So what will the world’s main language be in 2045? Most people would say it would still be English, although some argue that the use of English as a global language is peaking. Other contenders would probably include Mandarin with Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil remember!) and Hindi in the top 5 rankings.

Why is this important? Because language shapes ideas and institutions and a world where Mandarin Chinese is the major language would probably be somewhat different to one where it’s English.