What do you dislike about Japan ?

[Bucko]

Australia and New Zealand have a combined population of 22 million, i.e. less than Belgium and the Netherlands combined (27 million). All Europe (including Russai) has a population of 710 million, of which only about 55 million are native English speakers (the UK+ Ireland 's population is 64 million, but let us not forget that many Irish, Welsh and Scots speak Gaelic or Scots as their mother tongue + the immigrants). According to Wikipedia and the US government stats, only 215 million out of the 300 million inhabitants of the USA are native English speakers. So even if 100% of Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders were native English speakers (which is far from true), the Western world would count about 320 native English speakers out of 1,060 million people, i.e. about 30% - and it is a generous estimation.

I think you misunderstood me. This is the part I had a problem with - "400 million live in English-speaking countries - but probably 1/3 of those are not native speakers of English, as English-speaking countries are predominantly".

So you're saying that 33.33% of people living in America, New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, and Canada are not native English speakers? I've already proved that perhaps only 18% of Australians are non-native English speakers (almost half your figure).

[Maciamo]

I think you misunderstood me. This is the part I had a problem with - "400 million live in English-speaking countries - but probably 1/3 of those are not native speakers of English, as English-speaking countries are predominantly".
So you're saying that 33.33% of people living in America, New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, and Canada are not native English speakers? I've already proved that perhaps only 18% of Australians are non-native English speakers (almost half your figure).

Yes, but the USA alone, by far the most populous English-speaking country, has 85 million non-native English speakers (29% of the population). In Canada, only 17 of the 30 million inhabitants have English as their first language, so 43% are non-native English speakers.

About 10% of people in the UK are non-native speakers of English, which is probably the lowest proportion of non-native of any English-speaking country.

If we add South Africa or Singapore, which are predominantly English-speaking countries (main language of government and education), the proportion of native speakers is actually quite small (maybe less than 10% of native English speakers). So it all depends what we include in "English-speaking countries".

For the USA, Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia alone, there are about 107 million non native speakers of English for a total population of about 410 million. That is just 26%. You are right, that is not 1/3, but that was a rough estimation without calculating (just gut-feeling). I wasn't so far from the truth though... In North America (USA + Canada) the proportion is 30%. If you count the number of second-generation immigrant whose parents are non-native speakers, but who consider English as their mother-tongue despite speaking with many mistakes (learnt from their parents), I think we are well over 33%.