The 10 countries with the world's most English speakers - including 2 from Africa

There are over 7,000 different languages spoken around the world, according to Ethnologue. The number is constantly in flux as languages evolve and even die out over time - an obvious example of the latter is Latin.

Among the most widely spoken languages are Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish and French - as well as of course English. English is often considered the lingua franca - a working language that helps people to communicate. Perhaps its popularity is down to the far reaching influences of Western pop culture and Hollywood films.

It is the official language of 67 countries and 27 so-called non-sovereign entities - in other words British Overseas Territories like Gibraltar, the British Virgin Islands and so on. By some estimates an astonishing 1.5 billion people or so worldwide speak English, the vast majority as a second language.

Below is a list of the 10 countries with the most English speakers. This includes countries where English is spoken as a first and second language. In top spot is the United States of America, where a total of 299,270,000 speak English. Of these, 55,191,937 use English as their second language.

India - the most populous country in the world with 1.45 billion people - comes in a very respectable second place. A total of 228,539,090 are English speakers - the vast majority, though, speak English as their second language.

Nigeria comes in third place, with a total of 125,039,680 English speakers. Again, 103,198,040 speak English as their second language.

Pakistan has 108,044,691 English speakers and comes in fourth place. Only 8,642 consider English as their first language.

The UK is in fifth place with a total of 63,718,834 English speakers - or 98.28% of the overall population. It is followed hot on the heels by the Philippines, which boasts a total of 70,117,935 people who speak the English lingo.

Germany (45.9 million), Uganda (19.8 million) and France (38.6 million) come in seventh, eighth and ninth respectively.

Bringing up the rear and occupying tenth spot is Canada with 30,480,750 English speakers.