The current state of endangered languages in the world

It is challenging to provide accurate numbers on how many languages are endangered - as with the number of total languages in the world, it is difficult to determine exactly the difference between a language and a dialect. Additionally, the low levels of documentation, especially in certain areas (e.g., New Guinea, South America), makes it challenging to know for certain the exact number of languages that are currently in use. The numbers are thus estimations, but provide an approximate illustration of the current state of endangered languages in the world.

According to Ethnologue, there are currently 3045 endangered languages in the world, out of a total of 7151 languages - so approximately 42% of languages are endangered.

According to Bromham et al. (2021), "of the approximately 7,000 documented languages, nearly half are considered endangered. [...] The processes of endangerment are ongoing, with rates of loss estimated as equivalent to a language lost every one to three months, and the most pessimistic predictions suggesting that 90% of the world’s languages will be lost within a century. Without intervention, language loss will triple over the next 40 years."

Language endangerment is prevalent all over the world. Especially North America, Australia, and South America are areas where endangered languages cluster. This interactive map depicts the current percentages of endangered languages in each country. The Endangered Languages Project is an online resource for endangered languages, and the language map provided in the platform contains information on the status of endangerment for over 3000 languages - the classification used includes the following stages of endangerment: 'at risk', 'endangered', 'severely endangered', 'dormant', 'awakening', and 'vitality unknown'. Besides the classification by the Endangered Languages Project, there are other, varying classifications to measure language endangerment.