The most used languages on the Internet

In a world where the Internet has become the main driver of economic exchanges, it is essential to broaden your horizons in order to increase your company's turnover abroad.

Localization and translation of websites and mobile applications into the most commonly used languages is therefore of utmost importance.

The most spoken languages, which are mainly three, do not necessarily have the same weight on the Internet.

1. The three unavoidable languages on the Internet

According to the classification of the German statistics office Statista, the ten most used languages on the Internet represent 76.9% of the total number of users.

In first place is, of course, English with almost 26%, followed by Mandarin Chinese with 20%. Spanish is far behind, representing around 8% of users.

We can see that if we compare the top 10 most used languages on the Internet with the GDP figures by language (not by country), we get almost the same list.

2. English: the language of commerce and technology

English, the third most spoken language in the world, is the first international language and therefore the most important vehicular language.

English has always been the dominant language in computing, so it is only natural that this is also the case for the Internet, which has developed around English (web addresses, protocols, etc.).

In fact, we can say that it is the most translated language on the Internet. Most companies that start selling their products abroad through the Internet begin by translating their website into English.

3. Chinese: the fastest growing language on the Internet

Mandarin Chinese is one of the fastest growing languages on the Internet, so much so that some believe it could overtake English.

Ignoring Chinese in the translation of websites or applications means missing out on a significant gain of future customers whose purchasing power is also growing exponentially.

If you already have a website in English or Spanish that aims to export your expertise, you may want to contact a professional translation agency to translate it into Mandarin Chinese.

4. Is Spanish a widely used language on the Internet?

As I mentioned before, Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world, about 8% of the content on the Internet is written in Spanish.

The Spanish language remains in a good position, thanks to its weight in Latin America and its cultural importance.

In addition, Spanish is also present on the Internet through official international organizations (Spanish is one of the six official languages of the United Nations).

Knowing which languages are the most widely used on the Internet is essential for those who make decisions about business development across borders.

A competent translation agency can assist you in this development project and provide you with the right language solutions. Getting new customers when the local market is blocked is possible!