European Languages: The Languages Spoken Most Across Europe (By Native Speaker)

With an area of only 4 million square miles, Europe is the second smallest continent on Earth. It encompasses 44 sovereign nations, 748 million inhabitants and one of the most important political institutions in the world: the European Union. The most spoken European languages are also some of the most spoken in the world.

With all of these languages and cultures existing inside a relatively small geographic expanse, a European holiday is an unforgettable experience. Yet when it comes to deciding which language to learn for your vacation, all of these choices make for a difficult decision. We’ll break down the 10 most spoken languages on the continent so you can decide which one is the most useful for the stops on your tour.

How Many Languages Are Spoken In Europe?

Europe is home to more than 200 indigenous languages, though it’s hard to decide on an exact number. The continent is home to a diverse linguistic landscape: most languages belong to the Indo-European language family, including Germanic languages such as English and Swedish, Romance languages that trace their root to Latin such as Portuguese, and Slavic languages such as Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian, and Slovenian. Other branches include the Uralic languages Finnish and Estonian, the Baltic languages, Greek, and Armenian. Many of these linguistic roots stretch back thousands of years, shaped by migration, geography, and long periods of contact between neighboring communities.

The EU officially recognizes 24 languages, but that figure covers only the official languages of its member states and institutions. Alongside widely spoken national languages are dozens of regional and minority languages, as well as languages introduced through more recent migration.

The 10 Languages Spoken Most In Europe by Number of Native Speakers

1. Russian: 140 million

Perhaps a surprise for many individuals, Russian tops this list as the most spoken language in Europe with roughly 140 million native speakers on the continent! The Cyrillic alphabet can be a tricky challenge for would-be Russian learners, but it doesn’t hinder the millions of individuals who claim it as their mother tongue.

Russian is the official language of Russia and Belarus,  and it’s also still used in many Eastern European countries where it was taught in schools during the Soviet era. For those looking to travel to Russia, having some knowledge of the language is highly encouraged, as only about 5 percent of Russians can speak English.

2. German: 95 million

The language of philosophers and thinkers, German, has the second-largest native-speaking population in Europe. It’s the sole official language of Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein, and it’s a co-official language in Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg. Approximately 95 million people across those countries speak German as their first language. German is also the most widely understood language after English because of its popularity with Europeans as a second (or third, or fourth) language.

3. French: 80 million

With about 80 million native speakers, French is the third most spoken language in Europe. It is the official language of France (of course), as well as a co-official language of Belgium, Switzerland and Luxembourg. French is so popular as a second language that over 30 percent of the continent understands it. That makes it useful for travel around the continent. With almost 30 countries claiming French as an official or administrative language, it’s a practical language for any aspiring global traveler.

4. Turkish: 78 million

Coming in at number 4, Turkish is the official language of Turkey and has about 78 million native speakers in Europe. It also has co-official status in Cypress and is frequently spoken around the Mediterranean, particularly in Macedonia, Greece and Serbia. Germany also has a large population of Turkish speakers — around 1.3 million people, in fact! Of course, Turkey and the Turkish language are special in terms of culture, as they belong to the social traditions of Europe as well as Asia. For those looking for a special vacation, Istanbul — the city half in each continent — cannot be beat!

5. Italian: 60 million

The 60 million Italian native speakers in Europe are experts on la dolce vita. Italian is naturally the official language of Italy, but it’s also a co-official language of Switzerland (it’s the third most spoken language by the Swiss, after German and French) and of Vatican City, the city-state for the Roman Catholic Church (conveniently landlocked by Rome, Italy). When you want to experience the authentic Italian way of life on your travels, learning Italian is a must!

6. English: 60 million

You had to know this was coming, right? English, the global lingua franca, has 360 million native speakers worldwide, with just under 60 million of those living in Europe. It’s the de facto (but not “official”) language of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, but the large number of English speakers residing in other European countries also adds to this number. As for second language speakers, about a third of older Europeans can speak English, while nearly half of 15- to 35-year-olds have a mastery of the language. That said, some scholars theorize that the political realities of Brexit may weaken the dominance of English on the continent in the future. All the more reason to learn another language.

7. Spanish: 43 million

For years now, Spain has enjoyed a covetable position as one of Europe’s best travel destinations — especially for other Europeans seeking a warm and relaxing summer vacation. That, along with the fact that 43 million Europeans claim Spanish as their mother tongue, is reason enough to start learning this language. It certainly helps that Spanish is one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn.

Like French and English, Spanish is also a global language that can take you far. With 20 countries declaring it an official language and over 470 million native speakers, Spanish is the second most common native language in the world.

8. Polish: 36 million

While perhaps not as well-known as the other languages on this list, there are 36 million Polish native speakers who live in Europe. Most of these individuals (naturally) live in Poland, but Polish is also widely spoken in Czechia, Hungary, Belarus and Ukraine. Collectively, almost 6 percent of the European population speaks Polish as a first, second or third language.

9. Ukrainian: 27 million

The national language of Ukraine is spoken by 27 million native speakers, with the majority residing in Europe. Ukraine is the largest European country by area (when one excludes France’s overseas territories and the Asian continental portion of Russia). Plus, if you know Ukrainian, you’ll also end up understanding a lot of Russian!

10. Dutch: 22 million

The last spot on our list goes to Dutch, narrowly beating out Romanian for a spot in the Top 10. Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands but also enjoys co-official status in Belgium. In total, 22 million Europeans speak Dutch as their mother tongue. While this may seem like a small number, this language is pretty easy to pick up for native English speakers, especially compared to the other Germanic languages! Why not add it to your repertoire for your next trip to Amsterdam?