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If you speak a second language, you have the obvious social advantage of being able to converse with a larger percentage of humans who inhabit the Earth. But research suggests the benefits of being bilingual may be far more extensive — and lucrative — than that.
The bilingual brain, it seems, may be better equipped to problem-solve, stay focused, stave off dementia, and potentially even command a higher paycheck.
“I don’t think there is ever a downside to being bilingual,” said Joseph Dicks, director of the Second Language Research Institute of Canada at the University of New Brunswick. “You never know when it might give you an extra advantage, especially as the world becomes more globalized.”
How many people speak a second language?
Estimates on the number of people who speak two or more languages worldwide are difficult to nail down due to the vast number of regional dialects. But many researchers estimate it is roughly 50 percent worldwide.
In the European Union, roughly three-quarters (75 percent) of those aged 25 to 64 reported that they knew at least one foreign language, according to one report. 1
That figure is far less in the United States. The Census Bureau reports that roughly 67.8 million people speak a language other than English at home, and most reported that they also speak English “very well.”2
Researchers note the potential benefits of being bilingual or multilingual apply to any combination of languages, but the vast majority of Americans who are bilingual speak English and Spanish, a by-product of Hispanics being the dominant minority.
Roughly two-thirds (68 percent) of Latinos in the United States who are ages 5 and older speak Spanish at home, down from 78 percent in 2000, according to the Pew Research Center. About 40 percent of Hispanics in the United States are bilingual.3
Benefits of being bilingual: Brain power
For the first half of the 21st century, language specialists largely believed the benefit of being bilingual was strictly limited to the ability to better communicate. Some even thought it may negatively impact IQ.
“There was this notion that there was only so much space in the brain and if you filled up that space then there would be less left over for other important things,” said Dicks, in an interview. “That was one early theory.”
But much has changed. A growing body of evidence now suggests that the ability to speak two or more languages may actually alter and enhance the developing brain.
In decades of research, Ellen Bialystok, a cognitive neuroscientist and professor at York University in Toronto, Canada, linked bilingualism to more effective processing, or executive function skills, in children. Kids who have to adapt their language skills continually to suit the audience (teachers, grandparents, siblings) are simply better at staying focused and remaining on task, she found.
“It’s not that you learn language processing skills and therefore that ability is sitting around ready for the next task,” said Bialystok, in an interview. “There’s no transfer going on. It is simply that exposure to bilingual or multilingual environments starting at birth has the effect of reconfiguring cognition and attention systems in the developing mind. Their brains just work differently.”
Resistance to aging decline?
Equally interesting, Bialystok and a team of researchers found bilinguals may be more resistant to age-related cognitive decline, as well. Her studies, the latest directly focused on the issue, found bilinguals were generally older than monolinguals when Alzheimer’s, dementia and other signs of cognitive decline set in. 4
The study abstract, published in the Journal of Psychology and Aging, notes: “In all cases, the bilingual advantage was greater for older participants. It appears, therefore, that controlled processing is carried out more effectively by bilinguals and that bilingualism helps to offset age-related losses in certain executive processes.”
More recent research by UCLA also found that people who speak two languages proficiently could forestall dementia symptoms by about four years compared with monolinguals.
Bialystok said it’s important that the scientific community not overstate the positive effects of language skills.
“The truth is, most of the time in daily life it doesn’t matter if you can process something a millisecond faster than someone else — until it does,” she said. “As you get older, and your brain is challenged with neurodegenerative disease, like Alzheimer’s, it seems to matter. Bilinguals appear to be better able to cope.”
Bilingualism boosts future earnings
The ability to speak more than one language may have economic advantages, too, especially in cities with large immigrant populations, like Miami and Los Angeles, where bilingualism could give job applicants a competitive edge.
According to 2026 research by Preply, those who bring their bilingual skills to work in the U.S. earn an average of $14,050 more per year than their monolingual colleagues — a nearly 19 percent bump in pay.
Across all the countries in the study, bilingual workers earned an average of $9,353 more a year, or 14 percent more, than those who spoke only one language.6
Apart from a bigger paycheck, job applicants may find their language skills help boost their demand in the labor market, making it easier to find and retain work. Dicks noted, however, that the potential upside of linguistic talent may be more pronounced in countries like the U.S., with large immigrant populations and relatively fewer job candidates who can speak two languages.
In European countries, like Switzerland and the United Kingdom, where many speak multiple languages, employers simply expect linguistic prowess. By contrast, employers in the U.S. may reward bilingual workers who can better communicate with a wider pool of consumers.
Opportunities overseas
Foreign language skills play an increasingly important role in making young people more employable and equipping them for working abroad, the European Commission, which actively promotes language learning, notes on its website. “Languages unite people, render other countries and their cultures accessible, and strengthen intercultural understanding. Foreign language skills play a vital role in enhancing employability and mobility.”
Dicks said it is likely the case that the economic benefit of being bilingual is more exaggerated in certain industries, like real estate and retail, where employees interact directly with a diverse cross section of potential clients. Similarly, those who can translate complex medical jargon are highly prized in the health care setting.
The cognitive and economic advantages of being bilingual may never be fully defined, but amid all the research and scientific debate, Bialystok said one thing is clear: speaking a second language broadens your cultural perspective and expands your communication skills.
“Whatever you want to say about it, the bottom line is that being bilingual means you speak two languages and that can’t be bad,” she said.
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Frequently asked questions about the benefits of being bilingual
Q: Does being bilingual actually improve problem-solving skills?
A: Potentially, yes. Research suggests bilingualism strengthens executive function — particularly cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control — which are the mental skills behind effective problem solving. Bilinguals also outperform on task-switching accuracy and divergent-thinking tasks, both of which support creative problem solving.4
Q: Can being bilingual help protect against cognitive decline?
A: According to some research, yes. Lifelong bilingualism is associated with a delayed onset of dementia symptoms of roughly four to five years compared to monolinguals, likely due to enhanced cognitive reserve.5
Q: Do bilingual workers really earn more?
A: On average, yes. A 2025 Preply analysis found that bilingual workers across all countries earn about $9,353 more per year (14.3 percent more) than their monolingual peers, and roughly $14,050 more per year in the U.S. The premium varies by location, industry, and language pair.6
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This article was originally published in September 2017. It has been updated.
1 Eurostat,”Foreign language skills statistics,” 2022.
2 U.S. Census Bureau, “American Community Survey Reports: Languages Use Data,” 2025.
3 Pew Research Center, “Key facts about U.S. Latinos,” Oct. 22, 2025.
4 Ellen Bialystok, Fergus IM Craik, Gigi Luk, “Bilingualism: Consequences for Mind and Brain,” April 16, 2012.
5 UCLA Health, “Bilingualism Delays the Onset of Alzheimer’s Symptoms,” March 20, 2020.
6 Center for Latin American, Caribbean & Latino Studies, CUNY, “Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit in New York?”, Nov. 2012.
7 Preply, “How much more could you earn by being bilingual?” March 11, 2026.
