How Many People Speak Portuguese?

Portuguese is used by over 260 million people worldwide. Originating from Latin, Portuguese is an Indo-European language. Such a thick density of speakers is making the language ever more significant on the global platform. It shares close structural congruencies with Spanish, French, Italian, and Romanian. Given the wide geographical spread and the business and tourism opportunities, the language has interested many individuals and firms. Now, let us look at the countries that speak Portuguese the population distribution, the future of this language, and the benefits of learning it.

Where Do They Speak Portuguese?

9 countries speak Portuguese:

• Portugal
• Brazil
• Angola
• Cape Verde
• Guinea-Bissau
• Equatorial Guinea
• Mozambique
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• East Timor

Additionally, Portuguese is used alongside Chinese in Macau, and it is spoken in parts of India such as Goa, Daman, and Diu.

Population Distribution of Portuguese Speakers

Breakdown of the population of Portuguese speakers:

• Brazil: 211 million (73%)
• Angola: 32 million (11%)
• Mozambique: 31 million (10.5%)
• Portugal: 10.3 million (3.6%)
• Guinea-Bissau: 1.9 million (0.7%)
• East Timor: 1.3 million (0.4%)
• Equatorial Guinea: 1.4 million (0.5%)
• Cape Verde: 550,000 (0.2%)
• São Tomé and Príncipe: 219,000 (0.1%)

Over 70% of Portuguese speakers live in South America, and Brazil is at the forefront. Even though Portugal is the homeland of Portuguese, it only makes up about 4% of the total population that speaks Portuguese. In both Portugal and Brazil, the speaking rate of Portuguese is almost 100%.

The Future of Portuguese

The future of Portuguese looks bright. By 2050, the number of Portuguese speakers is expected to reach 300 million. Key factors driving this growth include:

– Rapid population growth in Brazil

– Economic development and population growth in African countries that speak Portuguese

Benefits of Learning to Speak Portuguese

Portuguese learning has a wide range of opportunities behind the efforts you put to achieve it. Business and Travel Opportunities: Since Portuguese is in the top five world-ranked languages, speaking it is important in terms of traveling and business. Every firm dealing with Brazil, Portugal, Angola, and Mozambique will require you to be able to speak Portuguese. Cultural Enrichment: You will certainly get to know the rich culture of Portugal and Brazil like you never knew before. You will be able to read the literature from there, their music, dance, cinema, and art.

Sports Career Opportunities

As Brazil is very serious about football, people who speak Portuguese would be highly valued in translation for Brazilian players or advertisement and promotional events that would occur in Brazil.

Companies Need Portuguese Speakers

Portuguese holds an important stand for companies looking for high visibility impact in the global market. Some of the benefits of using Portuguese content and staff who can speak Portuguese include the following:

Market Entry

This has become the official language in most key markets of both Africa and South America. Translation of your promotional material, mobile apps, and websites into Portuguese will help you break into these markets and acquire new customers.

Business Competitive Advantage

Hiring employees who speak Portuguese equips your firm with a competitive advantage over trade rivals, especially during the setup of export and import networks with emerging economies like Brazil.

International Communication

Portuguese is spoken at numerous international organizations. Knowledge of Portuguese will help enhance the worldwide communication function of your company.

Close Economic Relations with  Brazil

Portuguese is the official language of Brazil – one of the largest economies in the world. Today, it is an important language in the sphere of international trade and business. Involvement in commercial activities with Portuguese-speaking countries is impossible without Portuguese.

Interesting Facts About Portuguese and Countries That Speak Portuguese

• Portuguese is the second most spoken language in South America.
• Besides, all countries where people speak Portuguese are referred to as the Lusophone world. The Community of Portuguese Language Countries, or CPLP, shares cultural events, festivals, and heritage.
• Those knowing either Spanish or Italian find it much easier to learn Portuguese because of the shared vocabulary and grammar rules.
• It was spread across the globe by Portuguese explorers like Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan during the Age of Discovery.
• The presence of the Portuguese explorers in Japan during the 16th century has left its mark on languages like Japanese with Portuguese words.
• Fado, Bossa Nova, and Samba, among several others, have Portuguese as theirs.
• José Saramago won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his works in Portuguese in 1998.

How to Learn to Speak Portuguese

There are several effective ways to learn Portuguese:

• The course in the Portuguese Language: Grammar, vocabulary, speaking, reading, and writing are taught. All these are being done in many cities.
• Online Portuguese Lessons: Most of the online language courses have gained popularity by providing structured learning paths.
• Language Learning Apps: There are plenty of free and paid applications to learn Portuguese.
• Portuguese Language Books and Digital Materials: It is quite feasible to learn Portuguese with textbooks and online resources. Although degrees in Portuguese are not offered in Turkish universities, some departments of Spanish Language and Literature offer elective courses in Portuguese.
• Living in a Portuguese-Speaking Country: Staying in a Portuguese-speaking country is one of the most productive ways to learn a language.

Conclusion

Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the world and appears to hold growing global importance. Knowledge of Portuguese could amass tremendous benefits when traveling and doing business. With its wide reach geographically and the business opportunities it presents, Portuguese is always a very appealing language to learn among individuals and business entities. The large trade volume and increasing population in Portuguese-speaking countries continue to make translating into Portuguese very important.