English is the most common second language in 21 of Europe's 48 nations, according to data from national censuses and surveys compiled by Stay to Wander. The continent, home to nearly 750 million people across 19.53 million square kilometres, boasts over 200 languages.
English Dominates as Second Language
English stands out as the most prevalent second language, spoken by a significant portion of residents in 21 countries. In Iceland, 98% of the population speaks English as a second language, the highest proportion in Europe. Other nations with high English proficiency include the Netherlands (93%), Norway (88%), Malta (88%), Denmark (86%), and Sweden (89%).
Other Prominent Second Languages
French is the second most spoken language in Luxembourg (86%), the United Kingdom (23%), and Ireland (20%). Russian is widely spoken in former Soviet states: Armenia (94%), Estonia (56%), Lithuania (44%), and Ukraine (34%). Hungarian appears as a second language in Romania (6%), Serbia (4%), and Slovakia (9.4%).
According to Stay to Wander, the most popular tourist destination in Europe is France, welcoming over 100 million visitors annually.
Regional Linguistic Variations
In Spain, the second most spoken language is Catalan (22%), while in Italy, English is second (35%). Germany's second language is English (56%), and in France, Arabic is second (49%). In Monaco, Ligurian is spoken by 17% as a second language, and in San Marino, Sammarinese is second (83%).
Data was not available for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Latvia, and Vatican City. The information comes from national censuses and surveys, reflecting Europe's vibrant and multilingual character.
