Nigerian languages are making waves on the global stage. According to fresh global data compiled by Visual Capitalist and based on Ethnologue’s 2025 figures, Nigerian Pidgin and Hausa now rank among the world’s top 20 most spoken languages.
Nigerian Pidgin, often described as the country’s most unifying street language, stands at 14th position worldwide, boasting about 121 million speakers. Hausa, a dominant language across Northern Nigeria and West Africa, ranks 19th, with 94 million speakers.
The report highlights the extraordinary growth of Pidgin, which, though spoken natively by just a fraction of Nigerians, is widely adopted as a second language by millions, making it a powerful bridge across ethnic and social lines. Hausa, on the other hand, continues to serve as a cultural, educational, and commercial force both in Nigeria and beyond its borders, with global media outlets like the BBC and VOA running Hausa-language services.
Nigerian Pidgin, Hausa Rank 14th and 19th Among the World’s Most Spoken Languages
📸: Visual Capitalist pic.twitter.com/O6PQXd371J
— Angel Network News (@angelnetnews) August 18, 2025
English and Mandarin Lead Globally
At the top of the global list, English remains the most spoken language in 2025, with 1.5 billion speakers worldwide. Interestingly, only about 25% (390 million) are native speakers, while the remaining 1.1 billion use English as a second language.
Mandarin Chinese, by contrast, holds the crown for most native speakers at 990 million, with just 194 million speaking it as a second language.
Nigeria’s Linguistic Influence
Linguists say the recognition of Nigerian Pidgin and Hausa in the top ranks reflects Nigeria’s rising demographic weight and cultural influence. For millions at home, it is a moment of pride and a call to preserve, standardize, and expand the use of local languages in education, technology, and global conversations.
