This article needs additional citations for
verification. (May 2023) |
French is an official language in 27 independent nations. The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where French is an official or de facto language.
List of countries where French is the only official language:
In many countries, French is used as a co-official language alongside one or more other languages. List of countries where French is a co-official language:
Although a non-official minority language, French is granted certain rights in the following countries and territories:
French is an official language, mostly in conjunction with English, of 36 international organisations. These include:
This table shows the total populations of the countries, not the number of French speakers – most of these countries have a majority that do not speak French.
No. | Country | Continent | Population [5] |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa | 105,044,646 |
2. | France | Europe | 68,051,000 |
3. | Canada | North America | 38,653,740 |
4. | Madagascar | Africa | 24,235,400 |
5. | Cameroon | Africa | 23,345,200 |
6. | Côte d'Ivoire | Africa | 22,701,600 |
7. | Niger | Africa | 19,899,100 |
8. | Senegal | Africa | 15,129,300 |
9. | Chad | Africa | 14,037,500 |
10. | Guinea | Africa | 12,608,600 |
11. | Rwanda | Africa | 11,607,700 |
12. | Belgium | Europe | 11,358,357 |
13. | Burundi | Africa | 11,178,900 |
14. | Benin | Africa | 10,879,800 |
15. | Haiti | Caribbean | 10,711,100 |
16. | Switzerland | Europe | 8,510,000 |
17. | Togo | Africa | 7,304,600 |
18. | Central African Republic | Africa | 4,900,300 |
19. | Congo | Africa | 4,620,300 |
20. | Gabon | Africa | 1,725,300 |
21. | Equatorial Guinea | Africa | 1,221,490 |
22. | Djibouti | Africa | 887,861 |
23. | Comoros | Africa | 795,601 |
24. | Luxembourg | Europe | 602,900 |
25. | Vanuatu | Oceania | 264,652 |
26. | Seychelles | Africa | 92,900 |
27. | Monaco | Europe | 38,731 |
Total | All countries | World | c. 430,406,578 |
Nr. | Entity | Continent | Population | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | French Polynesia | Oceania | 284,060 | Overseas collectivity of France |
2. | New Caledonia | Oceania | 267,000 | Collectivity of France with special status |
3. | Aosta Valley | Europe | 128,000 | Autonomous region of Italy |
4. | Saint Martin | North America | 37,264 | Overseas collectivity of France |
5. | Wallis and Futuna | Oceania | 15,289 | Overseas collectivity of France |
6. | Saint Barthélemy | North America | 9,131 | Overseas collectivity of France |
7. | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | North America | 5,888 | Overseas collectivity of France |
8. | French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Africa, Antarctica | 100 | Overseas collectivity of France |
9. | Clipperton Island | North America | 0 | Overseas collectivity of France |
Note: Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Mayotte are classified as overseas departments and regions of France and are thus not a part of this list. While not de jure official, the U.S. states of Louisiana and Maine recognize the usage of French in law, governance, and commerce and allow state services and publicly funded education in the language, rendering it de facto official alongside English. [6] [4]
While French is not an official language in these countries, it is widely used in administration and many professional sectors, as well as being highly influential as a cultural language in the local society and has certain privileges in the education system.
Country | Continent | Population (2023) [7] | Usage of French |
---|---|---|---|
Algeria | Africa | 44,758,398 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language [8] |
Burkina Faso | Africa | 22,489,126 | Administrative, educational [9] [10] |
Cambodia | Asia | 16,891,245 | Administrative (particularly judicial and diplomacy), cultural, some educational [11] [12] |
Laos | Asia | 7,852,377 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational [13] [14] |
Lebanon | Asia | 5,331,203 | De jure second language [1] |
Mali | Africa | 21,359,722 | Administrative (de facto official), educational [15] [16] |
Mauritania | Africa | 4,244,878 | De facto second official language, educational [17] |
Mauritius | Africa | 1,309,448 | Administrative (de facto official), cultural, educational [2] |
Morocco | Africa | 37,067,420 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language [18] [19] |
Tunisia | Africa | 11,976,182 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language [20] |
Vietnam | Asia | 99,460,000 | Administrative (diplomatic), cultural, some educational, working language in medicine, science, and law [21] [22] |
This article needs additional citations for
verification. (May 2023) |
French is an official language in 27 independent nations. The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where French is an official or de facto language.
List of countries where French is the only official language:
In many countries, French is used as a co-official language alongside one or more other languages. List of countries where French is a co-official language:
Although a non-official minority language, French is granted certain rights in the following countries and territories:
French is an official language, mostly in conjunction with English, of 36 international organisations. These include:
This table shows the total populations of the countries, not the number of French speakers – most of these countries have a majority that do not speak French.
No. | Country | Continent | Population [5] |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa | 105,044,646 |
2. | France | Europe | 68,051,000 |
3. | Canada | North America | 38,653,740 |
4. | Madagascar | Africa | 24,235,400 |
5. | Cameroon | Africa | 23,345,200 |
6. | Côte d'Ivoire | Africa | 22,701,600 |
7. | Niger | Africa | 19,899,100 |
8. | Senegal | Africa | 15,129,300 |
9. | Chad | Africa | 14,037,500 |
10. | Guinea | Africa | 12,608,600 |
11. | Rwanda | Africa | 11,607,700 |
12. | Belgium | Europe | 11,358,357 |
13. | Burundi | Africa | 11,178,900 |
14. | Benin | Africa | 10,879,800 |
15. | Haiti | Caribbean | 10,711,100 |
16. | Switzerland | Europe | 8,510,000 |
17. | Togo | Africa | 7,304,600 |
18. | Central African Republic | Africa | 4,900,300 |
19. | Congo | Africa | 4,620,300 |
20. | Gabon | Africa | 1,725,300 |
21. | Equatorial Guinea | Africa | 1,221,490 |
22. | Djibouti | Africa | 887,861 |
23. | Comoros | Africa | 795,601 |
24. | Luxembourg | Europe | 602,900 |
25. | Vanuatu | Oceania | 264,652 |
26. | Seychelles | Africa | 92,900 |
27. | Monaco | Europe | 38,731 |
Total | All countries | World | c. 430,406,578 |
Nr. | Entity | Continent | Population | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | French Polynesia | Oceania | 284,060 | Overseas collectivity of France |
2. | New Caledonia | Oceania | 267,000 | Collectivity of France with special status |
3. | Aosta Valley | Europe | 128,000 | Autonomous region of Italy |
4. | Saint Martin | North America | 37,264 | Overseas collectivity of France |
5. | Wallis and Futuna | Oceania | 15,289 | Overseas collectivity of France |
6. | Saint Barthélemy | North America | 9,131 | Overseas collectivity of France |
7. | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | North America | 5,888 | Overseas collectivity of France |
8. | French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Africa, Antarctica | 100 | Overseas collectivity of France |
9. | Clipperton Island | North America | 0 | Overseas collectivity of France |
Note: Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Mayotte are classified as overseas departments and regions of France and are thus not a part of this list. While not de jure official, the U.S. states of Louisiana and Maine recognize the usage of French in law, governance, and commerce and allow state services and publicly funded education in the language, rendering it de facto official alongside English. [6] [4]
While French is not an official language in these countries, it is widely used in administration and many professional sectors, as well as being highly influential as a cultural language in the local society and has certain privileges in the education system.
Country | Continent | Population (2023) [7] | Usage of French |
---|---|---|---|
Algeria | Africa | 44,758,398 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language [8] |
Burkina Faso | Africa | 22,489,126 | Administrative, educational [9] [10] |
Cambodia | Asia | 16,891,245 | Administrative (particularly judicial and diplomacy), cultural, some educational [11] [12] |
Laos | Asia | 7,852,377 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational [13] [14] |
Lebanon | Asia | 5,331,203 | De jure second language [1] |
Mali | Africa | 21,359,722 | Administrative (de facto official), educational [15] [16] |
Mauritania | Africa | 4,244,878 | De facto second official language, educational [17] |
Mauritius | Africa | 1,309,448 | Administrative (de facto official), cultural, educational [2] |
Morocco | Africa | 37,067,420 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language [18] [19] |
Tunisia | Africa | 11,976,182 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language [20] |
Vietnam | Asia | 99,460,000 | Administrative (diplomatic), cultural, some educational, working language in medicine, science, and law [21] [22] |