17 Hardest Languages to Learn in the World for Non English Speakers

Talha Qureshi
11 min read

In This Article:

In this article, we will look at the 17 hardest languages to learn in the world for non-English speakers. We will also discuss the importance of the Arabic language in business and the economic outlook of the MENA region. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Hardest Languages to Learn in the World for Non-English Speakers. 

Arabic as a language

According to Ethnologue’s data, Arabic is the 6th most spoken language in the world and is spoken by approximately 274 million people around the globe. It is also one of the hardest languages to learn for non-English speakers. The Arabic language is considered tough to learn due to various factors, including its right-to-left syntax, letters changing shapes depending on the position within a word, and the complex pronunciation of short vowels that are not written in full letters while writing the language. 

However, regardless of the difficulty level, the number of people learning the language has surged. According to Share America, the Arabic language has become the 8th most taught language at academic institutions in the United States, with approximately 26,000 pupils learning the language from kindergarten to 12th grade and 31,500 students learning the language at the university level. Moreover, according to the Pew Research Center, the number of Arabic Speakers aged 5 and above in the United States increased from 215,000 in 1980 to 1.4 million in 2021, making Arabic the 7th most common non-English language in the United States. In addition, with the surge in its speakers across the United States, Arabic surpassed other common languages spoken by US immigrants; for instance, the number of Italian and German speakers declined by 68% and 36%, respectively, during the same period. You can also look at the 16 Hardest Languages To Learn For English Speakers and the 25 Most Spoken Native Languages in the World.

International organizations are also stepping forward to foster the Arabic language, especially in education. According to a news report by UNESCO on November 10, 2023, the UNESCO Multi-Sectoral Regional Office in Beirut, in collaboration with the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation, organized a series of consultations on fostering the Arabic language within the education system across the Arab region. These consultations are part of the UNESCO framework ‘Fostering Arabic Language in Education and among local communities towards building more inclusive societies.’

Growth in the MENA Region Expected to Accelerate in 2024

Arabic is among the most commonly spoken languages in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. MENA is a resource-rich region with hydrocarbon-based products making up most of its exports. According to the World Bank’s data, oil rents comprised 23.7% of Saudi Arabia's GDP in 2021 alone. Furthermore, according to another report by the World Bank titled ‘Balancing Act: Jobs and Wages in the Middle East and North Africa When Crises Hit,’ the MENA region as a whole experienced an extraordinary growth rate of 6% in 2022. The exponential growth was attributed to factors including the surge in oil prices and the increased export of oil by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries. However, due to the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip and the challenges posed by the ‘Arab Spring,’ the growth activity is expected to slow down to 1.9%. Notably, the decreasing growth rates are expected to be less marked for developing oil exporter companies and are expected to grow at 2.4%. On the bright side, the MENA region is expected to grow by 3.5% in 2024 without a large gap between oil-importing and exporting countries. You can also look at the 15 States with the Best Economy Right Now and the 20 Richest Arab Billionaires In The World. 

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