Asia is a diverse place – with 49 countries spread across 44.58 million square kilometres, connected to three oceans with a total population of more than 4.8 billion. In the whole of Asia, it’s estimated that more than 2,300 languages are spoken. Wondering which countries have the most varied communication methods? Recent data from Ethnologue has revealed which countries around the world speak the most languages, and one Asian nation ranked at number two.
Globally, the country where the most languages are spoken is Papua New Guinea, which is home to 841 living languages. The country's official languages include English and Tok Pisin, while the other regional languages are kept alive by communities around the country, mainly remote island regions.
The second most linguistically diverse country in the world is Indonesia, home to 721 living languages. With a geographical make-up formed of more than 17,000 separate islands, it’s no huge surprise that this archipelagic state (the largest archipelagic state in the world) is home to a lot of diversity on the language front.
Next up is Nigeria, where 538 living languages are spoken across the vast (923,769 square kilometre) country. As Africa’s largest nation (by population), it checks out that Nigeria would be home to more languages than any other African country.
According to the data, India is the fourth most linguistically diverse country in the world, with its huge (1.4 billion) population speaking 459 languages. With its large population, vast land mass and diverse cultural groups (it’s one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world), it makes sense that India should appear on the list.
The final country to make the top five was the United States, which is home to 364 living languages. English is the most common language spoken here, but 363 other languages are still spoken across the country.
These are the most linguistically diverse countries in the world
- Papua New Guinea
- Indonesia
- Nigeria
- India
- United States
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