Most Used Languages on the Internet in 2024
One of the key steps for brands to increase their sales is to connect with their buyers effectively. But before they can appeal to their emotions, they need to create content that matches their interests and needs, starting with choosing the right language.
Here’s a breakdown of the most used languages on the internet in 2024.
Most common languages on the internet: table
|
Language |
Share (as of July 2024) |
|
1. English |
49.7% |
|
2. Spanish |
5.9% |
|
3. German |
5.4% |
|
4. Japanese |
4.9% |
|
5. French |
4.3% |
|
6. Russian |
4.1% |
|
7. Portuguese |
3.7% |
|
8. Italian |
2.6% |
|
9. Dutch, Flemish |
2.1% |
|
10. Turkish |
1.8% |
What are the most used languages on the internet in 2024?
According to a study, as of July 2024, English dominates the internet as the most common language for web content. Close to half of all websites use English, which reflects its global popularity as the most spoken language worldwide with nearly 1.5 billion speakers.
The study also shows that no other language comes close to English in terms of online usage. This is so much so that its share of 49.7% is more than the combined shares of the other nine languages featured on this list, which total 34.8%.
Spanish, a language spoken by 60% of people living in Latin America and 6.8% of the global population, is in second place, with 5.9% of websites using it. Worldwide, it is the fourth most spoken language, with more than half a billion speakers. The German language, widely spoken in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg, ranks next, with 5.4%.
Japanese is the fourth most used language on the internet—4.9% of websites have content in the East Asian language, which is spoken by 1.6% of people worldwide. It is also the highest-ranked Asian language on this list.
French rounds out the top five, with a share of 4.3%. Together, these five languages have a combined share of 70.2%.
Russian is in sixth place. 4.1% of websites feature content in Russian, which is the official language of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. In comparison, it is spoken by 3.2% of the world's population. It is followed by Portuguese and Italian, with shares of 3.7% and 2.6%, respectively.
Dutch or Flemish ranks ninth among the most common languages on the internet, with 2.1% of websites using it. Completing the list of the 10 most used languages on the internet is Turkish, featured on 1.8% of all websites.
Of the 10 most popular languages on the internet, the majority are European languages. The remaining are from Asia.
FAQs on the most used languages on the internet
What is the most used language on the internet?
As of July 2024, English is the most used language on the internet.
How much of the internet is in English?
Close to half (49.7%) of websites on the internet are in English.
What are the most used languages on the internet?
The three most common languages on the internet are English, Spanish, and German.