Summary by language family
The genetic classifications given in the language entries of Part I name 94 different language families (that is, top-level genetic groups). Six of these, each of which has at least 5% of the world's languages, stand out as the major language families of the world. Together they account for nearly two-thirds of all languages and five-sixths of the world's population. Table 3 summarizes the distribution of languages and their populations within these six families. The columns are as for table 1, with the addition of a final column listing the countries under which the main entries for the languages of that family are found in Part I.
In addition to the other 88 language families, the genetic classification scheme also includes special categories for artificial languages, creoles, deaf sign languages, language isolates, mixed languages, pidgins, and unclassified languages. Table 4 summarizes the distribution of languages and their populations for these other language families and special categories. In most cases the population as a percentage of the world population is negligible; a figure is shown in that column only when the value is at least one-hundredth of one percent. Together tables 3 and 4 account for all known living languages of the world.
Table 3. Major language families of the world
Language family | Living languages | Number of speakers | Countries | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Count | Percent | Count | Percent | Mean | Median | ||
Afro-Asiatic | 353 | 5.11 | 339,478,607 | 5.93 | 961,696 | 20,151 | Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Cameroon, Chad, Cyprus, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen |
Austronesian | 1,246 | 18.03 | 311,740,132 | 5.45 | 250,193 | 3,384 | Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, China, Cook Islands, East Timor, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Indonesia, Kiribati, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mayotte, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Taiwan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, USA, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Wallis and Futuna |
Indo-European | 430 | 6.22 | 2,562,896,428 | 44.78 | 5,960,224 | 150,000 | Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Maldives, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, USA, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Venezuela |
Niger-Congo | 1,495 | 21.63 | 358,091,103 | 6.26 | 239,526 | 26,000 | Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
Sino-Tibetan | 399 | 5.77 | 1,275,531,921 | 22.28 | 3,196,822 | 18,686 | Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Viet Nam |
Trans-New Guinea | 561 | 8.12 | 3,359,894 | 0.06 | 5,989 | 1,245 | Australia, East Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea |
Totals | 4,484 | 64.87 | 4,851,098,085 | 84.75 |
Table 4. Other language families of the world
Language family | Living languages | Number of speakers | Countries | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Count | Percent | Count | Percent | Mean | Median | ||
Alacalufan | 1 | 0.01 | 20 | 20 | 20 | Chile | |
Algic | 31 | 0.45 | 194,980 | 6,290 | 3,995 | Canada, USA | |
Altaic | 64 | 0.93 | 145,069,278 | 2.53 | 2,266,707 | 65,000 | Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
Amto-Musan | 2 | 0.03 | 270 | 135 | 70 | Papua New Guinea | |
Andamanese | 4 | 0.06 | 521 | 130 | 96 | India | |
Arauan | 7 | 0.10 | 3,333 | 476 | 195 | Brazil | |
Araucanian | 2 | 0.03 | 302,000 | 151,000 | 2,000 | Chile | |
Arawakan | 49 | 0.71 | 670,565 | 0.01 | 13,685 | 1,300 | Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Honduras, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela |
Artificial language | 1 | 0.01 | 1,100 | 1,100 | 1,100 | France | |
Arutani-Sape | 2 | 0.03 | 24 | 12 | 5 | Brazil, Venezuela | |
Australian | 224 | 3.24 | 35,227 | 157 | 10 | Australia | |
Austro-Asiatic | 169 | 2.45 | 101,339,384 | 1.77 | 599,641 | 8,000 | Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam |
Aymaran | 3 | 0.04 | 2,228,378 | 0.04 | 742,793 | 736 | Bolivia, Peru |
Barbacoan | 5 | 0.07 | 42,350 | 8,470 | 3,450 | Colombia, Ecuador | |
Basque | 3 | 0.04 | 664,308 | 0.01 | 221,436 | 67,500 | France, Spain |
Bayono-Awbono | 2 | 0.03 | 200 | 100 | 100 | Indonesia | |
Caddoan | 4 | 0.06 | 68 | 17 | 20 | USA | |
Cahuapanan | 2 | 0.03 | 11,384 | 5,692 | 11,384 | Peru | |
Carib | 29 | 0.42 | 67,815 | 2,338 | 450 | Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela | |
Chapacura-Wanham | 4 | 0.06 | 1,978 | 494 | 40 | Brazil | |
Chibchan | 21 | 0.30 | 254,846 | 12,136 | 2,000 | Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama | |
Chimakuan | 1 | 0.01 | 10 | 10 | 10 | USA | |
Choco | 7 | 0.10 | 69,570 | 9,939 | 8,050 | Colombia, Panama | |
Chon | 2 | 0.03 | 6 | 3 | 2 | Argentina | |
Chukotko-Kamchatkan | 5 | 0.07 | 13,712 | 2,742 | 150 | Russia | |
Creole | 82 | 1.19 | 28,815,529 | 0.50 | 351,409 | 34,500 | Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Micronesia, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Réunion, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, São Tomé e Príncipe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, USA, Uganda, Vanuatu |
Deaf sign language | 119 | 1.72 | Unknown | Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, South, Laos, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, USA, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe | |||
Dravidian | 73 | 1.06 | 221,515,995 | 3.87 | 3,034,466 | 24,000 | India, Nepal, Pakistan |
East Bird's Head | 3 | 0.04 | 34,783 | 11,594 | 12,000 | Indonesia | |
East Papuan | 33 | 0.48 | 123,095 | 3,730 | 2,200 | Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands | |
Eskimo-Aleut | 10 | 0.14 | 89,115 | 8,912 | 4,000 | Canada, Greenland, Russia, USA | |
Geelvink Bay Bay | 33 | 0.48 | 20,824 | 631 | 250 | Indonesia | |
Guahiban | 5 | 0.07 | 28,651 | 5,730 | 1,237 | Colombia | |
Harakmbet | 2 | 0.03 | 811 | 406 | 311 | Peru | |
Hmong-Mien | 35 | 0.51 | 6,284,271 | 0.11 | 179,551 | 50,000 | China, Viet Nam |
Hokan | 19 | 0.27 | 9,500 | 500 | 75 | Mexico, USA | |
Huavean | 4 | 0.06 | 18,344 | 4,586 | 900 | Mexico | |
Iroquoian | 7 | 0.10 | 22,687 | 3,241 | 175 | Canada, USA | |
Japanese | 12 | 0.17 | 123,445,034 | 2.16 | 10,287,086 | 5,000 | Japan |
Jivaroan | 4 | 0.06 | 99,292 | 24,823 | 9,333 | Ecuador, Peru | |
Kartvelian | 5 | 0.07 | 4,806,404 | 0.08 | 961,281 | 79,800 | Georgia, Israel, Turkey |
Katukinan | 3 | 0.04 | 658 | 219 | 10 | Brazil | |
Keres | 2 | 0.03 | 7,971 | 3,986 | 3,391 | USA | |
Khoisan | 22 | 0.32 | 363,600 | 16,527 | 4,200 | Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania | |
Kiowa Tanoan | 5 | 0.07 | 6,249 | 1,250 | 1,298 | USA | |
Kwomtari-Baibai | 6 | 0.09 | 3,402 | 567 | 345 | Papua New Guinea | |
Language Isolate | 36 | 0.52 | 67,284,147 | 1.18 | 1,869,004 | 619 | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, South, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, USA, Venezuela |
Left May | 6 | 0.09 | 1,990 | 332 | 330 | Papua New Guinea | |
Lower Mamberamo | 2 | 0.03 | 800 | 400 | 200 | Indonesia | |
Lule-Vilela | 1 | 0.01 | 20 | 20 | 20 | Argentina | |
Macro-Ge | 24 | 0.35 | 51,037 | 2,127 | 728 | Bolivia, Brazil | |
Maku | 6 | 0.09 | 2,551 | 425 | 300 | Brazil, Colombia | |
Mascoian | 4 | 0.06 | 16,160 | 4,040 | 2,500 | Paraguay | |
Mataco-Guaicuru | 11 | 0.16 | 92,800 | 8,436 | 2,008 | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay | |
Mayan | 68 | 0.98 | 6,064,703 | 0.11 | 89,187 | 36,000 | Belize, Guatemala, Mexico |
Misumalpan | 2 | 0.03 | 190,800 | 95,400 | 7,400 | Nicaragua | |
Mixe-Zoque | 17 | 0.25 | 153,330 | 9,019 | 5,200 | Mexico | |
Mixed Language | 19 | 0.27 | 678,572 | 0.01 | 35,714 | 2,000 | Armenia, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Ireland, Malawi, Micronesia, Niger, Norway, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, USA, United Kingdom |
Mura | 1 | 0.01 | 150 | 150 | 150 | Brazil | |
Muskogean | 6 | 0.09 | 15,307 | 2,551 | 496 | USA | |
Na-Dene | 41 | 0.59 | 180,272 | 4,397 | 80 | Canada, USA | |
Nambiquaran | 3 | 0.04 | 1,346 | 449 | 136 | Brazil | |
Nilo-Saharan | 197 | 2.85 | 34,953,324 | 0.61 | 177,428 | 40,000 | Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda |
North Caucasian | 33 | 0.48 | 4,616,040 | 0.08 | 139,880 | 6,693 | Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia |
Oto-Manguean | 172 | 2.49 | 1,903,398 | 0.03 | 11,066 | 4,729 | Mexico |
Panoan | 19 | 0.27 | 42,428 | 2,233 | 387 | Bolivia, Brazil, Peru | |
Peba-Yaguan | 1 | 0.01 | 5,692 | 5,692 | 5,692 | Peru | |
Penutian | 23 | 0.33 | 5,653 | 246 | 12 | Canada, USA | |
Pidgin | 5 | 0.07 | 100 | 20 | 100 | Canada, India, Liberia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea | |
Quechuan | 45 | 0.65 | 10,100,102 | 0.18 | 224,447 | 25,000 | Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru |
Salishan | 19 | 0.27 | 3,144 | 165 | 75 | Canada, USA | |
Salivan | 3 | 0.04 | 16,135 | 5,378 | 2,500 | Colombia, Venezuela | |
Sepik-Ramu | 100 | 1.45 | 238,123 | 2,381 | 745 | Indonesia, Papua New Guinea | |
Siouan | 12 | 0.17 | 32,614 | 2,718 | 100 | Canada, USA | |
Sko | 7 | 0.10 | 5,666 | 809 | 640 | Indonesia, Papua New Guinea | |
Subtiaba-Tlapanec | 4 | 0.06 | 70,143 | 17,536 | 3,461 | Mexico | |
Tacanan | 6 | 0.09 | 5,054 | 842 | 1,180 | Bolivia | |
Tai-Kadai | 74 | 1.07 | 78,375,999 | 1.37 | 1,059,135 | 25,000 | China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam |
Tarascan | 2 | 0.03 | 120,000 | 60,000 | 120,000 | Mexico | |
Torricelli | 53 | 0.77 | 111,265 | 2,099 | 952 | Papua New Guinea | |
Totonacan | 11 | 0.16 | 286,670 | 26,061 | 4,000 | Mexico | |
Tucanoan | 20 | 0.29 | 22,563 | 1,128 | 550 | Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru | |
Tupi | 60 | 0.87 | 5,017,354 | 0.09 | 83,623 | 200 | Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru |
Unclassified | 43 | 0.62 | 501,237 | 0.01 | 11,657 | 622 | Afghanistan, Angola, Brazil, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Mauritania, Myanmar, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Spain, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Viet Nam |
Uralic | 36 | 0.52 | 22,623,030 | 0.40 | 628,418 | 5,000 | Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Sweden |
Uru-Chipaya | 2 | 0.03 | 1,202 | 601 | 2 | Bolivia | |
Uto-Aztecan | 56 | 0.81 | 1,947,164 | 0.03 | 34,771 | 5,144 | El Salvador, Mexico, USA |
Wakashan | 4 | 0.06 | 760 | 190 | 200 | Canada | |
West Papuan | 26 | 0.38 | 310,142 | 11,929 | 4,600 | Indonesia | |
Witotoan | 6 | 0.09 | 7,749 | 1,292 | 150 | Colombia, Peru | |
Yanomam | 4 | 0.06 | 32,293 | 8,073 | 5,074 | Brazil, Venezuela | |
Yeniseian | 2 | 0.03 | 772 | 386 | 2 | Russia | |
Yukaghir | 2 | 0.03 | 120 | 60 | 30 | Russia | |
Zamucoan | 2 | 0.03 | 5,571 | 2,786 | 1,800 | Paraguay | |
Zaparoan | 4 | 0.06 | 91 | 23 | 5 | Ecuador, Peru | |
Totals | 2,428 | 35.13 | 872,763,125 | 15.25 |