Which European countries are most proficient at speaking multiple languages?
22nd December 2023
In Europe, close to 50% of the population is proficient in at least two languages, though language proficiency varies among countries. Approximately 65% of Europeans can converse in a language other than their mother tongue, a notable contrast to the United States where only about 20% of adults speak more than one language.
Regional disparities are easy to spot, with Nordic nations excelling in bilingualism while Southern European countries face more challenges. Notably, English-speaking countries show lower interest in learning additional languages, with only 50% of Irish individuals and a mere 34% in the United Kingdom being bilingual.
Why being bilingual is good for you?
Several studies found that being bilingual is good for your brain. Many say that learning new languages is an exercise of the mind and it’s the mental equivalent of going to a gym every day. In the bilingual brain, all our languages are active, all at the same time. This means that switching between languages exercises the brain and leads to improved concentration, problem solving skills, memory and creativity.
In 2007 a study undertaken in Toronto showed that people who speak more than one language develop dementia four to four-and-a-half years later than those who don’t.
How do people become bilingual (or multilingual)?
Being able to speak several languages is highly valued in the professional world and offers opportunities to explore other cultures and foster global communication.
People typically become bilingual through two primary avenues: growing up in a bilingual family or learning a second language at school, during travel, or other life experiences.
A new study, involving an extensive international sample of 1,001 children across 43 languages, offers ground-breaking insights into how infants and toddlers learn language. The research utilised day-long audio recordings and machine learning analysis. Key findings indicate that age, clinical factors and the amount of adult speech children hear, are the primary drivers of language development.
Experts agree that the earlier a person learns a second language, the more easily they can master it. Language development specialists recommend two main approaches for parents. The first involves teaching the minority language exclusively at home, ensuring exposure to the majority language outside the home.
The second approach, known as ‘one person-one language,’ entails each parent speaking a different language to the child. Often, parents in such situations use a third language to communicate with each other or opt for the language of the country they reside in.
While the idea that bilingual children may experience speech delays is partially true, it is important to understand that they acquire the same overall vocabulary as their monolingual colleagues at the same age, but the number of words they know is divided into two languages. The lag in vocabulary for each language diminishes over time as the child continues to develop.
How many people speak more than one language in Europe?
- United Kingdom – 34.6% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Ireland – 50.9% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Sweden – 96.6% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Norway – 92.1% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Finland – 92.1% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Estonia – 91.2% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Latvia – 95.7% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Lithuania – 95.6% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Denmark – 95.7% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Germany – 78.7% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Netherlands – 86.4% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Belgium- 78.6% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Poland – 67% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Czech Republic – 79% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Austria – 86.3% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Croatia – 73.2% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Hungary – 42.4% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Austria – 86.3% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Slovakia – 88.2% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Slovenia – 84.1% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Switzerland – 91.7% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Italy – 66.1% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina – 39% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Serbia – 79.3% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Romania – 35.8% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Bulgaria – 49.5% of the population speaks more than one language.
- North Macedonia – 68.3% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Albania – 40% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Greece – 66.5% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Italy – 66.1% of the population speaks more than one language.
- France – 60.1% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Spain – 54.3% of the population speaks more than one language.
- Portugal – 69% of the population speaks more than one language.
Source: Eurostat
