Europe and candidate countries Spoken by 19.71% of the European Union's population, French is the third most widely spoken language in the EU, after English and German and the second-most-widely taught language after English. Under the
Constitution of France, French has been the official language of the Republic since 1992, although the
Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts made it mandatory for legal documents in 1539. France mandates the use of French in official government publications, public education except in specific cases, and legal contracts; advertisements must bear a translation of foreign words. In Belgium, French is an official language at the federal level along with Dutch and German. At the regional level, French is the sole official language of
Wallonia (excluding a part of the
East Cantons, which are
German-speaking) and one of the two official languages—along with
Dutch—of the
Brussels-Capital Region, where it is spoken by the majority of the population (approx. 80%), often as their primary language. French is one of the four official languages of Switzerland, along with German, Italian, and
Romansh, and is spoken in the western part of Switzerland, called
Romandy, of which Geneva is the largest city. The language divisions in Switzerland do not coincide with political subdivisions, and some
cantons have bilingual status: for example, cities such as
Biel/Bienne and cantons such as
Valais,
Fribourg and
Bern. French is the native language of about 23% of the Swiss population, and is spoken by 50% of the population. Along with Luxembourgish and German, French is one of the three official languages of
Luxembourg, where it is generally the preferred language of business as well as of the different public administrations. It is also the official language of
Monaco. At a regional level, French is acknowledged as an official language in the
Aosta Valley region of
Italy (the first government authority to adopt Modern French as the official language in 1536, three years before France itself), in which is spoken as a first language by 1.25% of the population and as a second one by approximately 50%. French dialects remain spoken by minorities on the
Channel Islands; it is also spoken in
Andorra and is the main language after
Catalan in
El Pas de la Casa. The language is taught as the primary second language in the German state of
Saarland, with French being taught from pre-school and over 43% of citizens being able to speak French.
Africa The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa; while it is an official language in 18 countries, it is not spoken as a first language by the majority, acting mainly as a second one or a
lingua franca due to the many indigenous languages spoken in the territories. According to a 2023 estimate from the , an estimated 167 million African people spread across 35 countries and territories can speak French as either a
first or a
second language; only 1.2 million of these spoke it as a first language according to
Ethnologue. This number does not include the people living in non-Francophone African countries who have learned French as a foreign language. There is not a single
African French, but multiple forms that diverged through contact with various indigenous
African languages. Language and slang from francophone Africa, particularly as popularized through music, are playing a growing role in influencing French across the francophone world. While spoken mainly as a second language, French is increasingly being spoken as a native language in Francophone Africa among some communities in urban areas or the elite class. This is especially true in the cities of
Abidjan,
Kinshasa, and
Lubumbashi,
Douala,
Libreville,
Antananarivo, Cotonou, and Brazzaville. However, in contrast to Central Africa and most of West Africa where French had been entrenched, countries in North Africa and the
Sahel have generally distanced themselves from the language due to colonial connections. For example,
Algeria intermittently attempted to remove the use of French in favor of a strong native language (see
Arabization), and French was removed as an official language in
Mali,
Burkina Faso, and
Niger in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively. Despite these changes and the emergence of English as a global lingua franca, French today remains a major language in the Sahel and the societies of
Morocco, Algeria and
Tunisia. Due to the rise of French in Africa, the total French-speaking population worldwide is expected to reach 700 million people in 2050. French was the fastest growing language on the continent (in terms of either official or foreign languages).
Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where the French language is most likely to expand, because of the expansion of education and rapid population growth. It is also where the language has evolved the most in recent years. Some vernacular forms of French in Africa can be difficult to understand for French speakers from other countries, but written forms of the language are very closely related to those of the rest of the French-speaking world.
Americas Canada French is the second most commonly spoken language in Canada and one of two federal official languages alongside English. As of the
2021 Canadian census, it was the native language of 7.7 million people (21% of the population) and the second language of 2.9 million (8% of the population). Although French is spoken throughout Canada, it is mostly present in
Quebec, with significant Francophone populations also being found in
New Brunswick, especially the region of
Acadia, and parts of
Northern and
Eastern Ontario. French is the sole official language in the province of
Quebec, where some 80% of the population speak it as a native language and 95% are capable of conducting a conversation in it.
New Brunswick and
Manitoba are the only officially bilingual provinces, though full bilingualism is enacted only in New Brunswick, where about one third of the population is Francophone. French is also an official language of all of the territories (
Northwest Territories,
Nunavut, and
Yukon). Out of the three, Yukon has the most French speakers, making up just under 4% of the population. Furthermore, while French is not an official language in
Ontario, the
French Language Services Act ensures that provincial services are available in the language. The Act applies to areas of the province where there are significant Francophone communities, namely
Eastern Ontario and
Northern Ontario. Elsewhere, sizable French-speaking minorities are found in southern Manitoba,
Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the
Port au Port Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the unique
Newfoundland French dialect was historically spoken. Smaller pockets of French speakers exist in all other provinces. The Ontarian city of
Ottawa, the Canadian capital, is also effectively bilingual, as it has a large population of federal government workers, who are required to offer services in both French and English, and is just across the river from the Quebecois city of
Gatineau.
United States are not included. According to the
United States Census Bureau (2011), French is the fourth most spoken language in the United States after English, Spanish, and Chinese, when all forms of French are considered together and all dialects of Chinese are similarly combined. French is the second-most spoken language (after English) in the states of
Maine and
Vermont. In
Louisiana, it is tied with Spanish for second-most spoken if Louisiana French and all creoles such as Haitian are included. French is the third most spoken language (after English and Spanish) in the states of
Connecticut,
Rhode Island, and
New Hampshire. Louisiana is home to many distinct French dialects, collectively known as
Louisiana French.
New England French, essentially a variant of
Canadian French, is spoken in parts of
New England.
Missouri French was historically spoken in
Missouri and
Illinois (formerly known as
Upper Louisiana), but is nearly extinct today. French also survived in isolated pockets along the
Gulf Coast of what was previously French
Lower Louisiana, such as
Mon Louis Island, Alabama and
DeLisle, Mississippi (the latter only being discovered by linguists in the 1990s) but these varieties are severely endangered or presumed extinct. In 2024-2025, Louisiana has around 4,300 pupils enrolled in 32 French immersion schools, and nearly 22,800 learners of French as a foreign language. As a
French Creole language, Haitian Creole draws the large majority of its vocabulary from French, with influences from West African languages, as well as several European languages. It is closely related to Louisiana Creole and the creole from the
Lesser Antilles. French is the sole official language of all the overseas territories of France in the Caribbean that are collectively referred to as the
French West Indies, namely
Guadeloupe,
Saint Barthélemy,
Saint Martin, and
Martinique.
Other Caribbean French Creoles In the countries of
Dominica,
Grenada,
St Lucia,
Trinidad Venezuela and
Panama French based
creoles are used in lesser capacities, being secondary languages. It should be understood that Creoles are distinct from French although they are occasionally intelligible (depending on the Creole and how much French influence the language received). The Creoles of Venezuela and Panama are dying/severely endangered. In Trinidad and Grenada creole (known colloquially as Patwa) are only spoken by elders although revitalisation efforts are growing. In Dominica and St Lucia standard French is also used unofficially as a third language and some people use French and French creoles interchangeably.
Other territories French is the official language of both
French Guiana on the South American continent, and of
Saint Pierre and Miquelon, an archipelago off the coast of Newfoundland in North America.
Asia French was the official language of the colony of
French Indochina, comprising modern-day
Vietnam,
Laos, and
Cambodia. All three countries are full members of La Francophonie (OIF). It continues to be an administrative language in Laos and Cambodia, although its influence has waned in recent decades. In 2025, there were about 712,000 speakers in Vietnam, 400,000 in Cambodia, and 215,000 in Laos.
Cambodia In Cambodia, there are about 400,000 French speakers and almost 125,000 Cambodians were learning French in 2018. In 2025, 400,000 students were learning French and around 3,000 schoolchildren were enrolled in bilingual courses across the country and between 7,000 and 8,000 graduate students take French classes as part of training in specialized fields such as medicine or law. The OIF has also promoted the teaching of the French language in Cambodia, notably through its Teacher Mobility Program, which facilitates the placement of French-speaking educators from other countries in Cambodian institutions. The National Center for French Learning was opened in 2025. The 20th Sommet de la Francophonie will be held in Cambodia, in November 2026. The summit will mark the transfer of the Francophonie presidency from France to Cambodia.
Norodom Monineath, the Queen Mother of Cambodia, authored the foreword to a report emphasizing the significance of the OIF and the Observatoire de la Langue Française. In her remarks, she described Cambodia’s role as host of the summit as a distinct honor for both herself and the nation. The
Lycée Français René-Descartes in Phnom Penh has over a thousand students, the majority of which are Cambodian, is part of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) among other francophone schools affiliated with the AEFE including the EFI French International School. Other organizations include the Institut Français du Cambodge an Alliance Française, and The French Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia Cambodia has French media including
L’Echo du Cambodge and
Le Toque.
Laos In Laos, there are approximately 215,000 francophones. The
French language in Lebanon is a widespread second language among the
Lebanese people, and is taught in many schools along with Arabic and English. French is used on
Lebanese pound banknotes, on road signs, on Lebanese
license plates, and on official buildings (alongside Arabic). Today, French and English are secondary languages of
Lebanon, with about 40% of the population being
Francophone and 40% Anglophone. The use of English is growing in the business and media environment. Out of about 900,000 students, about 500,000 are enrolled in Francophone schools, public or private, in which the teaching of mathematics and scientific subjects is provided in French. Actual usage of French varies depending on the region and social status. One-third of high school students educated in French go on to pursue higher education in English-speaking institutions. English is the language of business and communication, with French being an element of social distinction, chosen for its emotional value.
India French was the official language of
French India, consisting of the geographically separate enclaves referred to as
Puducherry. It continued to be an
official language of the territory even after its cession to India in 1956 until 1965. A small number of older locals still retain knowledge of the language, although it has now given way to Tamil and English.
Vietnam In colonial Vietnam, the elites primarily spoke French, while many servants who worked in French households spoke a French pidgin known as "
Tây Bồi" (now extinct). After French rule ended,
South Vietnam continued to use French in administration, education, and trade. However, since the
Fall of Saigon and the opening of a unified Vietnam's economy, French has gradually declined in modern Vietnam: it has been effectively displaced as the first foreign language of choice by English, and slightly under 1% of the population was fluent in French in 2018. Nevertheless, it continues to be taught as the other main foreign language in the Vietnamese educational system and is regarded as a cultural language. In 2025, approximately 40,000 students and 6,500 university students are enrolled in French. In New Caledonia, 97% of the population can speak, read and write French while in French Polynesia this figure is 95%, and in Wallis and Futuna, it is 84%. In French Polynesia and to a lesser extent Wallis and Futuna, where oral and written knowledge of the French language has become almost universal, French increasingly tends to displace the native
Polynesian languages as the language most spoken at home. In French Polynesia, the percentage of the population who reported that French was the language they use the most at home rose from 67% at the 2007 census to 74% at the 2017 census. == Varieties ==