary language. In India, only 0.02% of the total population speaks English as their first language. The English-speaking population in India looks massive, but it is only 10.62% of the total population.

In Pakistan, only 0.0035% of the population speaks English as their primary language. However, 62% of the total population is English speakers. English is one of the official languages in Pakistan and is often used in education and administration.

In Nigeria, 18.02% of the population speaks English as their primary language. However, 86.42% of the total population is English speakers. English is the most widespread and commonly used language in Nigeria because of the many different languages used in the country.

In the Philippines, only 0.04% of the population speaks English as their primary language, and 58.2% of the total population is English speakers. The Philippines is one of the many popular teach abroad destinations among ESL teachers. The demand for English teachers is quite high in the Philippines!

In Germany, only 0.47% of the population speaks English as their primary language, and 56% of the total population is English speakers.

English-Speaking Population: What Does it Mean?

What can we learn from the above lists and numbers? One thing for sure is that there are A LOT of people around the world who speak English. It is definitely an international language and is even being used as a common language in countries with multiple languages, like Nigeria. Everything is international these days. You can easily read international news on mobile devices, connect with international social media users, do business with international companies, and easily travel to foreign countries where many people speak English. So, it is worth learning English. No wonder why so many countries teach English starting in primary school, including South Korea.

Reason Why So Many Countries Speak English

Britain is where the English language originated. If you know a little bit of world history, you will know how British Empire (almost) ruled the world. By 1913, the British Empire was in control of 23% of the world population and 24% of the Earth’s total land area. Crazy, right? They held sway over 412 million people. In fact, many countries that speak English as an official language were once British colonies. For example, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the United States were all British colonies. Historically, Britain also had control over India. Although only 10% of the Indian population speaks English, that number is still greater than many countries’ total populations.

FAQs About Countries that Speak English

Here are the most commonly asked questions about English-speaking countries.

How many countries speak English?

In total, 67 different countries and 27 non-sovereign entities speak English.

What are the top 3 English speaking countries?

The top 3 English-speaking countries are the United States, India, and Pakistan. However, if you are talking about the top 3 countries that speak English as their primary language, then it is the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Which country speaks English the most in the world?

The English-speaking population in the United States is 316,107,532, which is the highest in the world.

English-Speaking Countries: Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts on the number of people and places that speak English? Does it motivate you to learn this language? Or is there another language you would like to learn? Let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.