The 55 countries in the world where English is the second most spoken language

It’s well known that the English language reaches far and wide, with close to one billion speakers.

Many people around the world have English as their first language. Others have English as a secondary language - one that is learned after a native language. 

Ever wondered where English is the second most spoken language? Now we know that people from 55 countries speak English as their second primary language, according to data from the CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia dating back to February 2021.

A map of common second languages often shows that countries prioritise learning English in their education systems or make English their business language.

However, the findings are not related to either. Instead, data mapped by the Visual Capitalist highlights the historic movement of people to and from countries, showing the second-most common primary language.

In Europe, those in Iceland, Sweden, and Norway all speak English as their second language. France and the Netherlands are also listed as secondary English speakers. 

Meanwhile in southern Europe, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus speak English after their native tongue. Hungarians have English as their secondary language, while both Spain and Portugal don't. 

There are some incredible locations in North America that hold down English perfectly: Costa Rica, Panama, and Puerto Rico.

Only two South American nations have English as their secondary language. Argentina and Suriname, a former Dutch colony on the northeastern coast of the continent, have an abundance of English speakers.

The African continent is also widely known for its diverse array of languages, as well as the fluency of English especially among its youth. In Egypt, Sudan, and Cameroon, you'll find English as a secondary language. 

In Asia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines all master English as their most common second language.

Though English comes out on top, there are plenty of countries where it doesn’t.

French is the second most spoken language in 14 countries, followed by Russian (13 countries). 

Spanish is the fourth most popular second language in 8 countries, followed by Creole (8), Arabic (6), Kurdish (4), Portuguese (4), Italian (3) and Quechua (3). 

Here's a breakdown of some of the countries where English is a second language:

Iceland, Sweden, Norway, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Hungary, Greece, Cyprus, Costa Rica, Panama, Puerto Rico, Argetina, Suriname, Egypt, Sudan, Cameroon, Oman, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, Papa New Guinea, South Korea.