Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the World. In terms of total number of speakers, Spanish only follows behind Chinese, English and Hindi languages. Combining the total number of native Spanish speakers and those that speak the language as a second language and over 400 million individuals are Spanish speaking globally. Meaning, regardless of where an individual lives, works or plays they will regularly encounter the Spanish language.

Which countries speak Spanish? – 5 Fast Facts

• Spanish originated in Spain. It is also the official language of the country, spoken by over 40 million people.
• With over 100 million speakers, Mexico has the largest concentration of native Spanish speakers.
• Spanish is spoken all over Central and South America. Argentina, Venezuela, El Salvador, Bolivia, Chile, Panama and Peru are just a few of the Spanish speaking countries in this region.
• In the Caribbean, Spanish is spoken in Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Almost 4 million individuals speak Spanish in the U.S. owned territory of Puerto Rico.
• Spanish can be found in several areas on the continent of Africa, primarily in Equatorial Guinea where Spanish is one of the official languages of the country.

The Spanish-speaking world is becoming increasingly less restricted to countries where it is the primary language. The United States has one of the largest Hispanic communities in the world. In fact, Hispanics have become the largest and fastest growing minority group in the country with a Spanish population spreading from coast to coast. In Los Angeles, Spanish is just as likely as English to be the first language learned. In Miami, Spanish has overtaken English to become the primary language of the city, with over 60 percent of the population listing Spanish as their first language. 

As the language increases in popularity their will no longer be a question of which countries speak Spanish? The globalization of businesses, tourism and the immigration of Spanish speaking individuals will mean the Spanish language will be on almost every continent and country.