Vienamese
JapaneseBut which language is the most spoken language in Asia?
Let’s look at the most widely used languages and the contribution of each language in the APAC language group.
Traditional Chinese (Mandarin):
Maybe you have heard about Mandarin Chinese, the most spoken language in the Asian region and the language of China. Chinese is spoken by 1.2 billion people, a large part of Asia. Mandarin is the most useful and popular language!
The popularity of Mandarin is largely due to the enormous economic changes that China has undergone over the past few decades that have propelled it among the most popular languages of Asia. Considering the quantum leaps this language is making, it is easy to believe that analysts estimate that China will become a leading economy by 2050.
English
English, the official and business language of the world, is a lingua franca not only in the United States and Britain, it is also widely used in the Asia Pacific region. In fact, English takes second place in the most spoken languages in Asia with 400,000,000 English speakers. That’s about 17% of the population. To say that English is the language of the world would be an understatement. English is the top language after Mandarin and is likely to occupy the same position in the future.
Indonesian language:
The Indonesian language may come across as an uncommon candidate in the language stream but it occupies the third position in the most spoken languages in the Asian region. Spoken by 240,000,000 people, Indonesian is the language of 10% of Asia’s total population. As a standard form of Malay, the Indonesian language is sure to flourish over time.
Japanese
Japanese is another candidate for the most spoken languages in Asia with 120 million people, about 5% of the total population. The Japanese economy is famous for its advances in science and information technology.
Filipino
Filipino, historically derived from the Tagalog language, is the official language of the Philippines and adjoining areas. Spoken by 4% of Asians or 90,000,000 people and is a rapidly growing influential language in the field of learning and education.
Korea and Vietnam:
The reason these two languages have been mentioned in combination is that both languages are spoken by about 80,000,000 speakers or 3% of the total Asian population. Although a small number compared to other languages, Korean and Vietnamese are likely to thrive in the coming days due to the strong influence of Korea and Vietnam.
Thai
Commonly known as the national and official language of Thailand and the first language of the majority of Thai people. In Asia, it is used by 60 million people representing 2% of the total population.
Burma and Malaysia :
Burmese and Malay languages have the lowest positions on the list of most spoken languages in the Asian region with less than 30 million people, about 1% of the total Asian population. The reason for this size is simply the small size of the Malaysia and Burma regions.
Asian language group:
Although there are many languages spoken around the world, the Asian region is home to many diverse languages that are likely to grow and spread with the rise of immigration and the push back of trade barriers between Countries. It won’t be long before these Asian languages dominate the world with Mandarin Chinese leading the way alongside English and Indonesian. The key to having a strong business foundation in Asia is to realize the importance and vitality of these languages for business development.
