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How many of the world’s languages are at risk of dying out by the end of the 21st century?

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Three women sit together outdoors, smiling and laughing as they talk, with trees softly blurred in the background. — Language Spoken language is just one type of language, which has been defined in many different ways across history.

Linguists estimate that of the world’s approximately 6,900 languages, more than half are at risk of dying out by the end of the 21st century.1

Languages often disappear as successive generations of speakers shift toward more prestigious languages to gain social or economic advantages, or to avoid discrimination. While some languages are lost rapidly due to disasters or conflict, most decline gradually as communities become bilingual and eventually lose proficiency in their traditional tongues. Modern forces such as globalization, urbanization, and the widespread use of common languages in government, technology, and commerce have significantly accelerated these pressures.12

Despite these trends, there is a growing global recognition of the importance of linguistic diversity, with many preservationists working to document endangered dialects and revitalize languages as essential components of cultural and ethnic identity.12