Did you know French is one of the most spoken languages in the world? And it’s one of the only languages with speakers on every continent! Take a look at the numbers to discover how many people speak French and where they live.
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How many people speak French in the world?
Hundreds of millions of people around the world speak French as their native or second language (or third, or fourth!).
According to the Organization of International Francophonie (OIF), as of 2022:
- Just over 320 million people speak French worldwide.
- There are an estimated 220 million native French speakers in the world.
- French is the language of instruction for 93 million students.
- Around 51 million people are currently learning French.
- About 3.6 percent of the world’s population speaks French.
- French is the 5th most spoken language in the world.
Countries with the most French speakers
The country with the most French speakers is, of course, France, but there are millions of speakers outside of France and Europe. In all, there are 74 French-speaking countries. Some list French as their official language, while others just have large populations of French speakers.
These are the top 10 countries with the most French speakers based on data collected in the 2022 report from OIF, including native speakers and people who speak French as a second language.
- France: 63,394,000
- Democratic Republic of Congo: 48,925,000
- Algeria: 14,904,000
- Morocco: 13,457,000
- Germany: 12,298,000
- Italy: 11,797,000
- Cameroon: 11,491,000
- United Kingdom: 11,281,000
- Canada: 11,061,000
- Ivory Coast: 9,325,000
How many people speak French in Africa?
There are 20 French-speaking countries in Africa that list French as their official or co-official language.
Each country is listed here with its estimated number of current French speakers from the 2022 OIF report:
- Bénin: 4,306,000
- Burkina Faso: 5,404,000
- Burundi (co-official): 1,074,000
- Cameroon (co-official): 11,491,000
- Central African Republic (co-official): 1,435,000
- Chad (co-official): 2,249,000
- Comoros (co-official): 237,000
- Congo: 3,518,000
- Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast): 9,325,000
- Democratic Republic of Congo: 48,925,000
- Djibouti (co-official): 508,000
- Equatorial Guinea (co-official): 433,000
- Gabon: 1,519,000
- Madagascar (co-official): 7,729,000
- Niger: 3,363,000
- Rwanda (co-official): 793,000
- Sénégal: 4,640,000
- Seychelles (co-official): 53,000
- The Republic of Guinea: 3,777,000
- Togo: 3,554,000
An estimated 61% of daily French speakers reside on the African continent. Even in countries where it is not the official language, French is used as the language of instruction or as an administrative language.
How many people speak French in Europe?
Just over 31% of Europeans speak French, according to the OIF 2022 report. And French is one of the 24 official languages of the European Union (EU). But there are only five French-speaking countries of Europe with French as their official language.
The francophone countries in Europe with the most French speakers or with French as an official language are:
- Autriche (Austria): 1,166,000
- Belgique (Belgium; official language): 8,815,000
- Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles: 4,573,000
- France (official language): 63,394,000
- Luxembourg (official language): 591,000
- Monaco (official language): 39,000
- Roumanie: 2,282,000
- Suisse (Switzerland; official language): 5,889,000
Between France and Monaco—the only two European countries to have French as the sole official language—there are around 63 million native French speakers. French is also one of the official languages of multiple international organizations headquartered in Europe including the International Olympic Committee, the International Criminal Court, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and more.
Number of people who speak French in the Americas
In North America, most French speakers reside in Canada. Within the US, most French speakers live in the state of Louisiana.
How many people speak French in Canada?
According to their government, about 21% of Canadians speak French as their first language, which equates to about 11 million people. The majority of these French speakers reside in Québec.
- Nouveau-Brunswick: 327,000
- Ontario: 1,711,000
- Québec: 8,021,000
How many people speak French in the Caribbean?
French is one of the six official languages in the Caribbean, but only one French-speaking country in the Caribbean lists it as its official language—Haiti. However, there are also French territories in the Caribbean with French as their official language.
- Guadeloupe: 336,000
- Guyane française (French Guiana): 195,000
- Haiti: 4,906,000
- Martinique: 303,000
- Saint-Barthélemy: 8,000
- Saint-Martin: 33,000
How many people speak French in the US?
Most French speakers in the United States reside in the state of Louisiana. The 2022 OIF report suggests about 84,000 people, or 2% of Louisiana’s population, speak French, with most of them residing in or around the New Orleans area. Out of that population, many actually speak Cajun French or Louisiana Creole. These French dialects developed by combining elements of French with other languages.
Number of French speakers in Asia
Although Asia is the most populous continent, it has very few French speakers. French is not the official or co-official language of any country in Asia, but it is a somewhat common language in the Republic of Lebanon and Laos.
The following Asian countries have small percentages of French speakers:
- Cambodge (Cambodia): 463,000
- Laos: 204,000
- Republic of Lebanon: 2,315,000
- Thaïlande (Thailand): 578,000
- Vietnam: 693,000
In these countries, French is often taught in secondary schools or used as an administrative language.
Number of people who speak French in South America
French is even less popular in South America than it is in Asia. Only three countries in South America have small French-speaking populations, based on the 2022 OIF report.
- Colombie (Colombia): 5,000
- Paraguay: 15,000
- Uraguay: 5,000
Number of French speakers in Oceania
In Oceania there are three overseas collectivities of France with significant French-speaking populations:
- Nouvelle-Calédonie (New Caledonia): 288,000
- Polynésie française (French Polynesia): 278,000
- Vanuatu: 100,000
- Wallis-et-Futuna (Wallis and Futuna): 9,000
These collectivities are still considered to be a part of France but with semi-autonomous status. French is the official language for all of these countries.
Join the global community of French speakers
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