Ethnologue, the premier authority on languages, has ranked the world’s countries based on the number of living languages spoken within its borders. It’s important to note that the ranking isn’t a measure of multilingualism on a personal level (i.e. the number of people who speak more than one language), rather a count of the number of languages used as a first language in the country.
The full ranking of multilingual countries is below. ‘Total’ shows the overall number of languages spoken as a first language in the country. This total is then broken down into indigenous (ind.) and immigrant (imm.) languages.
| Rank | Country | Total | Ind. | Imm. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papua New Guinea | 839 | 839 | 0 |
| 2 | Indonesia | 707 | 706 | 1 |
| 3 | Nigeria | 526 | 520 | 6 |
| 4 | India | 454 | 447 | 7 |
| 5 | United States | 422 | 216 | 206 |
| 6 | China | 300 | 297 | 3 |
| 7 | Mexico | 289 | 283 | 6 |
| 8 | Cameroon | 281 | 280 | 1 |
| 9 | Australia | 245 | 212 | 33 |
| 10 | Brazil | 229 | 216 | 13 |
| 11 | Democratic Rep. Congo | 212 | 210 | 2 |
| 12 | Philippines | 193 | 182 | 11 |
| 13 | Canada | 174 | 89 | 85 |
| 14 | Malaysia | 146 | 138 | 8 |
| 15 | Russian Federation | 140 | 105 | 35 |
| 16 | Chad | 131 | 131 | 0 |
| 17 | Tanzania | 126 | 125 | 1 |
| 18 | Nepal | 125 | 120 | 5 |
| 19 | Myanmar | 117 | 117 | 0 |
| 20 | Vanuatu | 116 | 110 | 6 |
| 21 | Viet Nam | 111 | 108 | 3 |
| 22 | Côte d’Ivoire | 98 | 81 | 17 |
| 23 | Peru | 94 | 93 | 1 |
| 24 | Laos | 91 | 85 | 6 |
| 25 | Ethiopia | 89 | 86 | 3 |
| 26 | Colombia | 87 | 84 | 3 |
| 27 | Thailand | 86 | 74 | 12 |
| 28 | Ghana | 85 | 81 | 4 |
| 29 | Central African Republic | 82 | 71 | 11 |
| 30 | Iran | 80 | 76 | 4 |
| 31 | Pakistan | 77 | 72 | 5 |
| 32 | Sudan | 76 | 76 | 0 |
| 33 | Kenya | 72 | 67 | 5 |
| 34 | Mali | 71 | 66 | 5 |
| 35 | Solomon Islands | 71 | 71 | 0 |
| 36 | Burkina Faso | 70 | 70 | 0 |
| 37 | South Sudan | 68 | 68 | 0 |
| 38 | Germany | 66 | 27 | 39 |
| 39 | Congo | 65 | 62 | 3 |
| 40 | France | 62 | 23 | 39 |
| 41 | Benin | 56 | 55 | 1 |
| 42 | United Kingdom | 56 | 13 | 43 |
| 43 | Zambia | 55 | 46 | 9 |
| 44 | Israel | 51 | 35 | 16 |
| 45 | Venezuela | 50 | 44 | 6 |
| 46 | Mozambique | 49 | 43 | 6 |
| 47 | Senegal | 48 | 38 | 10 |
| 48 | Turkey | 47 | 35 | 12 |
| 49 | Togo | 46 | 43 | 3 |
| 50 | Bangladesh | 45 | 41 | 4 |
| 51 | Bolivia | 45 | 43 | 2 |
| 52 | Kazakhstan | 44 | 14 | 30 |
| 53 | South Africa | 44 | 28 | 16 |
| 54 | Italy | 43 | 35 | 8 |
| 55 | Uganda | 43 | 41 | 2 |
| 56 | Gabon | 42 | 42 | 0 |
| 57 | Ukraine | 42 | 24 | 18 |
| 58 | Afghanistan | 41 | 40 | 1 |
| 59 | Netherlands | 41 | 15 | 26 |
| 60 | New Caledonia | 40 | 38 | 2 |
| 61 | Guinea | 39 | 37 | 2 |
| 62 | Uzbekistan | 39 | 9 | 30 |
| 63 | Botswana | 38 | 28 | 10 |
| 64 | Angola | 37 | 37 | 0 |
| 65 | Azerbaijan | 37 | 17 | 20 |
| 66 | Argentina | 36 | 21 | 15 |
| 67 | Namibia | 36 | 28 | 8 |
| 68 | United Arab Emirates | 34 | 7 | 27 |
| 69 | Bhutan | 33 | 23 | 10 |
| 70 | Kyrgyzstan | 33 | 5 | 28 |
| 71 | Liberia | 32 | 31 | 1 |
| 72 | Tajikistan | 32 | 13 | 19 |
| 73 | Libya | 31 | 9 | 22 |
| 74 | Singapore | 31 | 24 | 7 |
| 75 | Belgium | 30 | 10 | 20 |
| 76 | Paraguay | 29 | 23 | 6 |
| 77 | Cambodia | 28 | 23 | 5 |
| 78 | Georgia | 28 | 19 | 9 |
| 79 | China–Taiwan | 27 | 21 | 6 |
| 80 | Guinea-Bissau | 27 | 22 | 5 |
| 81 | Iraq | 27 | 23 | 4 |
| 82 | Sierra Leone | 27 | 25 | 2 |
| 83 | Turkmenistan | 27 | 4 | 23 |
| 84 | Guatemala | 26 | 26 | 0 |
| 85 | Greece | 25 | 16 | 9 |
| 86 | New Zealand | 25 | 4 | 21 |
| 87 | Romania | 25 | 23 | 2 |
| 88 | Ecuador | 24 | 23 | 1 |
| 89 | Gambia | 24 | 11 | 13 |
| 90 | Sweden | 24 | 14 | 10 |
| 91 | Malawi | 23 | 16 | 7 |
| 92 | Switzerland | 23 | 12 | 11 |
| 93 | Zimbabwe | 23 | 21 | 2 |
| 94 | Croatia | 22 | 15 | 7 |
| 95 | Poland | 22 | 17 | 5 |
| 96 | Spain | 22 | 15 | 7 |
| 97 | Suriname | 22 | 19 | 3 |
| 98 | Syria | 22 | 16 | 6 |
| 99 | Algeria | 21 | 18 | 3 |
| 100 | Austria | 21 | 11 | 10 |
| 101 | Denmark | 21 | 7 | 14 |
| 102 | Fiji | 21 | 10 | 11 |
| 103 | Niger | 21 | 21 | 0 |
| 104 | Egypt | 20 | 12 | 8 |
| 105 | Eritrea | 20 | 15 | 5 |
| 106 | Finland | 20 | 12 | 8 |
| 107 | Madagascar | 20 | 14 | 6 |
| 108 | Saudi Arabia | 20 | 5 | 15 |
| 109 | Serbia | 20 | 15 | 5 |
| 110 | East Timor | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| 111 | Micronesia | 19 | 18 | 1 |
| 112 | Oman | 19 | 16 | 3 |
| 113 | Panama | 19 | 14 | 5 |
| 114 | Bulgaria | 18 | 11 | 7 |
| 115 | Czech Republic | 18 | 10 | 8 |
| 116 | Hungary | 18 | 15 | 3 |
| 117 | Japan | 18 | 15 | 3 |
| 118 | Brunei | 17 | 15 | 2 |
| 119 | Guyana | 17 | 14 | 3 |
| 120 | Chile | 16 | 10 | 6 |
| 121 | French Guiana | 16 | 13 | 3 |
| 122 | Jordan | 16 | 10 | 6 |
| 123 | Norway | 16 | 9 | 7 |
| 124 | Moldova | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 125 | Equatorial Guinea | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| 126 | Latvia | 14 | 7 | 7 |
| 127 | Lithuania | 14 | 8 | 6 |
| 128 | Mauritius | 14 | 7 | 7 |
| 129 | Mongolia | 14 | 12 | 2 |
| 130 | Morocco | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| 131 | Somalia | 14 | 13 | 1 |
| 132 | Yemen | 14 | 10 | 4 |
| 133 | Belize | 13 | 8 | 5 |
| 134 | Costa Rica | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| 135 | Honduras | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| 136 | Puerto Rico | 13 | 4 | 9 |
| 137 | Qatar | 13 | 3 | 10 |
| 138 | Slovakia | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| 139 | Bahrain | 12 | 4 | 8 |
| 140 | Uruguay | 12 | 2 | 10 |
| 141 | Albania | 11 | 8 | 3 |
| 142 | Armenia | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| 143 | Belarus | 11 | 2 | 9 |
| 144 | Estonia | 11 | 5 | 6 |
| 145 | French Polynesia | 11 | 9 | 2 |
| 146 | Macedonia | 11 | 10 | 1 |
| 147 | Nicaragua | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| 148 | Portugal | 11 | 10 | 1 |
| 149 | Djibouti | 10 | 5 | 5 |
| 150 | Slovenia | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| 151 | Tunisia | 10 | 6 | 4 |
| 152 | Guam | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| 153 | Lebanon | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| 154 | Mauritania | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| 155 | Nauru | 9 | 3 | 6 |
| 156 | Trinidad and Tobago | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| 157 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| 158 | China–Hong Kong | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 159 | Dominican Republic | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| 160 | Palestine | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| 161 | Réunion | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| 162 | Jamaica | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 163 | Kuwait | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| 164 | Montenegro | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| 165 | Sri Lanka | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 166 | Swaziland | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 167 | American Samoa | 6 | 2 | 4 |
| 168 | Comoros | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| 169 | Curacao | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 170 | Cyprus | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 171 | El Salvador | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 172 | Ireland | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 173 | Lesotho | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 174 | Luxembourg | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| 175 | Northern Mariana Islands | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 176 | São Tomé e Príncipe | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| 177 | Aruba | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| 178 | Caribbean Netherlands | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 179 | China–Macao | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 180 | Cook Islands | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 181 | Cuba | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 182 | Liechtenstein | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| 183 | Malta | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 184 | Palau | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 185 | Rwanda | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 186 | Sint Maarten | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| 187 | Tonga | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 188 | Andorra | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 189 | Antigua and Barbuda | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 190 | Bahamas | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 191 | Burundi | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 192 | Dominica | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 193 | Grenada | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 194 | Guadeloupe | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 195 | Martinique | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 196 | Mayotte | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 197 | Monaco | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 198 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 199 | South Korea | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 200 | U.S. Virgin Islands | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 201 | Barbados | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 202 | Cape Verde Islands | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 203 | Cayman Islands | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 204 | Gibraltar | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 205 | Haiti | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 206 | Iceland | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 207 | Jersey | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 208 | Kiribati | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 209 | Niue | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 210 | Saint Barthélemy | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 211 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 212 | Saint Lucia | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 213 | Saint Martin | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 214 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 215 | Seychelles | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 216 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 217 | Tuvalu | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 218 | Wallis and Futuna | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 219 | Anguilla | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 220 | Bermuda | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 221 | British Virgin Islands | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 222 | Greenland | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 223 | Guernsey | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 224 | Isle of Man | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 225 | Maldives | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 226 | Marshall Islands | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 227 | Montserrat | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 228 | Norfolk Island | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 229 | Pitcairn | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 230 | Samoa | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 231 | San Marino | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 232 | Tokelau | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 233 | Vatican State | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 234 | British Indian Ocean Territory | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 235 | North Korea | 1 | 1 | 0 |
This article originally appeared on Atlas & Boots — Travel with Abandon and is republished here with permission.