Language > Spanish speakers: Countries Compared

Spanish is the third most widely spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese and English. Globally there are with between 322,200,000 to 358,000,000 speakers of Spanish as their first language and 417,000,000 speakers including second and subsequent language users.</p><p>Originally the language of Spain, after the arrival in the Americas of Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Spanish Colonial empire spread bringing the Spanish language with it. Areas in the Americas under Spanish control included most of South and Central America, Mexico, parts of the Caribbean and much of the United States. Most of the spanish speakers in the world today live in these formerly colonised regions.</p>