Translation Trends: Which Languages Are Most Popular?

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In today's world, there are over 6,500 spoken languages, ranging from German, which is spoken by 200 million people, to Hungarian, which is used by around 12.5 million people. With so many spoken languages, the demand for interpreters able to understand and translate some of those languages drastically increased in recent years, which is due to the degree of interconnectivity that characterizes our planet in 2022.

Even though English might seem like a popular language, three in four Internet users, ranging from all livable continents of the globe, prefer buying products on the internet in their native language. That's why if you're running a business or selling any products throughout the internet, your site needs to be able to convey the intended information to target audiences and not scare off any of their groups.

According to the experts at architekst.com, with the rapid expansion of the internet and its communication pillars, millions of internet users increased the demand for translation services. When translating texts for business purposes, always rely on reputable, trusted services, rather than quick Internet translations, which often result in the meaning of the work being compromised or lost.


Simplified Chinese

It doesn't necessarily come as a surprise that due to the enormous Chinese economy, the country's official language – Simplified Chinese, topped the podium for the most translated language. The citizens of this country alone make up nearly one-fifth of the entire world's population. Alongside the 770 million internet users originating from China, it is a massive market for any company that’s interested in going big.

With corporations aiming to expand their horizons on the Chinese market, it is necessary for businesses to make it possible to shop on their websites in their native language.


Spanish

There are currently 20 countries worldwide with their official language being Spanish and even more places with a high Spanish speaking population. With over 500 million Spanish speakers today, the number is expected to reach 750 million by 2050. The language is not only a great communications tool worldwide, giving you a great advantage to blend in with the locals while visiting some Spanish speaking areas, but also a high-in-demand language for translation.

With the massive Spanish speaking population, companies want to allow them to comfortably access their websites, making it the second most popular language in the world for translation.


Arabic

Like Chinese, Arabic is also considered a macrolanguage, demonstrating its complex linguistics and being prominently recognized for its elaborate vocabulary.

Most Popular Language

Today, 25 countries have Arabic as their official or co-official language, and with that comes a considerable consumer population. It's no secret that the economy of some of the Middle Eastern countries has skyrocketed in the last decades due to their oil fields. In total, Arabic-speaking countries have accumulated a GDP of $2.522 trillion, with the oil wealthy monarchy of Saudi Arabia topping the charts with a GDP of $686.73 Billion.

It leaves no surprises as to why Arabic is such a highly translated language, with all companies worldwide trying to get a piece of the Arabic-speaking market.

With that arrives the need for companies worldwide to accustom themselves to the Arab world's native tongue.


Portuguese

Portuguese might not be everyone's first guess while thinking about the most widely spoken languages; however, that might be caused by forgetfulness that it's the official language of the country with the 6th largest population in the world – Brazil. Many people associate Portuguese solely with Portugal (no wonder because of the name).

Still, the language is officially used in 8 nations, with co-official language status in three other ones. Around 270 million people are capable of speaking Portuguese, and companies will certainly not overlook that part of the market.


Conclusion

In today's world, knowledge of foreign languages constitutes a newly gained sense of power. It could allow you to communicate with locals while on a trip abroad and let you gain an insight into the cultural predispositions of a nation. It might also open the doors for you to the expanding world of translations, which for the more in-demand languages can get you a salary composed of several figures.

Companies are always looking to expand; that's why it doesn't come as a surprise that the languages topping the charts for the most in-demand translations are most often the ones that house the world's fastest-growing economies.

However, you could go one step further and focus on the markets of countries that are currently growing and are expected to become powerhouses in the next decades. This way, you wouldn’t have to worry about the over-saturation of the market.

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