The Language Of The European Union

Planning on doing business with European countries? There are an estimated 450-500 million consumers in the European Union. But, in order to do business, you have to speak their language. The EU recognizes about 20 official languages. But, what exactly is their language?

English is the most commonly used language in Europe. Over half (51%) of pollsters speak English as their native tongue, or as a secondary language. In 19 out of 29 countries polled, English was the main language used, other than their native tongue.

Languages Most Used In EU (Poll taken in Dec 2005, Published Feb 2006)
Source: European Union - Europeans and their Languages
1. English - 51% ……………….. (English Speakers) Wikipedia
2. German - 32% ……………….. (German Speakers)
3. French – 26% ……………….. (French Speakers)
4. Italian – 16% ……………….. (Italian Speakers)
5. Spanish – 15% ……………….. (Spanish Speakers)
6. Polish - 10% ……………….. (Polish Speakers)
7. Russian – 7% ……………….. (Russian Speakers)
* Some reports indicate that French is second instead of German.

About 14% of Europeans have indicated that they speak French or German, other than their own native tongue.

Non-EU countries include Latvia (26% Russian) and Estonia (17% Russian), which speak Russian as their mother tongue.

EU Languages – Speaking Other Than Own
1.  One – 56% of EU states
2.  Two – 28% of EU states
3.  Three – 11% of EU states
4.  None - 44% of Eu states

So here’s the question of the day. Can the unfamilarity or inexperience of languages affect the economy? The European Union says studies show that it can.

Two-thirds of Europeans say that learning another language is a priority.