The internationality of the English language

Updated statistical information for early 2026 shows a continued upward trend in the global reach of the English language:

• Total Speakers: Recent estimates based on Ethnologue and British Council data indicate approximately 1.53 billion people worldwide now speak English at some level.
• Global Population Context: With the world population estimated at 8.3 billion in early 2026, English speakers now represent roughly 18.4% to 18.8% of all people on Earth.
• Native vs. Non-Native Ratio: The gap between native and non-native speakers continues to widen:
  • Native Speakers (L1): Approximately 390 million.
  • Non-Native Speakers (L2): Approximately 1.14 billion.
• Ownership Shift: Non-native speakers now account for roughly 75% of the total English-speaking population, reinforcing the fact that only about one in four people who speak English learned it as their first language.
• Future Growth: Projections suggest that the number of people learning or using English could reach 2 billion by 2030, driven by its status as the primary language for digital expansion, international business, and education

These statistics show the global reach of the English language, with non-native speakers forming the vast majority of its over 1.5 billion users

So, we can honestly say that the English language is no longer the property of native speakers. In fact, it now belongs to everybody – the nearest the world has ever seen to a universally shared live language- And, the number of English speakers is growing exponentially.

English language teaching must reflect that fact.

https://www.kylian.ai/blog/en/english-language-statistics

https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/world-population-projections