Map highlighting countries where Spanish is an official language, or a de facto official language. 

Official and national language Sovereign states where Spanish is an official language, by lawa. Country Population (2009)[1] Colombia[2] 45,644,023 Spain[3] 40,525,002 Peru[4] 29,546,963 Venezuela[5] 26,814,843 Ecuador[6] 14,573,101 Guatemala[7] 13,276,517 Cuba[8] 11,451,652 Bolivia[9] 9,775,246 Honduras[10] 7,792,854 El Salvador[11] 7,185,218 Paraguay[12] 6,995,655 Costa Rica[13] 4,253,877 Panama[14] 3,360,474 Equatorial Guinea[15] 633,441 Dependent entities where Spanish is an official language, by law. Country Population (2010) Puerto Ricob [16] 3,725,789[17]

De facto official and national language Sovereign states where Spanish is a de facto official language, although it has not been legally granted an official status. Country Population (2009)[1] Mexico[18] 111,211,789 Argentina[19] 40,913,584 Chile[20] 16,601,707 Dominican Republic[21] 9,650,054 Nicaragua[22] 5,891,199 Uruguay[23] 3,494,382 Other areas where Spanish is the de facto language. Country Population (2009) Argentine Antarcticac [19] 190[24] Chilean Antarcticad [20] 165[citation needed]

^a Spanish was removed as an official language of the Philippines in 1973 and was removed from being a compulsory subject in 1987; on 8 August 2007, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced that the Philippine government asked help from the Spanish Government in her plan to reintroduce the Spanish as a required subject in the Philippine school system. The Constitution of the Philippines states that “Spanish and Arabic shall be promoted on a voluntary and optional basis” and that the Constitution itself will be translated into Spanish.
^b Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the U.S. where Spanish and English are the official languages and Spanish is the primary language.
^c Argentinean territorial claim in Antarctica, suspended by the 1961 Antarctic Treaty.
^d Chilean territorial claim in Antarctica, suspended by the 1961 Antarctic Treaty. 

Commonly used language

Spanish language is not official but has a special status in several countries (in the education system, the media, and some official documents): Andorra, Gibraltar, and Western Sahara.  Spanish is used for international commerce in Brazil due to being surrounded mostly by Spanish-speaking countries and Spanish is widely taught as a foreign language. 

Additionally, Spanish is by far the most studied foreign language in the United States.