There are many varieties of Chinese with over 1.3 billion speakers in various countries. This page shows many people speak each variety of Chinese, and where they can be found.
Gan is a variety of Chinese spoken in the Chinese provinces of Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Fujian and Hunan.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 22,200,000 | 2018 |
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Hakka is a variety of Chinese spoken by 43.2 million people, mainly in the Chinese province of Guangdong, and also in Fujian, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi and Sichuan, and various other countries.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 36,600,000 | 2019 |
| China (ROC - Taiwan) | 4,240,000 | 2017 |
| Malaysia | 1,090,000 | 2000 |
| Indonesia | 640,000 | 1982 |
| China (Hong Kong) | 289,300 | 2016 |
| Singapore | 233,000 | 2010 |
| Thailand | 58,800 | 1984 |
| Panama | 27,000 | 2017 |
| French Guinea | 14,400 | 2017 |
| Réunion | 11,400 | 2017 |
| Canada | 10,900 | 2016 |
| Suriname | 9,000 | 2018 |
| Australia | 8,990 | 2016 |
| USA | 3,800 | 2015 |
| Brunei | 3,000 | 2004 |
| French Polynesia | 1,100 | 2015 |
| Cambodia | 500 | 2011 |
Information about Hakka | Phrases | Numbers | Family words | Tower of Babel
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Huizhou is a variety of Chinese spoken mainly in Anhui province, and also in Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 5,380,000 | 2019 |
Information about Huizhou Chinese
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huizhou_Chinese
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/czh
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Jinyu or Jin is a variety of Chinese spoken in northern China, mainly in the provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei, Henan and in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 47,100,000 | 2018 |
Information about Jinyu Chinese
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_Chinese
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cjy
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Mandarin is spoken by 1.12 million people mainly in China, and also in quite a few other countries:
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 1,085,000,000 | 2018 |
| Republic of China (Taiwan) | 19,580,000 | 2017 |
| China (Hong Kong) | 3,421,000 | 2016 |
| USA | 2,896,766 | 2015 |
| Singapore | 2,840,000 | 2016 |
| Vietnam | 2,000,000 | 2004 |
| Malaysia | 1,230,000 | 2015 |
| Myanmar | 994,000 | 2015 |
| Australia | 597,000 | 2016 |
| Canada | 592,000 | 2016 |
| Japan | 549,000 | 2016 |
| Cambodia | 498,000 | 2015 |
| Indonesia | 466,000 | 2005 |
| China (Macao) | 362,000 | 2016 |
Smaller numbers of Mandarin speakers are found in quite a few other countries. See: https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cmn
Information about Mandarin | Phrases | Numbers | Colours | Family words | Terms of endearment | Time | Weather | Tongue twisters | Tower of Babel | Articles | Links | Learning materials
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Northern Min or Min Bei is a variety of Min Chinese spoken by 11 milion people mainly in Fujian province in eastern China, and also in Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces, and in Singapore.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 11,100,000 | 2018 |
| Singapore | 15,200 | 2004 |
Information about Min Bin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Min
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mnp
Information about Min languages
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Eastern Min or Min Dong is a variety of Min Chinese spoken by 10.8 milion people mainly in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, and also in several other countries
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 10,500,000 | 2019 |
| Malaysia | 252,000 | 2004 |
| Singapore | 56,000 | 2018 |
| Brunei | 6,000 | 2004 |
| USA | 4,080 | 2015 |
Information about Min Dong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Min
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cdo
Information about Min languages
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Southern Min or Min Nan is a variety of Min Chinese spoken by 48.5 milion people southern China, Taiwan, and a number of other countries.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 27,700,000 | 2018 |
| China (ROC - Taiwan) | 13,500,000 | 2017 |
| Malaysia | 2,660,000 | 2000 |
| Thailand | 1,080,000 | 1984 |
| Philippines | 1,000,000 | 2010 |
| Indonesia | 766,000 | 2015 |
| Singapore | 625,000 | 2015 |
| China (Hong Kong) | 493,000 | 2016 |
| Cambodia | 350,000 | 2001 |
| USA | 219,000 | 2015 |
| Japan | 75,000 | 2013 |
| Canada | 31,800 | 2016 |
| Australia | 17,900 | 2016 |
| Brunei | 13,300 | 2004 |
| New Zealand | 6,190 | 2013 |
Information about Min Nan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Min
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/nan
Information about Min languages
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Central Min or Min Zhong is a variety of Min Chinese spoken in Fujian province in China.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 3,620,000 | 2019 |
Information about Min Nan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Min
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/czo
Information about Min languages
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Pu-Xian Min is a variety of Min Chinese spoken by 3.1 milion people mainly in Fujian province in China, and also in Malaysia and Singapore.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 3,140,000 | 2019 |
| Singapore | 27,000 | 2018 |
| Malaysia | 24,700 | 2006 |
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Northern Pinghua is a variety of Chinese spoken in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 1,760,000 | 2017 |
Information about Pinghua
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinghua
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/cnp
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Southern Pinghua is a variety of Chinese spoken in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 2,370,000 | 2017 |
Information about Pinghua
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinghua
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/csp
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Wu is a group of Chinese languages spoken by about 81.8 million people mainly in the provinces of Anhui, Fujian, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Zhejiang in China, and also in a number of other countries.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 81,700,000 | 2018 |
| China (Hong Kong) | 77,500 | 2016 |
| Canada | 12,900 | 2016 |
| USA | 7,510 | 2015 |
| Japan | 7,000 | 2013 |
| Australia | 3,380 | 2016 |
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Xiang is a variety of Chinese spoken in Hunan, Guizhou and Hubei provinces and in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 37,400,000 | 2018 |
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Yue is a group of Chinese languages spoken by about 84.8 million people mainly in southern China in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Hunan provinces, and Hong Kong and Macau, and also in a number of other countries.
| Country | Number of speakers | Date |
|---|---|---|
| China (PRC) | 73,300,000 | 2019 |
| Chinese (Hong Kong) | 6,662,000 | 2016 |
| USA | 1,290,000 | 2015 |
| Malaysia | 1,070,000 | 2000 |
| Canada | 565,000 | 2016 |
| China (Macau) | 507,000 | 2016 |
| Vietnam | 500,000 | 2004 |
| Australia | 281,000 | 2016 |
| Singapore | 227,000 | 2015 |
| Indonesia | 182,000 | 2005 |
| New Zealand | 44,600 | 2013 |
| UK | 44,400 | 2011 |
| Japan | 36,000 | 2013 |
| Panama | 32,000 | 2017 |
| Thailand | 29,400 | 1984 |
| Laos | 21,400 | 2004 |
| Sweden | 20,300 | 2012 |
| Cambodia | 20,000 | 2011 |
| South Africa | 15,000 | 1993 |
| Réunion | 14,000 | 2017 |
| Philippines | 9,780 | 2000 |
| Suriname | 6,700 | 2018 |
| Brunei | 6,300 | 2004 |
| Costa Rica | 4,500 | 2011 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,680 | 2018 |
| Honduras | 1,000 | 1999 |
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Dungan, Cantonese, Fuzhounese, Gan, Hakka, Jian'ou, Mandarin, Puxian, Shanghainese, Taiwanese, Taiwanese Hakka, Teochew, Weitou, Wenzhounese, Xiang
Written Chinese: Oracle Bone Script, Simplified characters, Bopomofo, Types of characters, Structure of written Chinese, Evolution of characters, How the Chinese script works, Xiao'erjing, General Chinese
Spoken Chinese: Mandarin, Dungan, Wu, Shanghainese, Wenzhounese, Yue, Cantonese, Weitou, Min, Jian'ou, Taiwanese, Teochew, Fuzhounese, Puxian, Hakka, Xiang, Gan, How many people speak Chinese?
Other Chinese pages: Chinese numbers (數碼) | Chinese classifiers (量詞) | Electronic dictionaries | Chinese links | Books: Chinese characters and calligraphy | Cantonese | Mandarin, Shanghainese, Hokkien and Taiwanese
Page last modified: 26.05.21
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