Which is the third most spoken language?

According to some sources, Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world, with English following at a close fourth, both after Mandarin and Hindi. However, it is difficult to find reliable data. Some sources are relying on estimates taken at varying dates, and some of the samplings are quite old. In addition, some sources rank languages according to all speakers (including those who speak the language as a second language), while others only count native speakers. Also, there is a question of the reliability of the statistics that have been gathered.

It is probably indisputable that Mandarin (Chinese) is the language most spoken on earth. The next three most common would be Hindi, Spanish and English.

English has been called "the international language of business" and many people in all parts of the world speak it to some degree. Spanish dominates Mexico and most of Central and South America, as well as Spain and her possessions. The influx of Spanish-speaking peoples into North America and elsewhere has given rise to a number of non-native Spanish-speakers who have learned Spanish.

In terms of world-wide relevance, Spanish is probably second only to English.