| Rank | Language | Primary | Language | Primary | Secondary | Total | |
| 1 | Mandarin | 1,100,000,000 | 1 | Mandarin | 1,100,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 1,120,000,000 |
| 2 | English | 330,000,000 | 2 | English | 330,000,000 | 150,000,000 | 480,000,000 |
| 3 | Spanish | 300,000,000 | 3 | Spanish | 300,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 320,000,000 |
| 4 | Hindi/Urdu | 250,000,000 | 4 | Russian | 160,000,000 | 125,000,000 | 285,000,000 |
| 5 | Arabic | 200,000,000 | 5 | French | 75,000,000 | 190,000,000 | 265,000,000 |
| 6 | Bengali | 185,000,000 | 6 | Hindi/Urdu | 250,000,000 | 250,000,000 | |
| 7 | Portuguese | 160,000,000 | 7 | Arabic | 200,000,000 | 21,000,000 | 221,000,000 |
| 7 | Russian | 160,000,000 | 8 | Portuguese | 160,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 188,000,000 |
| 9 | Japanese | 125,000,000 | 9 | Bengali | 185,000,000 | 185,000,000 | |
| 10 | German | 100,000,000 | 10 | Japanese | 125,000,000 | 8,000,000 | 133,000,000 |
| 11 | French | 75,000,000 | 11 | German | 100,000,000 | 9,000,000 | 109,000,000 |
| Weber, 1997 | |||||||
| Rank | Language | Primary | Language | Primary | Secondary | Total | |
| 1 | Mandarin | 836,000,000 | 1 | Mandarin | 836,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 856,000,000 |
| 2 | Hindi/Urdu | 333,000,000 | 2 | English | 322,000,000 | 150,000,000 | 472,000,000 |
| 3 | Spanish | 332,000,000 | 3 | Spanish | 332,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 352,000,000 |
| 4 | English | 322,000,000 | 4 | Hindi/Urdu | 333,000,000 | 333,000,000 | |
| 5 | Bengali | 189,000,000 | 5 | Russian | 170,000,000 | 125,000,000 | 295,000,000 |
| 6 | Arabic | 186,000,000 | 6 | French | 72,000,000 | 190,000,000 | 262,000,000 |
| 7 | Portuguese | 170,000,000 | 7 | Arabic | 186,000,000 | 21,000,000 | 207,000,000 |
| 7 | Russian | 170,000,000 | 8 | Portuguese | 170,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 198,000,000 |
| 9 | Japanese | 125,000,000 | 9 | Bengali | 189,000,000 | 189,000,000 | |
| 10 | German | 98,000,000 | 10 | Japanese | 125,000,000 | 8,000,000 | 133,000,000 |
| 11 | French | 72,000,000 | 11 | German | 98,000,000 | 9,000,000 | 107,000,000 |
| Comrie, 1998 | |||||||
| Rank | Language | Primary | Language | Primary | Secondary | Total | |
| 1 | Chinese* | 937,132,000 | 1 | Chinese* | 937,132,000 | 20,000,000 | 957,132,000 |
| 2 | Spanish | 332,000,000 | 2 | English | 322,000,000 | 150,000,000 | 472,000,000 |
| 3 | English | 322,000,000 | 3 | Spanish | 332,000,000 | 20,000,000 | 352,000,000 |
| 4 | Bengali | 189,000,000 | 4 | Russian | 170,000,000 | 125,000,000 | 295,000,000 |
| 5 | Hindi/Urdu | 182,000,000 | 5 | French* | 79,572,000 | 190,000,000 | 269,572,000 |
| 6 | Arabic* | 174,950,000 | 6 | Portuguese | 170,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 198,000,000 |
| 7 | Portuguese | 170,000,000 | 7 | Arabic* | 174,950,000 | 21,000,000 | 195,950,000 |
| 7 | Russian | 170,000,000 | 8 | Bengali | 189,000,000 | 189,000,000 | |
| 9 | Japanese | 125,000,000 | 9 | Hindi/Urdu | 182,000,000 | 182,000,000 | |
| 10 | German | 98,000,000 | 10 | Japanese | 125,000,000 | 8,000,000 | 133,000,000 |
| 11 | French* | 79,572,000 | 11 | German | 98,000,000 | 9,000,000 | 107,000,000 |
| Ethnologue (SIL), 1999 | |||||||
| Rank | Language | Core | Outer Core | Fringe | Total | ||
| 1 | English | 9 | 24 | 82 | 115 | ||
| 2 | French | 5 | 18 | 12 | 35 | ||
| 3 | Arabic | 18 | 2 | 4 | 24 | ||
| 4 | Spanish | 19 | 0 | 1 | 20 | ||
| 5 | Russian | 1 | 4 | 11 | 16 | ||
| 6 | German | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | ||
| 7 | Mandarin | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 7 | Portuguese | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 9 | Hindi/Urdu | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 10 | Bengali | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 10 | Japanese | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| * "Chinese" for this chart is composed of the total of the following SIL designated languages: | |||||||
| Mandarin | 836,000,000 | ||||||
| Xiang | 36,015,000 | ||||||
| Hakka | 34,000,000 | ||||||
| Gan | 20,580,000 | ||||||
| Minbei | 10,537,000 | ||||||
| total | 937,132,000 | ||||||
| * "Arabic" for this chart is composed of the total of the following SIL designated languages: | |||||||
| Egyptian | 42,500,000 | ||||||
| Algerian | 22,400,000 | ||||||
| Moroccan | 19,542,000 | ||||||
| Saidi | 18,900,000 | ||||||
| Sudanese | 16,000,000 | ||||||
| North Levantine | 15,000,000 | ||||||
| Mesopotamian | 13,900,000 | ||||||
| Najdi | 9,800,000 | ||||||
| Tunisian | 9,308,000 | ||||||
| Sanaami | 7,600,000 | ||||||
| total | 174,950,000 | ||||||
| * "French" for this chart is composed of the total of the following SIL designated languages: | |||||||
| French | 72,000,000 | ||||||
| Hatian Creole French | 7,572,000 | ||||||
| total | 79,572,000 | ||||||