Top 10 Languages Used in Business
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Got your eyes on the global market? Want to expand your product or service to overseas buyers? Before you head down the localization path, it’s important that you choose the right locale and language to offer your business in. So, without further ado, we present to you the top 10 languages used in international business:
1. English
Strongest Industries: Legal, Marketing
It comes as no surprise that English stands as the most popular language used in business. With more than 300 million native speakers worldwide, and a total of 1.1 billion overall speakers, English is undoubtedly the most influential language of business. According to Talk, 53% of websites are in English, while the total amount of internet users equates to more than 900 million.
2. Chinese
Strongest Industries: Legal
For businesses that want to thrive globally, Chinese is the next-best language to consider. Chinese has over 1.120 billion total speakers, while China has the second-largest economy in the world with drastic production and purchasing power. The significance of Chinese in the business landscape has never been more obvious – it also happens to be the second most popular language among internet users.
3. Spanish
Strongest Industries: iGaming, Sports Betting, e-Learning
Spanish is a golden language in business. About 527 million people speak it globally, more specifically, there are a whopping 50 million of those residing in the US, which is the world’s largest economy. In fact, the Hispanic population in the US is said to double by 2050, making this language even more fruitful in business. Those choosing to localize in this language however, should be cautious in selecting which market to approach, as there is the Spanish EU market and the Spanish LATAM market, which have their linguistic differences.
4. Arabic
Strongest Industries: Finance
Arabic is the fourth most common language used in business and is undoubtedly one that that needs to be one of your chosen localization languages. 422 million people speak is across the world, and of recent years, it has seen an exponential growth in internet penetration. Business opportunities are rising in Middle Eastern countries and six of them are in the UK’s top 50 export market in goods. Even the British council dubbed it the ‘language of the future’.
5. French
Strongest Industries: Finance, iGaming
French isn’t just the language of love, but one of the top languages for business, too. Accounting for 20% of world trade in goods as well as having over 220 million worldwide speakers, there’s no question why French should be your best choice for business success. It is the official language of more than 29 countries in the world, including African ones, Tanzania, Rwanda, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Cote D’Ivoire – all of which are the fastest-growing African economies.
6. Japanese
Strongest Industries: Video Games
Yet another Asian language that should not be overlooked when planning to localize your business is Japanese. It may only have just over 120 million speakers, yet it still stands strong among business languages. As the third biggest eCommerce marketplace in the world, the second largest investor in R&D, and with its strong purchasing power of consumers, Japanese is beneficial for those wanting to pursue global business.
7. Hindi
Strongest Industries: Websites, Tourism
With 270 million native speakers, Hindi is an ideal language for business translation. Its online presence has grown exponentially over the years, most specifically, by 67% according to CSA Research report. With India’s rising economy, an increasing consumer market and its developing manufacturing field, Hindi looks to be a strong candidate for business endeavors.
8. German
Strongest Industries: Medical Devices, Automotive
Offering your business in German can give it a competitive edge. Germany has Europe’s largest population and economy, and has the fourth most used language in the world. As a leader in the automobile sector, with a strong grip on global banking, and as the third largest contributor in research and development, there’s no doubt that localizing your business into German will be a great choice.
9. Russian
Strongest Industries: Video Games, iGaming
Online business opportunities are thriving in the Russian market as it is the second most popular Internet language. With 160 million native speakers and the ninth most common language in the world, this language has immense business potential. Russia is the world’s sixth largest economy, and is expected to overtake Germany by 2030. According to the British Council, Russian is also a significant language for “international relations, diplomacy and trade”.
10. Portuguese
Strongest Industries: iGaming, Sports Betting
With the rising Brazilian economy and growing purchasing power of its consumers, Portuguese is one of the strongest business languages in the world. It is one of the top 10 most spoken languages and the second most spoken language in Latin America. Brazil also has a booming reputation in pharmaceuticals and energy, making Brazilian an attractive language for international business. If you have your eye on this language, it’s wise to bear in mind which Portuguese market to target, as Brazilian Portuguese and Portugal Portuguese can differ slightly in each nation.
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