German-Speaking World
German is one of the most useful languages to know in Europe. The German economy is very strong and, as Germany's influence in the European Union continues to grow, more and more people are learning German. Varieties of German are also the majority in Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, with minorities in Belgium, southern Italy, eastern France and southern Denmark.
Around 95 million people are native speakers of German and, as well as being the top first language spoken in the European Union, it is an important language on a global scale both culturally and economically.