How Many People Speak Spanish? (2026 Statistics & Growth Data)

Spanish is the fourth most spoken language in the world, with 635.73 million speakers. Mexico (138 million) ranks at the top with the most Spanish speakers in the world.

The United States now has more Spanish speakers than Spain itself, in terms of total speakers (native & non-native). With 65.5 million Spanish speakers compared to Spain’s 48.9 million, Spanish became the second language after English that Americans speak. 

This report breaks down how Spanish speakers are segregated across countries, populations, and usage levels. By collecting data from Instituto Cervantes, census sources, and population projections, alongside original analysis, it maps the global Spanish-speaking nation, US state-level trends, and future growth. 

“The U.S. now has 65.5 million Spanish speakers—45.5 million native and 20 million non-native—compared to Spain’s 48.9 million. What most people don’t realize is that Spanish isn’t a ‘foreign’ language in America anymore.”

— Anna, Spanish Language Educator & Founder of AnnaSpanish.com

Top Spanish Speakers Statistics (2026)

• More than 635.73 million people speak Spanish globally, and 519.11 million of them are native speakers. (Source)
• Globally, 92.06 million people are L2 Spanish speakers, and 24.56 million students learn Spanish as a foreign language. (Source)
• Mexico has 138 million Spanish speakers, making it the number 1 Spanish-speaking country. (Source)
• In the US, 65.5 million people speak Spanish, ranking #2 in the world with the most Spanish speakers. (Source)
• The number of Spanish speakers in Spain is 48.9 million, the country of origin of the language. 
• Spanish ranks #4 globally in terms of total speakers.
• Spanish ranks third in native speakers, surpassing English with only 390.34 million speakers. 

How Many People Speak Spanish in the World?

Though 635.73 million people speak Spanish, 519.11 million of them are native speakers (L1). Over 92.06 million people treat it as a secondary language (L2). Meanwhile, 24.56 million of all Spanish speakers are basically students learning it as a foreign language (L3). 

*The image highlights the total number of Spanish speakers in the world. 

If we talk about native speakers, Spanish beats English globally with 519.11 million vs 390.34 million. This makes Spanish the third most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese and Hindi. 

Source: Instituto Cervantes 2025 Report

When it comes to overall speakers, 1.53 billion people speak English, which is 18.9% of the world’s population. English is a globally acknowledged language. That’s why 75% of people learned English for business, education, and entertainment purposes. 

According to Babbel, 1.2 billion people speak Romance languages, and around 44%-46% of them speak Spanish. French and Portuguese rank second and third, with 321 million and 279 million speakers, respectively. (Source: World Population Review)

(L1: Mother tongue/first language/native language, L2: Limited competence/Secondary language/L1 transfer language, L3: Learners/non-proficient) 

How Many People Speak Spanish in the USA

Nearly 65.5 million people speak Spanish in the USA. Out of which 45.5 million are native speakers and 20 million speak as a secondary language. 

The US has 16.6 million more speakers than Spain. Meanwhile, Spain dominates the US slightly when it comes to native speakers in the country.

(Methodology: The data was compiled after calculating the current population and data taken from the Instituto Cervantes.)

Source: Cervantes 

Whereas almost 100% people speak Spanish in Spain, 1 out of 5 people speaks Spanish in the US. 

Spanish Speakers in the United States: State by State

Over 10.44 million people speak Spanish in California, accounting for 15.94% of total Spanish speakers in the country. 

In Texas, every 1 in 4 people speaks Spanish. 

Maine, with 12,179 Spanish speakers, has the lowest percentage of Spanish speakers (0.86%). Vermont comes last in terms of total numbers (7,829). 

Despite English being the primary language in the US, 13.9% of the population speaks Spanish at home. 

Source: Census

Spanish-Speakers in The US Over the Years

After the removal of Title 42 and travel restrictions, migration contributed to a 2.5% increase in the native-speaking base within 18 months. 

Due to 1/5th population speaking Spanish, it became the #1 most-requested non-English language in US job postings. 

Note: The dip from 2019 to 2023 was driven by migration halts during COVID-19 and the US Census data disruptions. 

Methodology: Due to the high birth rate and immigration of hispanic population between 2020 and 2024, the total number of Spanish speakers saw an enormous 14.38% growth in 2025. During this period, the US population grew by 58.7 million, and 56% of them were Hispanics. 

Source: Pew Research

Spanish-speaking Countries in the World: Complete 2026 Rankings

Globally, Spanish is the official language in 21 countries, including Puerto Rico, a U.S. inhabited territory. 

Here’s the list of all 21 countries with the number of native and non-native Spanish speakers: 

Around 138.07 million Mexicans speak Spanish (94.18% of the total population), making it the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. In terms of population concentration, El Salvador comes at the top with 99.88% of the population speaking Spanish. 

Source: Cervantes 

Non-Spanish Speaking Countries 

The United States, being a non-Spanish-speaking country, has the second-largest number of Spanish speakers in the world. However, in this category, the US is at the top with nearly 65.5 million Spanish speakers. That means 1 out of 5 US people speaks Spanish as a native or secondary language. 

In second place, all 27 European Union countries have 45.73 million Spanish speakers. 

Source: Cervantes 

Aruba is officially a Dutch-speaking country, but 89.7% of the population can communicate in Spanish. However, 67% of them are non-native.

Andorra comes in second with 88.4% of the population speaking Spanish, but nearly half of them are native speakers. 

Methodology: The percentage of the Spanish-speaking population of Aruba and Andorra was calculated from Cervantes’ report, and their current population was taken from Wordometer. 

Spanish Students by Country

Due to the growing Hispanic population and Spanish being the most spoken Romance language, 24.56 million students have enrolled in Spanish classes as a foreign language. 

Spanish is the #1 studied foreign language. A total of 8.9 million students enrolled in different schools, colleges, and institutes to learn Spanish language. 

Source: Cervantes 

What does this mean for Business, Education, and Culture?

Despite being an English-heavy country, the US has 36.2 million eligible Hispanic voters. This is 14.7% of the US electorate. The number of voters increased by 4 million since 2020. 

The US Latino GDP already crossed $4.1 trillion. If this demographic were its own country, it would be the 5th largest economy in the world, larger than the economies of India, France, or the UK.

Spanish Language Growth Over The Years

In the past 10 years, Spanish speakers grew by almost 77 million. Native speaker growth in Latin America (mostly Mexico and Colombia) contributed to 1.1% annual increase in native populations. 

Another reason for this massive growth is the 7% increase in Spanish students from 2024. 

Total Spanish speakers in the world by years:

Source: Cervantes

Growth Of Spanish Speakers by 2030: What to Expect?

By 2030, it is projected that 7.5% of the entire world population will understand Spanish. In the U.S., Latinos now make up 20% of the population, making Spanish-language media (music and streaming) mainstream.

Latinos accounted for 78% of all new workers in the U.S. labor force between 2020 and 2025. By 2030, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. workers will be Hispanic.

Source: Salud America