#2: Mandarin Chinese Mandarin Chinese is the second most spoken language in Australia, with over 600,000 speakers. The growing number of Chinese immigrants and students in recent years has also made it the most widely spoken Asian language in the country.
Collectively, Cantonese and Mandarin are the most commonly spoken languages other than English in Australia (over 600,000 speakers), followed by Italian, Arabic and Greek. In total, these five languages are spoken by around 1.4 million people – more than the population of Adelaide.
Australians typically say "sorry" as "sorry" itself, without any significant variation in slang.
"Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" is a cheer or chant often performed at Australian sport events. It is a variation of the "Oggy Oggy Oggy, oi oi oi" chant used by both football and rugby union fans in Great Britain from the 1960s onwards. It is usually performed by a crowd uniting to support a sports team or athlete.
When discussing the Australian population by race, the majority of the population is considered to be white. A white person is defined as a person who has European ancestry. In Australia, about 90.2 percent of the nation's population is white.
Mandarin Chinese – A top choice for global business and trade. Spanish – Valuable in healthcare, education, and international relations. German – Essential for engineering, automotive industries, and finance. Japanese – Useful for technology, gaming, and design industries.
Nicknamed the “Rainbow Nation,” South Africa celebrates its diversity with 12 official languages. This includes widely spoken languages like isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English, alongside several indigenous languages of regional and cultural importance.
UNESCO is giving credit where credit is due: Chinese is officially the most difficult language in the world.
Powell Alexander Janulus (born 1939) is a Canadian polyglot who lives in White Rock, British Columbia, and entered the Guinness World Records in 1985 for fluency in 42 languages.
When Bolivia adopted its 2009 constitution, 37 languages were elevated to “official” status.
Over 250 Australian Aboriginal languages are thought to have existed at the time of first European contact. English is the majority language of Australia today. Although English has no official legal status, it is the de facto official and national language.
Kayardild language (the least spoken language in Australia) Kayardild is a rare Aboriginal language spoken in Queensland, Australia. This language is spoken by only 8 people and is in grave danger of extinction.
Now, let's have a closer look at these top 10 most spoken languages in Australia.
You can also identify your nearest endangered language.
Top 10 Easiest Languages for English Speakers to Learn
27 most spoken languages in the world in 2025
Once you've been in Australia for, well, an hour, you'll notice that nearly every word has an 'o' on the end of it. This is because for some weird reason Australians like to shorten every word and then add a vowel to the end of it… e.g. “bottle-o” (Bottle shop / off license) “servo” (garage / service station).
Ladies in Black is a 2018 Australian comedy-drama film directed by Bruce Beresford.
Another classic case of Australians shortening everything. Meaning 'thank you', ta is usually used for the times when you are in a rush or want to send a quick text to show your appreciation for something.
An Australian classic, “no worries” is often said instead of “that's alright” or “it was no trouble”. Similarly, you might hear “no dramas”, which means the same thing. If you thank someone for helping you and they say “no worries” or “no dramas” it means it was no problem for them to assist you.