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: Sino-Tibetan Languages
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, first paragraphQuote, Lead section, first paragraph
Around 1.4 billion people speak a Sino-Tibetan language.
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