Official status records whether a government or body has formally recognized a language. Wikipedia notes that Spanish "is the official language of 21 countries, as well as one of the six official languages of the United Nations," a formal standing well beyond how widely it is merely spoken. This dimension separates languages with formal recognition from those spoken without any official status.
Facts
Comparison
Estimated Speakers (Millions) Official Status
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Semitic Languages
WikipediaLead section, first paragraphQuote, Lead section, first paragraph
They are spoken by more than 460 million people across much of West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Malta, and in large immigrant and expatriate communities in North America, Europe, and Australasia.
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