There are approximately 7,000 to 7,164 known languages spoken worldwide as of 2025. The Ethnologue, a widely recognized comprehensive catalogue, lists about 7,164 languages currently in use

. Other sources estimate around 7,000 languages, noting that this number fluctuates due to languages evolving, dying out, or being reclassified

. Key points:

• Around 7,000+ languages exist globally.
• Most languages are spoken by relatively small populations; about 90% are used by fewer than 100,000 people

• Linguistic diversity is highest in regions like Papua New Guinea (832 languages), Asia (about 2,200 languages), and Africa (around 2,000 languages)

• The number of languages is not fixed and changes over time due to social and cultural factors

In summary, the world hosts roughly 7,000 languages, with Ethnologue's 7,164 figure being one of the most current and authoritative counts.