The Spanish language consolidates its global expansion and strengthens its digital presence

The Instituto Cervantes has presented its yearbook The Spanish Language in the World 2025, a report confirming the solid growth of the language in all areas: demographic, educational, cultural, and digital. According to the yearbook, the potential number of Spanish users has reached 635 million people, representing an increase of more than 30 million compared to the previous year.

Of that total, around 520 million are native speakers, which keeps Spanish as the third most spoken language in the world by number of native speakers, behind only Hindi and Mandarin Chinese. The report also highlights that Spanish is now the second most used language in the digital sphere, especially on social media and content creation platforms.

The 2025 edition of the yearbook goes beyond linguistic data. Under the direction of Luis García Montero, the Instituto Cervantes devotes several chapters to the role of Spanish as a vehicle for democratic values, gender equality, and global citizenship.

The report also examines the growth of Spanish as a language of migration and learning. Currently, one in ten native speakers lives outside Spanish-speaking countries, reinforcing its role as a language of coexistence and cultural diversity. Likewise, the number of students learning Spanish as a foreign language continues to rise, consolidating it as one of the most in-demand languages in schools and universities worldwide (+36%).

Despite its expansion, the report warns of the need to maintain active use and linguistic quality in a globalized and technologically evolving context. The presence of Spanish in artificial intelligence, machine translation, video games, and digital communication are areas that require innovative and collaborative language policies.

In this regard, the Spanish Language Schools of the University of Salamanca play a leading role in Spanish teaching. They combine a long academic tradition with modern and effective methods, offering students a rigorous and welcoming learning environment. Their specialized faculty and diverse course offerings allow teaching to be tailored to different levels and needs, consolidating their prestige both in Spain and internationally.

With 635 million speakers, Spanish continues to establish itself as one of the great international languages, with a growing presence in culture, science, education, and technology. The 2025 Yearbook thus provides an updated and engaged vision of the language’s role as a tool for thought, cohesion, and intercultural dialogue.

Read the full yearbook: CLICK HERE