Do you know that 95.9 million people around the world speak the German language? German is associated with French because they both are the most learned second languages in the European Union. The German language has played a significant role in disseminating innovation and technology in the world. Do you want to know in which countries, this language is spoken? Apart from Germany, people living in other countries also speak the German language. You will be surprised to know that German is the official language of six European countries. These countries are Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. Approximately, 78% of German-speaking people reside in Germany. Moreover, 8% of people reside in Austria, 5% in Switzerland, and 1% live in Italy. Additionally, 7% of these people are scattered in different countries.
If you are planning your trip to any of the above-mentioned countries then you must take assistance from German translation services.
German Speaking Countries
Let’s have a look at the countries in which the people speak the German language widely.
Germany
The highest number of people that speak the German language reside in Germany. One reason is that German is the official language of Germany. Therefore, over 95% of its population speaks German as their first language. The other language that people living in Germany speak is Sorbian. It is German’s second language.
Germany is known as the land of “Land of Poets and Thinkers.” Therefore, if you want to study the great poets and thinkers of Germany, then German translation services can be of great help.
Austria
Austria is another European country where German is given the status of official language. Thus, Austrian people speak German widely. This shows that apart from Germany, German is widely spoken in Central and Western Europe. The official dialect that the people of Austria speak is called Standard Austrian German. 98% of the Austrian population speaks this language. People living in the Southern part of Austria consider Slovene as their official language. Even then people living there speak German.
Belgium
If you get any chance of visiting Belgium, then you can observe that local people in this country speak German with the other two official languages. These two languages are French and Dutch. More than 2.4 million people in Belgium speak German as a second language. In Belgium, you will find people speaking French, and Dutch along with many German words. While traveling to Belgium, you can easily converse with local people if you know the German language.
Luxembourg
In the European Union, many countries speak the German language, and Luxembourg is one of them. The population of this country speaks Luxembourg along with French and German. Luxembourg is a small country. Only 2% of its population speaks German. However, the number of people who speak German as a second language is 67.5%
Switzerland
Switzerland is one of the German-speaking countries in Europe. This country is included in German-speaking parts of Europe. 64% of Switzerland’s population speaks the German language. This country has four official languages, which are Romansh, Italian, French, and German. Out of these official languages, people speak German as a second language. To communicate with 64% of Switzerland’s population, German translation services can be of great help.
Liechtenstein
The small and scenic country of Liechtenstein has German as its official language. It is situated between Switzerland and Austria, which are both German-speaking countries. Around 86% of Liechtenstein’s population, speak German as their first language, while the remaining 14% speak German as their second language.
Number of People that Speak German in North America
Although German is not the official language of North America, still 1.4 million people living in this part of America speak the German language. The important thing to note is that the German language has been declining in the USA since the last century. Before World War 1, it used to be the second most spoken language in the United States. With time, the Spanish language took its position over. The largest Spanish-speaking community called Hispanic are residing in the USA. To communicate with this community, Spanish translation can be of great help.
The German language regained its position in the 18th and 19th centuries because a large number of German people migrated to the US. You can find different colonies of German immigrants in the country. They have influenced the culture of different communities such as Pennsylvania Dutch. Moreover, Canada has also accommodated a large number of German immigrants in the 20th century.
German Spoken in Africa
You must be curious to know how the German language made its way to Africa. A large number of people that are residing in Africa have German ancestry. The German immigrants that moved to South Africa have influenced the culture and language of the country immensely. The German influence is deeply rooted because of the German people’s presence in the country for many years. However, the official language of Africa is Afrikaans. The largest German-speaking country in Africa is Namibia.
Wrapping Up
Apart from the above-mentioned countries, there are many other countries where people speak the German language. Before visiting any country, you must check the number of people who speak a specific language. This can help you mitigate the communication barrier. For instance, if you are planning to visit the US, then Spanish translation can be of great assistance.
