Papua new Guinea: The world's language capital

When considering the countries with the most languages, it’s natural to assume linguistic giants like China or India would lead the way. However, the unexpected champion is Papua New Guinea, a small island nation in the Pacific. According to the World Atlas, despite just 8.8 million people, Papua New Guinea is home to 840 languages. That’s nearly 12% of all the world’s languages spoken in an area roughly the size of California.

This incredible linguistic diversity stems from Papua New Guinea’s unique geography and social structure. The country’s rugged mountains, dense forests, and isolated valleys have acted as natural barriers, keeping communities separated for centuries.

With over 80% of the population living in remote, rural areas, many groups have had minimal interaction with others or the outside world. This isolation has allowed individual communities to develop and maintain distinct dialects and languages.

Indonesia takes second place in linguistic diversity with 711 languages. As the world’s largest archipelago, Indonesia has over 17,500 islands, and this geographic separation has fostered the growth of diverse languages. Many of these languages are tied closely to specific islands or regions, reflecting the country's people's deep cultural and historical roots.

While Papua New Guinea and Indonesia are beacons of linguistic diversity, the global picture is far less optimistic. Nearly 40% of the world’s languages are at risk of extinction. Small, indigenous languages are the most vulnerable, often displaced by more dominant languages like English, Mandarin, or Spanish.

Globalisation, urban migration, and shifts in cultural priorities have accelerated the loss of traditional languages. In many cases, younger generations are no longer learning the languages of their ancestors, leading to a gradual decline in their use and preservation.

The loss of a language is more than just the disappearance of words—it represents the erosion of a unique cultural identity, history, and worldview. Languages carry centuries of knowledge about local ecosystems, traditional practices, and societal values. When a language is lost, we lose an irreplaceable part of humanity’s heritage.

Organisations like the United Nations are working to address this crisis. Programs to document endangered languages, support community-led preservation efforts, and integrate local languages into education systems are critical to safeguarding this linguistic heritage.

For instance, the International Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019 brought global attention to preserving linguistic diversity and increasing funding and awareness for at-risk languages.

Papua New Guinea’s incredible linguistic richness offers a powerful reminder of the world’s cultural diversity. At the same time, the threats facing many of these languages highlight the urgent need for global action to preserve and celebrate this unique aspect of human history.

As we look to the future, supporting linguistic diversity isn’t just about saving words—it’s about safeguarding the stories, knowledge, and identities that define us as a global community.