Within the framework of the Spain-India Meeting held by Casa Asia and the Cervantes Institute as part of the activities of the Dual Year, the Global Observatory of Spanish and the Cervantes Institute in New Delhi presented the results of a survey conducted in Indian universities.
This survey reveals that Spanish has over 43,000 learners in India and is the third most popular foreign language in secondary and university education. The director of the Global Observatory of Spanish, Francisco Moreno Fernández, pointed out that, according to data from the Cervantes Institute Yearbook, India has a total of 54,670 potential Spanish speakers. Of these, 11,208 form the established Spanish-speaking community and, "most strikingly," a total of 43,462 are learners.
Among the relevant aspects of the study, Francisco Moreno explained that Spanish is primarily studied as a foreign language, both in secondary and university education. Currently, Spanish is the third most studied foreign language in India, surpassed only by French and German, and considering that English is not considered a foreign language. While in secondary education, Spanish instruction is concentrated in private schools, international schools, or institutions linked to foreign education systems, it is at the university level where the study of Spanish becomes more widespread.
Thus, various institutions offer structured programs, ranging from language courses for beginners to full degrees in Hispanic studies. "At this level," noted the director of the Global Observatory of Spanish, "learning is not limited solely to the language, but also incorporates literature, culture, and, in some cases, translation and linguistics."
Regarding the figures from the Cervantes Institute in New Delhi, enrollment reached 7,047 in the 2024-25 academic year, compared to 6,828 the previous year. The number of DELE Spanish diplomas awarded has now surpassed 1,800, and the Cervantes Institute in New Delhi has established collaborative agreements with other centers in the country, such as Hispanic Horizons and Woodstock School, as well as universities like Hindu College and Doon University.
Read the news on the Cervantes Institute website
