| English has official or special status in at least seventy-five countries with a total population of over two billion. as a first language by around 375 million. English is spoken as a second language by around 375 million speakers in the world. Speakers of English as a second language will soon outnumber those who speak it as a first language. Around 750 million people are believed to speak English as a foreign language. One out of four of the world's population speaks English to some level of competence. Demand from the other three-quarters is increasing. British Council | 