|
German
Speakers Around the World
Total*
|
Country |
Main
Type(s) |
Language
Status |
75,429,000 |
Germany |
Standard
German |
De
facto national |
7,409,000 |
Austria |
Standard
German (written), Austrian German (Kärntnerisch, spoken)
|
Official |
4,669,000 |
Switzerland |
Standard
German (written), Swiss German (spoken) |
One
of four official |
4,508,000 |
Brazil |
Standard
German, Hunsrik, Plautdietsch |
Minority |
1,537,000 |
USA |
Standard
German, Hutterite, Pennsylvania Dutch, Plautdietsch |
Minority |
1,016,000 |
France |
Alsatian (various German dialects) |
Minority |
788,000 |
Russia |
|
Minority |
500,000 |
Poland |
Standard
German |
Official
regional |
499,000 |
Canada |
Standard
German, Hutterite, Pennsylvania Dutch, Plautdietsch |
Minority |
400,400 |
Argentina |
Standard
German, Plautdietsch |
Minority |
302,000 |
Italy |
Austrian
Standard German (formal), Austro-Bavarian dialects (spoken) |
Official
regional |
228,000 |
Kazakhstan |
Standard
German, Plautdietsch |
Official
regional |
206,000 |
Paraguay |
Standard
German, Plautdietsch |
Minority |
200,000 |
Israel |
Standard
German |
Minority |
101,000 |
Belgium |
Standard
German (written), German dialects (spoken) |
Official
regional |
79,000 |
Australia |
Standard
German |
Minority |
60,000 |
Bolivia |
Plautdietsch |
Minority |
64,000 |
Romania |
Standard
German, Transylvanian dialect |
Official
regional |
46,000 |
Sweden |
|
Minority |
40,800 |
Czech
Republic |
Standard
German |
Minority |
40,000 |
Mexico |
Plautdietsch |
Minority |
38,200 |
Hungary |
Standard
German (formal), other varieties (informal) |
Official
regional |
35,000 |
Chile |
Standard
German |
Minority |
33,300 |
Ukraine |
Standard
German |
Official
regional |
32,000 |
Ecuador |
Standard
German |
Minority |
31,000 |
Kyrgyzstan |
|
Minority |
30,000 |
Liechtenstein |
Standard
German (formal), Liechtenstein dialect (informal) |
Official |
30,000 |
Uruguay |
Standard
German, Plautdietsch |
Minority |
26,000 |
Denmark |
Standard
German |
Official
regional |
22,500 |
Namibia |
Standard
German |
Official
regional |
12,000 |
South
Africa |
Standard
German |
Minority |
11,000 |
Colombia |
|
Minority |
10,200 |
Luxembourg |
Standard
German |
One
of three official |
6,900 |
Belize |
Plautdietsch |
Minority |
5,000 |
Slovakia |
Standard
German |
Official
regional |
4,500 |
Peru |
|
Minority |
1,500 |
Venezuela |
Alemán
Coloniero |
Minority |
 |
Notes
* As a first language. Figures are estimates, and due to the
nature of data collection in this particular field, the level
of uncertainty varies between countries.
Sources
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Britannica Book of the Year 2011.
Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 2011.
Johnson, S. and N. Braber. Exploring the German Language,
2nd edn. Cambridge, etc.: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Paul, M. P., G. F. Simons et al, Ethnologue: Languages of the
World, 18th edition, 2015.
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