Official languages are quite the standard globally. While the exact role they play varies from country to country, an official language is usually, simply the language of the government. All this means is that official documents and official works are conducted in that particular language (or languages, when there is more than one). Official languages are generally, the ones spoken by the majority of inhabitants of a country, but that is not always the scenario
Looking at the most common official languages globally, the disassociation between the languages of governments and the languages of the people becomes certain.
Let us take a look at some of the most common official languages across the world.
English (60 Countries)
It is an official language in 60 countries. Some of the prominent countries include Canada, Australia, India, Ireland, New Zealand Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, South Africa, and others.
When counting both native and non-native speakers, English is the most-spoken language globally. It is not too surprising that English will be the most common official language, then. And yet, the two figures are not necessarily related. Mandarin Chinese is the second most-spoken language, but it is merely an official language in a handful of countries. Also, many countries where English is an official language have hardly any English speakers.
English’s status is mainly a reflection of the British and American colonies. Most of the countries where English is an official language were once under the UK or under the control of the US. In some, English was forcibly enforced on entire populations, while in others it only became the language of the government.
The dominance of English still continues because of its role as a lingua franca. Even in countries that rejected English rule several years ago, the English language opens doors to participation in the larger worldwide marketplace.
French (29 Countries)
It is official in 29 countries. While some of the major ones include Belgium, Canada, Cameroon, France, Switzerland among others. Like English, French too was spread through colonization. Africa has more French speakers than any other continent. French is the official language of several governing bodies like the EU, NATO, the UN.
Spanish (20 Countries)
It is official in Spain, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru are prominent ones besides in a few other countries. Spain is mostly treated as the cultural front of Spanish because of its name the majority of Spanish speakers live in the Americas. It was introduced mainly because of the colonization that started with Christopher Columbus.
Portuguese (10 Countries)
It is official in Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Macau. Portuguese is official in 6 African countries, 1 country each in South America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
German (6 Countries)
It is official in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, and a few others. Though Germany did not carry out the same sort of colonization. But it had its entire territory taken after WW1. Thus, when Europe split into territories among other countries. Due to this German is widely spoken.
Russian (5 Countries)
It is official in Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and others. Russian is the official language of Russia and neighboring countries. Though the majority of the Russian speakers live in Russia. It has a sizable population living in Ukraine, Turkey, and Belarus.
Italian (4 Countries)
It is official in Italy, Vatican, Switzerland, and San Marino. Italian is there because of the two landlocked countries the Vatican and San Marino a microstate there.