A World of Languages in One Visualization

One of the most exquisite and elegantly designed visualizations I have encountered is this chart by designer Alberto Lucas López titled “A world of languages”, which explores the incredible diversity of languages spoken around the world. The thoughtfully chosen colors, spherical format, organic yet minimalist layout, and simple elegance make for a pleasing graphic worthy of being framed on the wall.

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Did you know that there are at least 7,102 known languages that are alive in the world today? 23 of these languages serve as the primary form of communication for 4.1 billion people! The colors provide insight into the regions where the languages originate, which helps give a sense of the population, history, and power of these dialects. There are additional charts below the main feature that showcase the most popular languages being learned around the world, the number of countries in which the most prominent languages are spoken, and the distribution of living languages by country. It may come as no surprise that English is the most popular language to learn with 1,500 million learners!

This graphic also highlights the incredible linguistic diversity of Papua New Guinea. According to the chart, 839 languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea. Why is Papa New Guinea such a linguistic mosaic? There are many elements to Papua New Guinea’s abundance of languages, but one of the most fascinating factors is how the rugged landscape (with mountains, jungles, and swaps) keeps tribes isolated, which preserves their languages.