English Speaking Countries: English is one of the widely spoken languages in the world. There are about 400 million native English speakers worldwide. It has been recognised as the international medium of language for communication.
English plays a central role in international business, diplomacy, science, education, and daily communication. Every year thousands of international applicants appear for various English language proficiency tests to study, wor, or immigrate to the popular English countries in the world such as the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc. Here, we have given a list of popular English speaking countries in the world.
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English Speaking Countries
English is either a primary or secondary language in many countries . It is the main medium of communication across different countries all over the world. Countries like the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc have the majority of the native English-speaking populations in the world.
English-Speaking Countries by Number
The United States is on the list with around 297 million English speakers, accounting for over 95% of its population. For 2025, India has more than 265 million speakers. Nigeria has about 125 million English speakers.
Other major contributors include:
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Pakistan: Approximately 108 million speakers
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United Kingdom: Around 63 million speakers
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Philippines: Roughly 70 million speakers
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Germany: About 45 million speakers
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France: Over 38 million speakers
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Canada: Around 30 million speakers
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Uganda: Approximately 20 million speakers
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Countries with English as a First Language
Over 93% of the total population in Ireland use English as their native language. The United Kingdom follows closely at 92.3%, and New Zealand at nearly 86%.
Other notable countries include:
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United States: 244 million native speakers (78.26%)
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Australia: 17 million native speakers (72.74%)
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Canada: 20 million (54.37%)
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Singapore: 48.3% of the population
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Nigeria and South Africa: Under 10% native speakers
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Regional Overview
Americas
In the Americas, over 350 million people speak English. The majority reside in the United States and Canada. Countries in Central and South America, such as Argentina, Colombia, and Chile, have growing English-speaking populations.
Africa
English is widely spoken in Africa, especially as a second language. Nigeria leads with over 111 million speakers. Other countries include:
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Oceania
English is the primary language in Oceania. Australia and New Zealand account for the majority of the region's 30 million English speakers. Smaller nations like Papua New Guinea and Fiji also have English-speaking populations, often as a second language.
Caribbean
In the Caribbean, English is the official language in about 18 territories. Jamaica has the highest number of English speakers in this region, with 2.6 million people using it in daily life.
Middle East
English is widely used across the Middle East, particularly in business, government, and education. Countries like Israel report over 80% of the population having English proficiency, while in Iraq, about 35% speak it as a second language.
Asia
Asia is home to nearly 460 million English speakers. India leads this group with over 265 million users, primarily using English in official and educational contexts. Other nations include:
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Europe
Europe has a strong base of English speakers. The United Kingdom remains the largest contributor with 60 million native speakers. Other countries with significant English-speaking populations include:
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Germany: 45.8 million
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France: 25.4 million
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Italy: 20.7 million
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