About Ethnologue

The world’s most comprehensive database on the world’s living languages. 70+ years of experience in collecting, curating and publishing the defacto guide on language, starting from just $480 US per annum.

242 Countries

7,159 Living Languages

8+ billion People

Profiles for every language and country on earth

Maps of where each language is spoken

Powerful search and cross-referencing

Updated regularly

Comprehensive

So you never have to wonder what you aren’t finding out.

Every known living language

7,159, to be exact. We list every language that is still in use today. Our knowledge of the world’s language situation is always growing, including the total number of reported living languages. With Ethnologue, you’re guaranteed to get the latest, most complete list of languages as recognized by the ISO 639 standard.

Broader insights

Need the big picture? Step back and study our statistics for a given country, region or the world. Or plug the raw data into your own analysis tools to tease out exactly what you need. More on our country information »

Easy to search

We include every known name and dialect for a language, so you can find it no matter which term you use. You can also identify a specific language by its code, following the ISO 639-3 standard that Ethnologue pioneered. More on language codes »

Authoritative

The go-to source for essential language insights

7+ Decades of experience

Ethnologue is powered by SIL International, one of the world’s leaders in field linguistics. With more than 80 years of history, 4,000 staff and a network of partners rooted in local communities worldwide, our experience and global connections set us apart from the rest. More on the history of Ethnologue »

Rigorous standards

According to Google Scholar, Ethnologue is cited over 1000 times per year in academic literature. Trusted by nearly 200 top universities and institutions worldwide, you can expect carefully researched linguistic data. Learn more about our methodology for language identification, language status, maps and references.

Regular updates

There’s no more wondering if you have the latest data. We receive updated data from our network of over 2,200 Ethnologue Contributors and release a new edition of Ethnologue every year. Each new release includes an average of more than 18,000 updates. More on our current edition »

In-Depth

For a level of clarity you can't get anywhere else.

Rich data for each language

Ethnologue brings together a wealth of data, offering one of the most comprehensive resources of its kind. Quickly find what you need for any language — from populations to maps, dialects, usage, and more. More on our language information »

See relationships and trends

Is a language endangered? Thriving? What might its users speak as a second language? How about its family or dialects? Our profiles are cross-linked to help you see connections, and you’ll often find qualitative notes about attitudes, local religion and more.

Thought leadership

Dig into our insights on language endangerment, the top 200 languages, how many languages there are, and more. View more Insight pages » Our team is constantly working to design new tools for understanding language, such as our recently-introduced Digital Language Support (DLS) scale.

Some features and details may only be available with an Ethnologue subscription.

Ethnologue is a global voice

We exist to help you understand more about the people of the world, and how each language community is distinct. Whether you’re conducting a comprehensive research project or simply want to know more about a single language, Ethnologue makes it easy for you to achieve your goals by…

...providing clarity.
Ethnologue gives you insight into each of the world’s nearly 7,500 known languages — whether used daily by over a billion people or existing only as a memory of cultural heritage. The documented number is in constant flux because languages are living and dynamic. They constantly evolve as the communities that use them are shaped and influenced by our rapidly changing world.
...inspiring informed action.
Over 40% of languages are endangered, but for those who speak or sign them, they are just as important as the world’s most widely used languages. The languages we speak or sign are at the very core of our human identity and are integral to our ability to flourish in life. In a constantly shifting global language landscape, Ethnologue provides the information you need for advocacy, development and research.
In a world with such a diversity of languages, we believe no one should be kept from thriving because of the languages they speak or sign. Our team works with an extensive network of partners rooted in local communities worldwide to bring visibility to the global language landscape. Our mission is to equip you with critical data and insight into the world’s languages as you take action that promotes human flourishing through education, linguistic research and more. Our vision is to see measurable impact on minority language communities as a direct result of research and efforts informed by Ethnologue data.
...presenting the whole picture.
Ethnologue is a catalog of the ‘metadata’ of language — information about how languages are used around the world, who uses them, where and for what purpose. We are among the most trusted reference works on the language ecologies of the world, utilized across a broad range of disciplines. We serve top universities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, commercial companies, as well as curious individuals. With such diverse user needs, the bar is set high to ensure that you can apply our insights to your specific context.