When you start learning a language on Duolingo, you’re not alone: You’re joining a dedicated, supportive community of people who are also passionate about that same language! To celebrate the Lunar New Year, we’re looking at a specific group of learners: people studying Mandarin Chinese on Duolingo.

Mandarin Chinese is the first language for more than 920 million people globally, and is spoken by more than 1 billion people, making it the second-most spoken language worldwide. Ready to start learning? Here's a peek into the community of Mandarin Chinese learners you'll be joining on Duolingo. (Duolingo also teaches Cantonese for Mandarin speakers!)

In fact, there are more than 6 million learners enrolled in our Chinese course for English speakers! The countries most interested in learning Chinese (by percent of learners studying the language) are Cambodia (where over 30% of learners study Chinese!), followed by Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Lao.

Chinese attracts diverse, global learners

The people who study Chinese do so for various reasons, but brain health (22%) and school (19%) are the most popular motivations for new learners. For many, studying Chinese is an opportunity to learn a language unlike their own and give them a rewarding cognitive workout. Family (16%) is also a common reason for studying Chinese, given the Chinese diaspora and the interest of learners to connect with their heritage and their Chinese-speaking relatives.

A bar chart showing the motivations of new learners studying Chinese in 2022. The highest bars are associated with Brain Training and School, followed by Family, Other, Work, Travel, and Culture.

Young people are especially interested in learning Chinese

Your job, interests, and family can affect why you want to learn a new language, and your age can be a factor, too! When compared to the global average, there are many more learners ages 13-22 who study Chinese. In fact, 76% of new learners of Chinese are under the age of 30!

A chart showing the percent of learners studying Chinese vs the global average among different age groups: 13-17, 18-22, 23-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+. For the 13-17 and 18-22 groups, the bar showing % of learners studying Chinese in that age group vs. the global % of learners in that age group is higher. As the age groups get older, the global average age of learners begins to exceed the age of Chinese learners.

(Lunar) New Year, new you!

Celebrate the Lunar New Year (the year of the rabbit!) by enrolling in our Chinese course and immersing yourself in this exciting language.