How many people speak Chinese?

There are many varieties of Chinese with over 1.3 billion speakers in various countries. This page shows many people speak each variety of Chinese, and where they can be found.

Gan (赣语 / 江西话)

Hakka (客家话)

Huizhou (徽州話)

Jinyu (晋语)

Mandarin (普通话 / 国语 / 华语)

Northern Min / Min Bei (閩北語)

Eastern Min / Min Dong (闽东语)

Southern Min / Min Nan (閩南語 / 闽南语)

Central Min / Min Zhong (闽中语)

Pu-Xian Min (莆仙語)

Northern Pinghua (桂北平话)

Southern Pinghua (桂南平话)

Wu (吴语)

Xiang (湘语)

Yue (粵語 / 粤语)

Information about Huizhou Chinese
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huizhou_Chinese
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/czh

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Jinyu (晋语)

Jinyu or Jin is a variety of Chinese spoken in northern China, mainly in the provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei, Henan and in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 47,100,000

Information about Jinyu Chinese
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_Chinese
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cjy

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Mandarin (普通话 / 国语 / 华语)

Mandarin is spoken by 1.12 million people mainly in China, and also in quite a few other countries: Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 1,085,000,000 Republic of China (Taiwan) 19,580,000 China (Hong Kong) 3,421,000 2,896,766 Singapore 2,840,000 Vietnam 2,000,000 Malaysia 1,230,000 Myanmar 994,000 Australia 597,000 Canada 592,000 Japan 549,000 Cambodia 498,000 Indonesia 466,000 China (Macao) 362,000

Smaller numbers of Mandarin speakers are found in quite a few other countries. See: https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cmn

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Northern Min (閩北語)

Northern Min or Min Bei is a variety of Min Chinese spoken by 11 milion people mainly in Fujian province in eastern China, and also in Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces, and in Singapore. Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 11,100,000 Singapore 15,200

Information about Min Bin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Min
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mnp

Information about Min languages

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Eastern Min (闽东语)

Eastern Min or Min Dong is a variety of Min Chinese spoken by 10.8 milion people mainly in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, and also in several other countries Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 10,500,000 Malaysia 252,000 Singapore 56,000 Brunei 6,000 4,080

Information about Min Dong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Min
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cdo

Information about Min languages

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Southern Min (閩南語 / 闽南语)

Southern Min or Min Nan is a variety of Min Chinese spoken by 48.5 milion people southern China, Taiwan, and a number of other countries. Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 27,700,000 China (ROC - Taiwan) 13,500,000 Malaysia 2,660,000 Thailand 1,080,000 Philippines 1,000,000 Indonesia 766,000 Singapore 625,000 China (Hong Kong) 493,000 Cambodia 350,000 219,000 Japan 75,000 Canada 31,800 Australia 17,900 Brunei 13,300 New Zealand 6,190

Information about Min Nan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Min
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/nan

Information about Min languages

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Central Min (闽中语)

Central Min or Min Zhong is a variety of Min Chinese spoken in Fujian province in China. Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 3,620,000

Information about Min Nan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Min
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/czo

Information about Min languages

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Pu-Xian Min (莆仙话)

Pu-Xian Min is a variety of Min Chinese spoken by 3.1 milion people mainly in Fujian province in China, and also in Malaysia and Singapore. Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 3,140,000 Singapore 27,000 Malaysia 24,700

Information about Pu-Xian Min

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Northern Pinghua (桂北平话)

Northern Pinghua is a variety of Chinese spoken in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 1,760,000

Information about Pinghua
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinghua
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cnp

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Southern Pinghua (桂南平话)

Southern Pinghua is a variety of Chinese spoken in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 2,370,000

Information about Pinghua
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinghua
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/csp

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Wu (吴语)

Wu is a group of Chinese languages spoken by about 81.8 million people mainly in the provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Zhejiang in China, and also in a number of other countries. Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 81,700,000 China (Hong Kong) 77,500 Canada 12,900 7,510 Japan 7,000 Australia 3,380

Information about Wu

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Xiang (湘语)

Xiang is a variety of Chinese spoken in Hunan, Guizhou and Hubei provinces and in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 37,400,000

Information about Xiang

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Yue (粵語 / 粤语)

Yue is a group of Chinese languages spoken by about 84.8 million people mainly in southern China in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Hunan provinces, and Hong Kong and Macau, and also in a number of other countries. Country Number of speakers China (PRC) 73,300,000 Chinese (Hong Kong) 6,662,000 1,290,000 Malaysia 1,070,000 Canada 565,000 China (Macau) 507,000 Vietnam 500,000 Australia 281,000 Singapore 227,000 Indonesia 182,000 New Zealand 44,600 44,400 Japan 36,000 Panama 32,000 Thailand 29,400 21,400 Sweden 20,300 Cambodia 20,000 South Africa 15,000 Réunion 14,000 Philippines 9,780 Suriname 6,700 Brunei 6,300 Costa Rica 4,500 Puerto Rico 1,680 Honduras 1,000

Information about Yue

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Sinitic (Chinese) languages

Dungan , Cantonese , Fuzhounese , Gan , Hakka , Jian'ou , Mandarin , Puxian , Shanghainese , Taiwanese , Taiwanese Hakka , Teochew , Weitou , Wenzhounese , Xiang

Chinese pages

Written Chinese : Oracle Bone Script , Simplified characters , Bopomofo , Types of characters , Structure of written Chinese , Evolution of characters , How the Chinese script works , Xiao'erjing , General Chinese

Spoken Chinese : Mandarin , Dungan , Shanghainese , Wenzhounese , Yue , Cantonese , Weitou , Min , Jian'ou , Taiwanese , Teochew , Fuzhounese , Puxian , Hakka , Xiang , Gan , How many people speak Chinese?

Page last modified: 26.05.21

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