A groundbreaking new study involving more than 80,000 participants across Europe has found compelling evidence that speaking multiple languages can significantly slow down brain aging and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Published in the journal Nature Aging on November 10, 2025, this large-scale international research suggests that multilingual individuals are about half as likely to experience accelerated biological aging compared to those who speak only one language.
The study was motivated by a long-standing question in aging research: can multilingualism actually delay the process of aging? Previous investigations into the cognitive benefits of speaking multiple languages have indicated improvements in memory, attention, and other brain functions, which could contribute to healthier brain aging. However, many of these earlier studies were limited by small sample sizes and less reliable methods to measure aging, leading to inconsistent and inconclusive results. This new research, led by neuroscientist Agustín Ibáñez from Adolfo Ibáñez University in Santiago, Chile, sought to fill this gap by employing a much larger and more rigorous approach.
According to Ibáñez, the study’s scale and methodology mark a decisive step forward in understanding how multilingualism impacts aging. “The effects of multilingualism on aging have always been controversial, but I don’t think there has been a study of this scale before, which seems to demonstrate them quite decisively,” says Christos Pliatsikas, a cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Reading in the UK, who was not involved in the study. The results could potentially transform the field of cognitive aging research and encourage more people to learn or maintain proficiency in additional languages, notes cognitive psychologist Susan Teubner-Rhodes of Auburn University in Alabama.
The research team analyzed data from 86,000 healthy adults aged between 51 and 90 years from 27 European countries. They used a computational method to assess each participant’s “biobehavioral age gap,” a measure comparing a person’s chronological age with their predicted biological age based on various physiological, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors. These factors included cardiometabolic health, education level, and other relevant variables. A larger biobehavioral age gap suggests faster aging, while a smaller or negative gap indicates slower aging.
Participants self-reported the number of languages they spoke, though the study did not account for their proficiency levels. Despite this limitation, the findings revealed a clear pattern: monolingual individuals were twice as likely to exhibit signs of accelerated biological aging compared to those who spoke two or more languages. Furthermore, the protective effect increased with the number of additional languages spoken. “Just one additional language reduces the risk of accelerated aging. But when you speak two or three, this effect was larger,” Ibáñez explains.
This comprehensive study controlled for a variety of confounding factors often present in multilingualism research, such as immigrant status and socioeconomic wealth, lending greater confidence to the conclusion that multilingualism itself contributes to healthier aging. Teubner-Rhodes highlights the importance of the study’s large and geographically diverse sample, emphasizing that this strengthens the argument that the observed benefits are genuinely linked to multilingualism rather than other unrelated variables. However, she also notes the need for future research to include more diverse populations beyond Europe to fully understand the global implications of these findings.
The implications of this research are far-reaching. As populations around the world continue to age, finding accessible strategies to maintain cognitive health becomes increasingly urgent. Encouraging language learning and maintenance could become a valuable public health tool. The researchers hope their findings will influence policymakers to promote multilingual education and provide resources for adults to learn new languages or keep up their skills in the languages they already speak.
In addition to its scientific significance, the study resonates with a broader cultural appreciation of language learning. As Teubner-Rhodes suggests, these results might inspire individuals to pursue or continue language learning not just as an intellectual or professional endeavor, but as a meaningful way to support their brain health and quality of life as they age.
Published by Nature, one of the world’s leading multidisciplinary science journals, this research marks a major advance in the understanding of the relationship between language and brain health. Nature has a long history of publishing peer-reviewed research that drives groundbreaking discovery and informs decision-makers worldwide.
The article summarizing the study was written by science journalist Katie Kavanagh, who highlights the study’s potential to shift perspectives on aging and cognitive health. The findings also underscore the importance of continued support for scientific research and public engagement with science, especially at