Translations are in high demand in the UK, and there is a good reason for it. According to the 2011 census, about 4 million people in England and Wales don’t speak English as their primary language. Of these, around 140,000 do not speak English at all! Unless you translate English to another language, this is a huge portion of the population you cannot effectively communicate with.

The 2011 census was the first to ask how fluently people could speak English if it wasn’t their major language of communication. This overview showed how diverse England is; if we consider the capital a snapshot of that diversity, we are bound to find higher concentrations of diversity here. In large multicultural cities such as London, the need for translating English into different languages is even more imperative.

If you’re wondering what language to translate your English content into, you’re in the right place. Here we run through the top 10 most translated languages in London and explain why they’re essential in targeting the entire multicultural UK population.

1. Polish Translation

Polish is also one of the most frequent language translations in London. There are about 546,000 people that speak Polish in the United Kingdom. This accounts for about 1% of the population, with a large portion residing in the UK’s capital. When you translate the English language into Polish, you’re instantly increasing your reach by this amount. Polish translation services are also vital for businesses operating abroad and industries that work closely with new migrants.

2. Punjabi Translation

Punjabi translations are high on this list, as there is a sizeable Punjabi population in the UK. This is due to Britain’s involvement in India during the 19th and 20th centuries. The large community consists of migrants that initially came to the country more than a generation ago. Many cannot speak English fluently and need you to translate content into their native language, while children of the initial migrants tend to speak both Punjabi and English.

3. Urdu Translation

Urdu is also one of the languages in London that can be linked to Britain’s involvement in the Indian subcontinent during the 19th and 20th centuries. About 0.5% of the UK speaks Urdu, representing around 269,000 people. This makes Urdu one of the most sought-after language translations in London. Many businesses translate from English to Urdu to remove language barriers and improve communications with the growing Indian population in the UK.

4. Bengali Translation

Bengali is another Indian language spoken in Great Britain. Around 221,000 people in the UK speak Bengali, alongside Chatgaya and Sylheti. This makes up 0.4% of the country’s population, a sizeable portion for which to provide Bengali language translations. Many Bengali people also live in the capital city. Therefore, businesses targeting London and a wider UK audience want to translate from English to Bengali language.

5. Gujarati Translation

Gujarati translations are also in high demand for any translation agency working in London. There are over 213,000 speakers in the UK, accounting for approximately 0.4% of the total UK population. To translate your marketing materials, websites, documents, and other types of content from the English language to Gujarati are essential to reach this part of the population.

6. Arabic Translation

Around 159,000 people (0.3% of the population) speak Arabic in the UK, with a particularly high concentration of Arabic speakers residing in London. It is also one of the most spoken foreign languages worldwide! Any well-meaning translation agency will want to leverage this population by providing Arabic translations. Translate from the English language into Arabic, and you don’t just target the UK market; you can increase your exposure globally too.

7. French Translation

French translations are critical in London, with around 147,000 French speakers in the UK. This accounts for about 0.3% of the population, which isn’t surprising, given the geographical proximity to France. However, it is also likely that the French speakers in London come from African French-speaking countries. When you translate into the French language, you can communicate with these people far more efficiently than in English.

8. Portuguese Translation

Portuguese translations also are vital in London. This high demand for businesses to translate into this Romance language comes from the geographical proximity of Portugal to the UK. Many Portuguese people have moved to London, with about 0.2% of the population speaking the language. This percentage specifically amounts to 133,000 people across England and Wales. To target these people, you need to translate from English to Portuguese.

9. Tamil Translation

Tamil translations are growing with the increase in Tamil speakers in the UK. Like many languages on this list, Tamil can be traced back to Britain’s involvement in the Indian subcontinent in the 19th and 20th centuries. There are 101,000 Tamil speakers in the UK today, amounting to 0.2% of the UK’s population. English businesses looking to communicate with this small group within the UK need to translate into their native language.

10. Turkish Translation

Turkish translations are also on the list of most in-demand languages in London, with over 99,000 Turkish speakers in the country. This represents around 0.2% of the population. The UK and Turkey also have a free trade agreement, which creates an additional need for businesses to translate into this language. Nearly £20 billion in trade volume is exchanged annually, and those trading need to translate cross-border documents and other communications from English.

Professional Translation Services in 120+ Languages

If you need professional language translations, look no further! Renaissance Translations offers high-quality translation services by experienced and professional translators. Everyone on our network is also a native speaker, ensuring you receive authentic and 100% accurate content.

We not only translate the languages in London but also more than 120 languages or dialects worldwide. Furthermore, we can translate between hundreds of uncommon language pairs such as French to Chinese, German to Danish, Spanish to Hindi, and many others. Contact our project managers to discuss your project today!