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Geographical distribution of French speakers

January 20, 2023

"Francophone" redirects here. Not to be confused with Francophonie.

French language became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the language of European diplomacy and international relations.[1]

According to the 2022 report of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), 409 million people speak French.[2] The OIF states that despite a decline in the number of learners of French in Europe, the overall number of speakers is rising, largely because of its presence in African countries: of the 212 million who use French daily, 54.7% are living in Africa.[3] The OIF figures have been contested as being inflated due to the methodology used and its overly broad definition of the word francophone. According to the authors of a 2017 book on the world distribution of the French language, a credible estimate of the number of "francophones réels" (real francophones), that is, individuals who speak French on a daily basis either as their mother tongue or as a second language, would be around 130 million.[4]

Proportion of French speakers (including L2-speakers) by country in 2022, saturating at 50%, according to the OIF [5]
  1–9% Francophone
  10–19% Francophone
  20–29% Francophone
  30–39% Francophone
  40–49% Francophone
  50%+ Francophone
Proportion of French speakers, saturating at 100%[5]
  1–19% Francophone
  20–39% Francophone
  40–59% Francophone
  60–79% Francophone
  80–99% Francophone

Statistics

OIF figures

 
Population who can understand French in the EU and UK

The following figures are from a 2022 report of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).[6] No distinctions are made between native speakers of French and those who learnt it as a foreign language, between different levels of mastery or how often the language is used in daily life.[7] For African countries where French is the main language of education, the number of French speakers is derived from the average number of schooling years.[7]

Country French speakers % Basis of projection
  Albania 29,731 1.04% Adult Education Survey
  Algeria 14,903,789 32.86% 2008 census
  Andorra 54,315 70.12% 2009 national survey
  Armenia 10,105 0.34% 2011 census
  Austria 1,166,035 12.86% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Belgium 8,814,948 75.55% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Benin 4,306,099 33.68% 2013 census
  Bosnia and Herzegovina 25,523 0.79% Adult Education Survey
  Bulgaria 157,440 2.30% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Burkina Faso 5,403,610 24.45% Demographic and Health Survey
  Burundi 1,073,506 8.50% 2008 census
  Cambodia 463,248 2.70% 2010 OIF report + 2010 observations
  Cameroon 11,490,652 41.17% 2005 census
  Canada 11,060,585 28.58% 2016 census
  Cape Verde 61,000 10.8% OIF survey
  Central African Republic 1,435,061 28.61% Demographic and Health Survey
  Chad 2,249,023 12.92% 2009 census
  Colombia 4,636 0.01% French embassy in Colombia 2016
  Comoros 237,140 35.69% 2003 census
  Congo 3,518,464 60.69% Demographic and Health Survey
  Costa Rica 5,231 0.10% Rivard (2016)
  Croatia 95,650 2.36% 2005 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Cuba 339 0.003% French embassy in Cuba 2019
  Cyprus 80,711 6.60% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Czech Republic 233,351 2.17% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Denmark 442,142 7.51% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Djibouti 508,049 50% OIF survey
  Dominica 6,936 9.59% 2010 OIF report + 2006-2007 OIF survey
  Dominican Republic 158,808 1.44% 2014 OIF report
  DR Congo 48,924,702 51.37% Demographic and Health Survey
  Egypt 3,204,706 3.02% OIF survey
  Equatorial Guinea 432,705 28.91% OIF survey
  Estonia 19,200 1.45% 2011 census
  Finland 437,772 7.88% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  France (Metropolitan) 63,958,684 97.52% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Gabon 1,519,474 65.17% 2017 Gabonese Survey for the Monitoring and Evaluation of Poverty
  Gambia 511,699 20.00% 2018 OIF observer application
  Georgia 16,594 0.42% 2002 census
  Germany 12,242,129 14.88% Adult Education Survey
  Ghana 273,795 0.85% 2010 census
  Greece 754,215 7.31% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Guinea 3,776,680 27.24% Demographic and Health Survey
  Guinea-Bissau 317,351 15.38% OIF survey
  Haiti 4,906,073 42.00% 2010 OIF report
  Hungary 113,216 1.18% 2011 census
  Ireland 635,876 12.67% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Israel 527,804 5.92% OIF survey
  Italy 11,796,508 19.58% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Ivory Coast 9,324,605 33.61% 2014 census
  Kosovo 25,517 1.41% 2011 census
  Laos 204,188 2.73% OIF survey
  Latvia 20,220 1.09% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Lebanon 2,539,554 37.99% 2010 OIF report + 2012 observations
  Lithuania 62,492 2.35% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Luxembourg 590,896 91.99% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Madagascar 7,729,277 26.49% 2018 census
  Mali 3,702,660 17.24% 2009 census
  Malta 58,158 13.10% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Mauritania 655,948 13.38% 2013 census
  Mauritius 926,053 72.65% OIF survey
  Mexico 30,184 0.02% Rivard (2016)
  Moldova 54,579 1.36% 2014 census
  Monaco 38,549 96.91% OIF survey
  Montenegro 12,897 2.05% 2011 census
  Morocco 13,456,845 35.63% 2014 census
  Mozambique 98,822 0.30% OIF survey
  Netherlands 3,306,754 19.21% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Niger 3,362,988 12.89% 2012 census
  North Macedonia 42,544 2.04% Adult Education Survey
  Norway 167,905 3.05% Adult Education Survey
  Paraguay 14,612 0.20% 2002 census
  Peru 371 0.001% Alliances françaises in Peru 2018
  Poland 947,243 2.51% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Portugal 2,546,977 25.12% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Qatar 126,751 4.25% 2012 OIF associate application
  Romania 2,281,829 11.99% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Russia 628,723 0.43% 2010 census
  Rwanda 792,815 5.83% 2012 census
  Saint Lucia 3,002 1.62% 2010 OIF report + 2003 OIF survey
  São Tomé and Príncipe 45,984 20.20% OIF survey
  Senegal 4,640,365 26.29% 2013 census
  Serbia (excl. Kosovo) 244,973 3.58% Adult Education Survey
  Seychelles 52,699 53.00% OIF survey
  Slovakia 113,621 2.08% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Slovenia 50,042 2.41% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Spain 5,471,670 11.71% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Suriname 537 0.09% 2017 census
  Sweden 844,989 8.27% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  Switzerland 5,889,496 67.13% Adult Education Survey
  Thailand 578,085 0.82% 2010 OIF report + 2010 observations
  Togo 3,554,266 40.94% 2010 census
  Tunisia 6,321,391 52.47% 2014 census
  Ukraine 52,822 0.12% 2001 census
  United Arab Emirates 264,153 2.62% 2018 OIF application for a status change
  United Kingdom 11,281,136 16.47% 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
  United States 2,179,246 0.65% 2017 American Community Survey
  Uruguay 5,096 0.15% Rivard (2016)
  Vanuatu 100,153 31.12% 2009 census
  Vietnam 692,983 0.70% 2010 OIF report + pre-2010 observations

Other territories

Territory Country French speakers Percentage Year Reference
French Community of Belgium   Belgium 4,658,000 98% 2014 [8]
New Brunswick   Canada 320,000 42% 2014 [8]
Ontario   Canada 1,530,440 11.38% 2016 [9]
Québec   Canada 7,666,000 93% 2014 [8]
Collectivity of Saint Martin   France 33,375 84% 2022 [9]
French Guiana   France 162,000 62% 2015 [10]
French Polynesia   France 276,000 98% 2015 [10]
Guadeloupe   France 395,000 84% 2015 [10]
Martinique   France 329,000 81% 2015 [10]
Mayotte   France 147,000 63% 2015 [10]
New Caledonia   France 260,000 99% 2015 [10]
Réunion   France 788,000 88% 2015 [10]
Saint Barthélemy   France 8,355 84% 2022 [9]
Saint Pierre and Miquelon   France 6,000 100% 2015 [10]
Wallis and Futuna   France 11,000 83% 2015 [10]
Aosta Valley   Italy 72,000 60% 2001 [8]
Aruba   Netherlands 117 0.11% 2022 [9]
Louisiana   United States 84,163 1.84% 2022 [9]
Puerto Rico   United States 849 0.03% 2022 [9]
United States Virgin Islands   United States 8,941 8.60% 2022 [9]

Native speakers

It is estimated that 80 million people worldwide speak French as a main or first language.[11]

Country L1 speakers Percentage Year Reference Region
  Algeria[note 1] 10,200 0.03% 2012 [12] Africa
  Andorra[note 1] 4,200 5.2% 2005 [12] Europe
  Australia 57,739 0.3% 2011 [13] Australasia
  Austria 10,190 0.1% 2001 [14] Europe
  Belgium[note 2] 4,194,000 38% 2012 [15] Europe
  Benin[note 1] 16,700 0.3% 1993 [12] Africa
  Burkina Faso 170,047 1.3% 2006 [16] Africa
  Burundi[note 1] 2,200 0.03% 2004 [12] Africa
  Cambodia 873 0.01% 2008 [14] Asia
  Canada 7,651,360 20.8% 2021 [17] North America
  Central African Republic[note 1] 9,000 0.3% 1996 [12] Africa
  Chad[note 1] 3,000 0.05% 1993 [12] Africa
  Comoros[note 1] 1,700 0.4% 1993 [12] Africa
  Congo-Brazzaville[note 1] 28,000 1.1% 1993 [12] Africa
  Cote d'Ivoire[note 1] 17,500 0.2% 1988 [12] Africa
  Cyprus 1,139 0.1% 2011 [14] Asia/Europe
  Czech Republic[note 3] 2,056 0.02% 2011 [18] Europe
  Djibouti[note 1] 10,200 1.3% 2006 [12] Africa
  Estonia 124 0.01% 2011 [19] Europe
  Finland 4,402 0.1% 2018 [20] Europe
  France[note 4] 66,740,000 93% 2012 [15] Europe
  Gabon[note 1] 320,000 15.1% 2018 [12] Africa
  Georgia[note 5] 28 0.001% 2002 [10] Asia/Europe
  Hungary[note 6] 18,943 0.2% 2011 [21] Europe
  India[note 1] 150,000 0.02% 2008 [12] Asia
  Lebanon[note 1] 16,600 0.4% 2004 [12] Asia
  Liechtenstein 39 0.1% 2010 [14] Europe
  Lithuania 95 0.003% 2011 [14] Europe
  Luxembourg 57,633 12.1% 2013 [22] Europe
  Madagascar[note 1] 18,000 0.1% 1993 [12] Africa
  Mali 7,000 0.09% 1998 [23] Africa
  Mauritius[note 7] 44,400 3.6% 2011 [24] Africa
  Monaco 16,500 45% 2014 [12] Europe
  Morocco[note 1] 80,000 0.3% 2007 [12] Africa
  Niger[note 1] 6,000 0.1% 1993 [12] Africa
  Poland[note 8] 3,488 0.01% 2011 [25] Europe
  Rwanda[note 1] 2,300 0.03% 2004 [12] Africa
  Senegal 59,605 0.6% 2002 [26] Africa
  Seychelles[note 9] 650 0.7% 2010 [27] Africa
  South Africa 9,268 0.02% 1996 [14] Africa
  Switzerland 1,791,115 22.5% 2013 [28] Europe
  Togo[note 1] 3,000 0.1% 1993 [12] Africa
  Tunisia[note 1] 11,000 0.1% 1993 [12] Africa
  United Kingdom (England and Wales) 147,000 0.3% 2011 [29] Europe
  United States 1,307,742 0.5% 2013 [30] North America
  Vanuatu[note 10] 1,400 0.6% 2009 [31] Melanesia

Subnational territories

Territory Country L1 speakers Percentage Year Reference
Flanders   Belgium 367,000 5.9% 2009 [32]
New Brunswick   Canada 240,455 32.5% 2011 [33]
Nova Scotia   Canada 31,110 3.4% 2011 [33]
Ontario   Canada 597,000 4.3% 2016 [33]
Quebec   Canada 6,540,735 77.7% 2021 [34]
Manitoba   Canada 51,280 4.3% 2011 [33]
Alberta   Canada 68 435 2.1% 2011 [33]
British Columbia   Canada 63 625 1.4% 2011 [33]
Uusimaa   Finland 2,823 0.17% 2018 [35]
Mayotte[note 11]   France 21,000 10% 2014 [36]
Réunion[note 12]   France 65,700 8% 2010 [37]
Puducherry[note 13]   India 10,600 0.26% 1982 [38]
Aosta Valley[note 14]   Italy 1,500 1.3% 2003 [39]
Romandy   Switzerland 1,606,029 83.6% 2013 [40]
Louisiana   United States 119,931 2.8% 2013 [41]
Maine   United States 47,066 3.73% 2012 [41]
Massachusetts   United States 65,874 1.06% 2012 [41]
Connecticut   United States 35,565 1.05% 2012 [41]
New Hampshire   United States 24,697 1.98% 2012 [41]
Vermont   United States 9,543 1.61% 2012 [41]
Rhode Island   United States 11,477 1.15% 2012 [41]

Africa

Northern Africa

Algeria

Main article: French language in Algeria
 
Bilingual sign in Algiers in Arabic and French

In Algeria, 69.1% of the population over 15 in Alger, Constantine, Oran and Annaba can read and write French.[42] According to a survey conducted in 2012, fewer than four in 10 Algerians identified with a Francophone identity. Conversely, speaking French was seen as essential by seven in 10, though a third of the population felt that the use of French is declining.[43] In urban areas, the ability to speak fluent French is considered almost mandatory to find employment, especially in specialized white collar fields.[44] French is the first foreign language in Algeria, and is introduced at the primary level. In higher education, French is the language of instruction in scientific and technical fields.[45]

Francophone Algerians can be divided into three broad categories: 'real Francophones', who speak French as part of their daily lives and mostly come from a privileged background; 'casual Francophones', who use the language in certain contexts, alternating it with Arabic, and 'passive Francophones', who can understand French but do not speak it.[46]

French television channels are widely watched in Algeria, and Algerian newspaper print their television schedules.[47] Algeria also has a sizeable French-language press.[47] A 2014 report published by the National Assembly of France describes it as the most important French-speaking country after France.[47] Nevertheless, Algeria is not a member of the Francophonie.[47] On social media, French was used on Facebook by 76% of Algerians in 2014.[48]

French is not official, but The World Factbook cites it as the lingua franca of the country.[31] The French language, restricted to an urban elite during the colonial period, began to expand as part of the mass education efforts launched after 1962. Its controversial status as a legacy of colonialism led to the increasing Arabisation of the school system in the 1970s and 1980s.[49] The usage of French in the country reached its lowest point during the Algerian Civil War in the 1990s, when armed Islamist groups[who?] targeted teachers of French. The language has rebounded in public life since the end of the war,[50] culminating in the efforts to reintroduce French in primary schools in 2006, which were initially hampered by a lack of sufficiently qualified teachers.[49] Referring to the continued usage of French in Algeria in the post-colonial period, the writer Kateb Yacine described the French language as the 'spoils of war' (butin de guerre) of Algerians.[51]

Local French-language media include El Watan, Le Soir d'Algérie, Liberté, Le Matin and Tout sur l'Algérie. According to a 2010 study by IMMAR Research & Consultancy, Francophone newspapers had a readership of 4,459,000 in the country, or 28% of the total, and a majority among readers with a high school or university education.[52]

Egypt

The first French-medium school was established in Egypt in 1836, and the importance of French expanded throughout the second half of the 19th century, until it became the most common foreign language in the country.[53] At the time, it was also a lingua franca for the communities of foreign origin, especially in Cairo.[53]

During the period of the British colonization of Egypt French was actually the medium of communication among foreigners and between foreigners and Egyptians;[54] the mixed French-Egyptian civil courts operated in French, and government notices from the Egyptian Sultan, taxi stand information, timetables of trains, and other legal documents were issued in French.[55] This was partly because of some Egyptians had French education and partly because of cultural influence from France.[54] Despite efforts from British legal personnel, English was never adopted as a language of the Egyptian civil courts during the period of British influence.[56]

French began to lose ground in Egyptian society in the 1920s for a number of political and social reasons;[53] from the 1930s onwards English became the main foreign language, but French was still being learnt by 8 million Egyptians in 2013.[57] There are two French-speaking universities in the country, the Université Française d'Égypte and the Université Senghor.[57]

French is spoken by elderly people in the educated class who are over 40 years old. These people are more eloquent in this language because French was the main language used in education many years back before English prevailed and became the most preferred language of teaching. French is, however, starting to gain more prevalence as many young people are now attending French schools compared to before. As a result of this, the number of young people speaking French has risen to match those speaking English.[58]

Mauritania

See also: Languages of Mauritania

French was demoted from its status as an official language of Mauritania in 1991. Even so, it is taught from the second grade onward for up to six hours a week. French is also a language of instruction in high school for scientific subjects. In higher education, 2,300 students were enrolled in French courses in 2012. French remains, alongside Arabic, the language of work and education, although there were attempts to introduce English as a first foreign language.[59] On social media, 59% of Mauritanian Facebook users used French on the website in 2014.[48]

Morocco

Main article: French language in Morocco
See also: Language Attitudes Among Arabic-French Bilinguals in Morocco

The 2004 census of Morocco found that 39.5% of the population aged 10 and older could read and write French.[60] Spoken mainly in cities among the upper middle class, French is the medium of instruction of two-thirds of courses in higher education, including science and technology, health, economics and management, although the adoption of English for this role was being considered by the Minister of Education.[45] In the private sector, French is treated as more than simply a foreign language.[45] French is introduced in primary school, where it is studied for up to 7 hours a week. It is also used as the language of education in many private schools.[59] Moroccans are the largest group of foreign students in France, ahead of the Chinese and Algerians.[61]

50.3% of the population over 15 in Tanger, Fès, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech can read and write French.[42] According to a survey conducted in 2012, just a third of urban Moroccans identify with a Francophone identity, and slightly more wish for French to become more commonly used.[62] French is nevertheless deemed essential, both in the professional and private spheres, by three-quarters of respondents.[43] French-language media are losing ground to Arabic media, including in television, radio or the press: of 618 Moroccan publications in 2004, 448 were in Arabic and 164 in French.[63] On social media, French was used on Facebook by 75% of Moroccans in 2014.[48]

Local French-language media include Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb, TelQuel, Aujourd'hui le Maroc, La Vie éco.

Tunisia

Main article: Languages of Tunisia § French

French is a working language in many sectors in Tunisia, including healthcare, commerce or communication. In coastal areas and the more developed neighbourhoods of the capital, it is also a common language of communication for all social groups, either in its standardised form or hybridised with Arabic. In the inland regions and the south it remains a foreign language. French is introduced from the third grade at 8 hours per week. In high school French is the language of instruction for mathematics, science and computing. Teachers are not always sufficiently trained for this usage, however.[59]

Nearly three-quarters of the population of Tunis, Sousse and Sfax consider French as essential in their professional or personal lives. However, only half of the population feels Francophone, and only a third feels solidarity with other Francophone countries.[43] 70.8% of the population over 15 in the aforementioned Tunisians cities[clarification needed] can read and write French.[42] Arabic increasingly dominates the Tunisian media landscape, especially on television: the audience share of local French-language channels reached 25% in the early 1990s, but hardly reached 3% by the 2010s.[63] On social media, French was used on Facebook by 91% of Tunisians in 2014.[48]

Local French-language media include La Presse de Tunisie, L'Economiste Maghrébin, Tunivisions, Le Temps.

Sub-Saharan Africa

 
French speakers in Africa in 2014:
  0–10% Francophone
  11–20% Francophone
  21–30% Francophone
  31–40% Francophone
  41–50% Francophone
  >50% Francophone

According to the High Council of the International Organization of the Francophonie, in 2010, 96.2 million French speakers were living in various countries in Africa.[64] French has been imported to most of these countries through colonization, and it is not a mother tongue to most residents. African standards of French differ from European ones.[65] Some linguists discuss a "second French language"[66] or even an "African French language".[67]

According to Paul Wald, "The notion of ownership of an imported language begins when – despite its identification as a foreign and/or vernacular language – its use does not imply a relationship with the foreigner."[68] French can thus be considered the result of functional and vernacular ownerships, satisfying the needs of a society with new sociocultural and socioeconomic realities. French has begun developing into almost independent varieties, with creation of different types of slang by speakers with a sufficient knowledge of French. Examples include the Ivorian jargon "Nouchi" in Abidjan and the Cameroonian "Camfranglais", which is a mixture of French and English with elements of indigenous languages.

Benin

Main article: Languages of Benin § French

French is the sole official language of Benin.[31] According to a 2014 survey, 57.3% of residents of Cotonou over the age of 15 could read and write French.[42] Knowledge of French is considered important for employment, bureaucracy, education but also in everyday life.[69] 34% of the population was Francophone in 2002, up from 23% in 1992. There are strong regional differences, with the ability to speak French being more common in the south of the country. The Atlantique and Littoral departments have a French-speaking majority. French speakers are more commonly men than women, owing to a disparity in access to education.[70]

Burkina Faso

Main article: Languages of Burkina Faso § French language

French is the sole official language of Burkina Faso.[31] In Ouagadougou, 49.4% of the population aged 15 and older can read and write French.[42] At the national level French was the first language for 1.66% of the population in 2006 (up from 0.75% in 1996), reaching 9.54% in the capital, where it is the second most spoken language, behind Dioula.[71]

Burundi

See also: Languages of Burundi

Until 2014, French was one of two official languages of Burundi, the other being Kirundi.[31], Only Kirundi is spoken by the vast majority of the population, therefore holding the status of national language as determined by article 5 of the Constitution.[72]

Cameroon

See also: Languages of Cameroon

French is one of two official languages of Cameroon, the other being English.[31] French is the main language in eight of the ten regions of the country, with English being dominant in the remaining two.[73] French is the mother tongue of a vast proportion of young Cameroonians living in urban centers. In Cameroon, 63.7% of the population aged 15 and older in Douala and 60.5% in Yaoundé can read and write French; an additional 13–15% can speak French without being able to write it.[42] To some extent, the language situation in Cameroon between French and English could be described fairly accurately as an exact inversion of the linguistic situation existing in Canada between English and French : Being spoken by 80% of the educated population (unlike English which is much less spoken), French predominates largely especially in government and information, even in English-speaking regions, which has led to the current uprising of the English-speaking minority living at the Nigerian border, which complains that English language is disappearing progressively under the pressure of the more numerous French speakers and that the linguistic rights of the English speakers are not respected, endangering their specific culture.

Central African Republic

See also: Languages of the Central African Republic

French is an official language of the Central African Republic along with Sango.[31]

Chad

See also: Languages of Chad

French is one of two official languages of Chad, together with Arabic.[31] Half of the residents of N'Djamena feel solidarity towards other French-speaking countries and wishes for the use of French to expand.[62] French is seen as important in work and education.[43] French shares a place with Arabic as the language of administration and education, as well as in the press; French is dominant on radio and television.[74] French is also spoken as part of daily life.[75]

Comoros

See also: Languages of Comoros

French is one of two official languages of Comoros, Arabic being the second.[31] On social media, French was used on Facebook by 100% of Comorians in 2014.[48]

Congo-Brazzaville

See also: Languages of the Republic of the Congo

French is the sole official language of Republic of Congo.[31] 68.7% of the population of Brazzaville aged 15 and older can read and write French.[42] French is the main language in the media, used by 63% of radio and television broadcasters. French is also the dominant language in the state administrations.[76]

Congo-Kinshasa

Main article: Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo § French

French is the sole official language of Democratic Republic of Congo.[31] About half of Kinshasa residents feel solidarity towards Francophone countries, and French is seen as important for education and relations with the government. It is also seen as important to be successful in life, along with English.[69] French is the main language of education after third grade.[77]

Djibouti

See also: Languages of Djibouti

French is one of two official languages of Djibouti, the other being Arabic.[31] On social media, French was used on Facebook by 82% of Djiboutians in 2014.[48]

Gabon

See also: Languages of Gabon

French is the sole official language of Gabon.[31] According to a 1999 survey, French was the first language for 26.3% of Libreville residents between the age of 15 and 25.[78] 71.9% of the capital's residents over 15 years of age could read and write French.[42] Three quarters of the population of the capital identifies as Francophone and considers French as essential.[43] All local publications are in French.[78]

Guinea

See also: Languages of Guinea

French is the sole official language of Guinea.[31] In Conakry, 42.1% of the population aged 15 and older can read and write French.[42]

Ivory Coast

See also: Languages of Ivory Coast

French is the sole official language of the Ivory Coast.[31] In Abidjan, largest city of the country, 57.6% of the inhabitants over 15 can read and write French, and another 11% can speak it but not write it.[42] The French language is seen as essential by a large majority, especially for dealing with the government and in education. Two thirds of respondents report feeling Francophone.[69] French plays an important role in all areas of public and private life across the whole country. French is increasingly seen as an Ivorian language, and a local variety distinct from standard French has emerged (Ivorian French [fr]).[79]

Madagascar

See also: Languages of Madagascar

In Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, French is seen as important for work, education and administrative matters, but not in everyday life, where Malagasy dominates. Less than half feel solidarity with other Francophone countries or consider knowledge of French as essential.[69] Education in primary schools is bilingual in Malagasy and French. The latter is used as medium of education for mathematics and scientific subjects. French is the language of instruction in secondary and tertiary education.[80] It is also the main language of government, alongside Malagasy.[81]

Mali

See also: Languages of Mali

In Bamako, 47.7% of the population over 15 can read and write French.[42] Only 5 out of 10 people in the capital feel solidarity towards Francophone countries. French, however, is seen as essential for work, studies and administrative procedures.[69] French is advancing as a second language, rising from 11.9% in 1987 to 24.4% in 2009, but declining as a native language from 0.11% of the population in 1987 to 0.09% in 1998, losing some ground to Bambara.[82] French is more widely spoken in the Sahel region in the north of the country than in the south.[83]

Mauritius

See also: Languages of Mauritius

Niger

See also: Languages of Niger

French is the sole official language of Niger.[31] In Niamey, the capital, French is seen as essential for work, studies and administrative procedures.[69] Two-thirds of residents believe that the use of French is becoming more common in the country.[69]

Rwanda

See also: Languages of Rwanda

French became the administrative language of Rwanda in 1916. The Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 and the victory of the Rwandan Patriotic Front were followed by a period of linguistic upheaval, with the return of refugees from Anglophone countries setting the stage for the officialisation of English in 1996 and the gradual usurpation of French as the language of education, culminating in the decision in October 2008 to make English the main language of education at higher levels,[84] effectively relegating French to the status of third language.[85] Nevertheless, a survey of students in Kigali found that French was known by a majority of them.[86]

Senegal

See also: Languages of Senegal

French is the sole official language of Senegal.[31] French was commonly spoken by 9.4% of Senegalese in 2002, mainly as a second language, with just 0.6% speaking it natively.[87] Wolof is by far the most spoken language in the country, including the capital, while French remains a second language, becoming the main language only in non-Wolof areas. French is the main language of institutions, however.[88] Only half of Dakar residents identify with a Francophone status or feel solidarity with French-speaking countries, but the French language is seen as essential for everyday affairs and education.[69]

French was the language of literacy for 37.2% of the population in 2013, followed by Arabic at 11.1%. French is the main language of education in all regions of Senegal except for Kaffrine, where Arabic remains dominant, with significant Arabic-educated minorities in Kaolack (15.9% to 33.0% for French), Louga (15.8% to 22.7%) and Diourbel (15.0% to 17.2%). This phenomenon is explained by the impact of Quranic schools or Daara in those regions.[89]

Seychelles

See also: Languages of Seychelles

Togo

See also: Languages of Togo

French is the sole official language of Togo.[31] According to the 2010 census, 53% of the population over the age of 15 can read and write French.[90]

Americas

Caribbean

See also: French West Indies

French language is spoken in the overseas departments of French Guiana and the French Antilles, including Guadeloupe, Martinique, and the islands formerly attached to Guadeloupe. There are over a million people living in these departments and collectivities.

French Creoles are also spoken on the islands of Dominica, St. Lucia, and to a more limited extent, Grenada.

Haiti

See also: Haitian French

French is one of two official languages of Haiti, together with Haitian Creole, which is French-based.[31] French is the language of culture and business in Haiti, and also the main language of institutions. French is used most by the elite and the middle class.[91] Attempts to increase the legitimacy of Creole as an official language and in the media, on radio and television in particular, led to a relative decline in the share of French usage.[91] Most teachers of French suffer from a low level of skills in the language, with nearly 85% achieving a level between A2 and B1 in the Test de connaissance du français (TCF) in 2009.[91]

North America

Canada

Main articles: Canadian French and French language in Canada

French is the second most common language in Canada, after English, which are the two official languages of the Canadian federation.[31] About 6,827,860 Canadians speak French as their first language, or around 20% of the country,[92] with 2,065,300 constituting secondary speakers.[92] Bilingualism with French has been declining in English Canada in recent years.[93]

Provincially, French is the sole official language of the Province of Quebec, being the mother tongue for some 7 million people, or almost 80.1 percent (2006 Census) of the province. About 95 percent of the people of Quebec speak French as either a first or second language. English and French are the official languages of New Brunswick, where bilingualism is constitutionally and statutorily enacted. In 2016, approximately 32 per cent of New Brunswick claims French as their mother tongue. More than three-quarters of francophones in New Brunswick resides in the eastern portion of the province.[94] English and French are also constitutionally recognized as the official languages of Manitoba's legislative and judicial branches. In 2016, more than 43,000 Manitobans (3.4 per cent of the province's population) claims French as their mother tongue.[95] Franco-Manitobans are primarily concentrated in southern Manitoba, along corridors that follows the Seine and the Red River of the North;[96] with 80 per cent of Franco-Manitobans residing in Eastman or the Winnipeg Capital Region.[95]

French is also an official language of all three territories (Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon), along with English and, in Northwest Territories and Nunavut, multiple Aboriginal languages. Out of the three, Yukon has the most French speakers, comprising just under 4 per cent of the population.[97]

French is also an official language of Ontario's legislature and judiciary, with access to a French judiciary being viewed as quasi-constitutional right in that province.[98] French language rights are also statutorily enacted to certain regions of Ontario, under the French Language Services Act. More than 600,000 francophones reside in Ontario (approximately 4.7 per cent of the population), constituting the largest French-speaking community in Canada outside Quebec. Over 40 per cent of Franco-Ontarians reside in Eastern Ontario, with more than half of that population living in communities close to the Ontario-Quebec border. Central and northeastern Ontario also holds significant populations of Franco-Ontarians, with francophones making up over 22 per cent of northeastern Ontario's population.[99]

United States

Main article: French language in the United States
 
French language spread in the United States

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2011), French is the fourth[100] most-spoken language in the United States after English, Spanish, and Chinese, when all forms of French are considered together and all languages of Chinese are similarly combined. French remains the second most-spoken language in the states of Louisiana, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.

Louisiana is home to many distinct dialects, collectively known as Louisiana French. Cajun French has the largest number of speakers, mostly living in Acadiana. According to the 2000 United States Census, there are over 194,000 people in Louisiana who speak French at home, the most of any state if Louisiana Creole is excluded.[101] In October 2018, Louisiana became the first U.S. state to join the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.[102] New England French, essentially a variant of Canadian French, is spoken in parts of New England.

Missouri French, Muskrat French and Métis French were historically spoken by descendants of habitants, voyageurs and coureurs des bois in various parts of New France, but are now endangered languages.[103]

South America

Argentina

See French Argentines

Brazil

The anti-Portuguese factor of Brazilian nationalism in the 19th century led to an increased use of the French language to the detriment of Portuguese, as France was seen at the time as a model of civilization and progress.[104] The learning of French has historically been important and strong among the Lusophone high societies, and for a great span of time, it was also the main foreign language among the middle class of both Portugal and Brazil, but now trails English, in both, and more recently, Spanish, in the latter.[105][106][107][108]

Asia

Myanmar

In Myanmar, French is gaining popularity amongst university students and the tourism sector, as the country slowly opens up. French is taught in secondary school, as with other foreign languages aside from English, which is taught from primary school.[109] Two universities in the country have French-language departments, for a total of 350 students.[109]

Cambodia

Main article: French language in Cambodia

About 3% of the population of Cambodia can speak French as of 2014.[110]

China

In China the language was also spoken by the elite in the Shanghai French Concession and other concessions in Guangzhou (Shamian Island), Hankou, Tianjin, Kwang-Chou-Wan and in the French zone of influence over the provinces of Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan, and Guangdong. French is seen as important for doing business in Africa in particular, and 6,000 students attended French courses in 2013.[111] 29,000 study French in one of the Alliance française establishments, and 20,000 more study it in private language schools or academies, while 35,000 Chinese people are studying in France.[111]

India

French is used as the official language in areas of Pondicherry, Karikal and Chandannagar as they were former French colonies.[112]

Jordan

See also: Languages of Jordan

French is a minor language in Jordan brought over by French colonists in Lebanon and Syria and Maghrebi and French expatriates. The growth of French in Jordan occurred primarily in the 20th century but it is still popular today. Amman is home to the Lycée Français, while the Institut français de Jordanie is another important Francophone institution in the country.[113] According to the 2014 Francophonie report, 12,000 Jordanians were studying French at the primary level, 30,000 at the secondary level and 1,747 in universities.[114]

Lebanon

Main article: French language in Lebanon
 
Town sign in Standard Arabic and French at the entrance of Rechmaya in Lebanon

As the Lebanese people historically call France la tendre mère (English: The Tender Mother), not only is speaking French in Lebanon common and encouraged,[citation needed] but it is also a self-identification with the French liberal and cultural spirit that was mainly the result of the French colonial period and educational, Christian religious and governmental enterprises. However, most Lebanese privilege French out of fascination and infatuation with the culture, not for any functional purposes.

While the Article 11 of Lebanon's Constitution states that "Arabic is the official national language, a law determines the cases in which the French language is to be used".

Today, French and English are secondary languages of Lebanon, with about 40% of the population being Francophone and 40% Anglophone.[57] 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.[115] 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.[116] On social media, French was used on Facebook by just 10% of Lebanese in 2014, far behind English (78%).[48]

Laos

Main article: French language in Laos

About 3% of the population of Laos can speak French as of 2014.[110]

Philippines

The Philippines has become one of the most active areas where French is being studied. Home of the first Alliance Française in the Southeast Asia (founded in 1912), it continues to educate many Filipinos and expatriates in the said language. There are currently two branches of Alliance Française in the Philippines, that of Manila and Cebu.

Although the language is not offered in elementary school, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued a proclamation encouraging the language to be an elective in high school. Also, French, along with Spanish, is a popular foreign language offered in many universities in the country. The University of the Philippines offers a bachelor's degree in European Languages, where French is one of the possible majors.

Singapore

In Singapore, the top 10% of Primary School Leaving Examination graduates may choose to opt for French as a second or third language in secondary school, though the language is not an official language in Singapore, and is not commonly spoken among locals.

Syria

Syria, as well as Lebanon were French League of Nations Mandates following World War I, which put French language as one of the main official language in Syria. Following independence, French was demoted as the official language of Syria, but it remained taught alongside English in schools as the second foreign language. French remains widely spoken among intellectuals and members of the upper class in Syria and most educated Syrians are trilingual, speaking Arabic, English and French.

French is mostly popular in the cities of Damascus and Aleppo where the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle and l’École Française, Syria's only two French schools, are located respectively. In 2016, a new French school opened in Tartous increasing the total number to three.

Vietnam

Main article: French language in Vietnam

About 0.7% of the population of Vietnam can speak French as of 2014.[110]

Europe

 
Distribution of the French language in Europe

Spoken by 12% of the EU population, French is the second most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union, after German; it is also the third most widely known language of the Union, after English and German (33% of the EU population report to know how to speak English, whilst 22% of Europeans understand German and 20% French).[15][117]

Andorra

Belgium

Main article: Belgian French
Further information: Languages of Belgium

In Belgium, French is an official language in Wallonia and Brussels.[31] French is the primary language of Wallonia (excluding a part of the East Cantons, which are German-speaking) and in the Brussels-Capital Region, where it is spoken by the majority of the population often as their primary language.[118] In the Flemish Region French is not an official language, with the exception of a dozen municipalities with language facilities for French speakers along borders with the Walloon and Brussels-Capital regions.

In total, native French speakers make up about 38% of the country's population.[15] Including speakers of French as a second language, about 72% of the Belgian population can speak French.[110]

France

See also: Toubon Law and Languages of France

French formally became the official language of France in 1992,[119] but the ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts made it mandatory for legal documents in 1539. France mandates the use of French in official government publications and public education except in specific cases (though these dispositions are often ignored)[citation needed] and legal contracts; advertisements must bear a translation of foreign words.[citation needed]

Guernsey

Further information: Languages of Guernsey

In Guernsey, English is the only official language, although French is sometimes used in legislation with a ceremonial capacity. Nevertheless, Norman (in its local forms, Guernésiais and Jèrriais) is the historical vernacular of the islands.[citation needed]

Italy

Further information: Aosta Valley

The Aosta Valley was the first government authority to adopt Modern French as working language in 1536, three years before France itself.[120] French has been the official language of the Aosta Valley since 1561, when it replaced Latin.[121] In the 1861 census, the first held after the unification of Italy, 93% declared being Francophone; in 1921, the last census with a question about language found that 88% of the population was French-speaking.[122] The suppression of all French-language schools and institutions and violence against French speakers during the forceful Italianisation campaign of the Fascist government irretrievably damaged the status of French in the region.[122] Italian and French are nowadays the region's official languages[123] and are used for the regional government's acts and laws, though Italian is much more widely spoken in everyday life, and French is mostly used within cultural events. Though French was re-introduced as an official language after World War II, and by 2003 just 0.99% reported speaking French natively.[39] French remains widely known as a second language, but it is no longer spoken as part of daily life.[124] In 2001, 75.41% of the Valdostan population declared to know French, 96.01% declared to know Italian, 55.77% Franco-Provençal, and 50.53% all of them.[125] School education is delivered equally in both Italian and French[123] so that everyone who went to school in Aosta Valley can speak French to at least a medium-high level.

Jersey

Further information: Languages of Jersey

In Jersey, a standardized variety of French called Jersey Legal French is an official language. However, its use is generally restricted to parliament formalities or legal codes and contracts.

Luxembourg

Further information: Languages of Luxembourg and Multilingualism in Luxembourg

French is one of three official languages of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, alongside German and Luxembourgish, the natively spoken language of Luxembourg. French is primarily used for administrative purposes by the government, is the language in which laws are published since the law of 1984 [126] and is also the primary language used to converse with foreigners. Luxembourg's education system is trilingual: the first cycle of basic school is in Luxembourgish, before changing officially to German for most branches; while in secondary school, the language of instruction changes to French for most subjects, such as mathematics and science.[127] At the Luxembourg University courses are offered in French, German and English.[128]

Switzerland

Further information: Languages of Switzerland
Main articles: Swiss French and Romandie

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 Romandie, 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 Biel/Bienne or cantons such as Valais-Fribourg-Berne. French is the native language of about 20% of the Swiss population and is spoken by 50.4%[129] of the population.

United Kingdom

Further information: Languages of the United Kingdom

French is the most popular foreign language studied in British schools. According to a 2006 European Commission report, 23% of UK residents are able to carry on a conversation in French.[130] Other surveys put the figure at 15%.[131][132]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s The percentage is calculated from the World Bank population estimate for the given year.
  2. ^ Based on a 2012 population of 11,035,948 (StatBel 2015-05-21 at the Wayback Machine)
  3. ^ 2,056 or 0.02% of the total population of 10,436,560
  4. ^ Based on a 2012 population of 65,241,000 (INSEE 2015-07-18 at the Wayback Machine)
  5. ^ Based on a 2002 population of 4,371,535 (Geostat 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine)
  6. ^ 117,121 – 98,178 = 18,943 (total speakers less non-native speakers), or 0.2% of the total population of 9,937,628
  7. ^ 3.6% of a 2011 population of 1,233,000
  8. ^ 3,488 or 0.01% of the total population of 38,511,824
  9. ^ 0.7% of a 2010 population of 90,945
  10. ^ 0.6% of a 2009 population of 234,023 (VNSO 2015-04-17 at the Wayback Machine)
  11. ^ Based on a 2012 population of 212,600 (INSEE 2015-05-14 at the Wayback Machine)
  12. ^ Based on a 2010 population of 821,136 (INSEE 2015-04-12 at the Wayback Machine)
  13. ^ Based on a 1981 population of 604,471 (Planning and Research Department of Puducherry 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine)
  14. ^ Based on a 2003 population of 120,909 (ISTAT 2015-04-07 at the Wayback Machine)

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External links

  • Observatoire démographique et statistique de l’espace francophone (ODSEF)
  • Why French Matters
  • Is French a Global Language?

January 20, 2023
geographical, distribution, french, speakers, francophone, redirects, here, confused, with, francophonie, french, language, became, international, language, middle, ages, when, power, kingdom, france, made, second, international, language, alongside, latin, th. Francophone redirects here Not to be confused with Francophonie French language became an international language in the Middle Ages when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language alongside Latin This status continued to grow into the 18th century by which time French was the language of European diplomacy and international relations 1 According to the 2022 report of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie OIF 409 million people speak French 2 The OIF states that despite a decline in the number of learners of French in Europe the overall number of speakers is rising largely because of its presence in African countries of the 212 million who use French daily 54 7 are living in Africa 3 The OIF figures have been contested as being inflated due to the methodology used and its overly broad definition of the word francophone According to the authors of a 2017 book on the world distribution of the French language a credible estimate of the number of francophones reels real francophones that is individuals who speak French on a daily basis either as their mother tongue or as a second language would be around 130 million 4 Proportion of French speakers including L2 speakers by country in 2022 saturating at 50 according to the OIF 5 1 9 Francophone 10 19 Francophone 20 29 Francophone 30 39 Francophone 40 49 Francophone 50 Francophone Proportion of French speakers saturating at 100 5 1 19 Francophone 20 39 Francophone 40 59 Francophone 60 79 Francophone 80 99 Francophone Contents 1 Statistics 1 1 OIF figures 1 1 1 Other territories 1 2 Native speakers 1 2 1 Subnational territories 2 Africa 2 1 Northern Africa 2 1 1 Algeria 2 1 2 Egypt 2 1 3 Mauritania 2 1 4 Morocco 2 1 5 Tunisia 2 2 Sub Saharan Africa 2 2 1 Benin 2 2 2 Burkina Faso 2 2 3 Burundi 2 2 4 Cameroon 2 2 5 Central African Republic 2 2 6 Chad 2 2 7 Comoros 2 2 8 Congo Brazzaville 2 2 9 Congo Kinshasa 2 2 10 Djibouti 2 2 11 Gabon 2 2 12 Guinea 2 2 13 Ivory Coast 2 2 14 Madagascar 2 2 15 Mali 2 2 16 Mauritius 2 2 17 Niger 2 2 18 Rwanda 2 2 19 Senegal 2 2 20 Seychelles 2 2 21 Togo 3 Americas 3 1 Caribbean 3 1 1 Haiti 3 2 North America 3 2 1 Canada 3 2 2 United States 3 3 South America 3 3 1 Argentina 3 3 2 Brazil 4 Asia 4 1 Myanmar 4 2 Cambodia 4 3 China 4 4 India 4 5 Jordan 4 6 Lebanon 4 7 Laos 4 8 Philippines 4 9 Singapore 4 10 Syria 4 11 Vietnam 5 Europe 5 1 Andorra 5 2 Belgium 5 3 France 5 4 Guernsey 5 5 Italy 5 6 Jersey 5 7 Luxembourg 5 8 Switzerland 5 9 United Kingdom 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 8 1 Citations 8 2 Sources 9 External linksStatistics EditOIF figures Edit Population who can understand French in the EU and UK The following figures are from a 2022 report of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie OIF 6 No distinctions are made between native speakers of French and those who learnt it as a foreign language between different levels of mastery or how often the language is used in daily life 7 For African countries where French is the main language of education the number of French speakers is derived from the average number of schooling years 7 Country French speakers Basis of projection Albania 29 731 1 04 Adult Education Survey Algeria 14 903 789 32 86 2008 census Andorra 54 315 70 12 2009 national survey Armenia 10 105 0 34 2011 census Austria 1 166 035 12 86 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Belgium 8 814 948 75 55 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Benin 4 306 099 33 68 2013 census Bosnia and Herzegovina 25 523 0 79 Adult Education Survey Bulgaria 157 440 2 30 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Burkina Faso 5 403 610 24 45 Demographic and Health Survey Burundi 1 073 506 8 50 2008 census Cambodia 463 248 2 70 2010 OIF report 2010 observations Cameroon 11 490 652 41 17 2005 census Canada 11 060 585 28 58 2016 census Cape Verde 61 000 10 8 OIF survey Central African Republic 1 435 061 28 61 Demographic and Health Survey Chad 2 249 023 12 92 2009 census Colombia 4 636 0 01 French embassy in Colombia 2016 Comoros 237 140 35 69 2003 census Congo 3 518 464 60 69 Demographic and Health Survey Costa Rica 5 231 0 10 Rivard 2016 Croatia 95 650 2 36 2005 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Cuba 339 0 003 French embassy in Cuba 2019 Cyprus 80 711 6 60 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Czech Republic 233 351 2 17 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Denmark 442 142 7 51 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Djibouti 508 049 50 OIF survey Dominica 6 936 9 59 2010 OIF report 2006 2007 OIF survey Dominican Republic 158 808 1 44 2014 OIF report DR Congo 48 924 702 51 37 Demographic and Health Survey Egypt 3 204 706 3 02 OIF survey Equatorial Guinea 432 705 28 91 OIF survey Estonia 19 200 1 45 2011 census Finland 437 772 7 88 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey France Metropolitan 63 958 684 97 52 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Gabon 1 519 474 65 17 2017 Gabonese Survey for the Monitoring and Evaluation of Poverty Gambia 511 699 20 00 2018 OIF observer application Georgia 16 594 0 42 2002 census Germany 12 242 129 14 88 Adult Education Survey Ghana 273 795 0 85 2010 census Greece 754 215 7 31 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Guinea 3 776 680 27 24 Demographic and Health Survey Guinea Bissau 317 351 15 38 OIF survey Haiti 4 906 073 42 00 2010 OIF report Hungary 113 216 1 18 2011 census Ireland 635 876 12 67 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Israel 527 804 5 92 OIF survey Italy 11 796 508 19 58 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Ivory Coast 9 324 605 33 61 2014 census Kosovo 25 517 1 41 2011 census Laos 204 188 2 73 OIF survey Latvia 20 220 1 09 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Lebanon 2 539 554 37 99 2010 OIF report 2012 observations Lithuania 62 492 2 35 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Luxembourg 590 896 91 99 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Madagascar 7 729 277 26 49 2018 census Mali 3 702 660 17 24 2009 census Malta 58 158 13 10 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Mauritania 655 948 13 38 2013 census Mauritius 926 053 72 65 OIF survey Mexico 30 184 0 02 Rivard 2016 Moldova 54 579 1 36 2014 census Monaco 38 549 96 91 OIF survey Montenegro 12 897 2 05 2011 census Morocco 13 456 845 35 63 2014 census Mozambique 98 822 0 30 OIF survey Netherlands 3 306 754 19 21 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Niger 3 362 988 12 89 2012 census North Macedonia 42 544 2 04 Adult Education Survey Norway 167 905 3 05 Adult Education Survey Paraguay 14 612 0 20 2002 census Peru 371 0 001 Alliances francaises in Peru 2018 Poland 947 243 2 51 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Portugal 2 546 977 25 12 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Qatar 126 751 4 25 2012 OIF associate application Romania 2 281 829 11 99 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Russia 628 723 0 43 2010 census Rwanda 792 815 5 83 2012 census Saint Lucia 3 002 1 62 2010 OIF report 2003 OIF survey Sao Tome and Principe 45 984 20 20 OIF survey Senegal 4 640 365 26 29 2013 census Serbia excl Kosovo 244 973 3 58 Adult Education Survey Seychelles 52 699 53 00 OIF survey Slovakia 113 621 2 08 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Slovenia 50 042 2 41 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Spain 5 471 670 11 71 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Suriname 537 0 09 2017 census Sweden 844 989 8 27 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey Switzerland 5 889 496 67 13 Adult Education Survey Thailand 578 085 0 82 2010 OIF report 2010 observations Togo 3 554 266 40 94 2010 census Tunisia 6 321 391 52 47 2014 census Ukraine 52 822 0 12 2001 census United Arab Emirates 264 153 2 62 2018 OIF application for a status change United Kingdom 11 281 136 16 47 2012 Eurobarometer Adult Education Survey United States 2 179 246 0 65 2017 American Community Survey Uruguay 5 096 0 15 Rivard 2016 Vanuatu 100 153 31 12 2009 census Vietnam 692 983 0 70 2010 OIF report pre 2010 observationsOther territories Edit This section needs to be updated The reason given is Many of the sources are outdated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information May 2022 Territory Country French speakers Percentage Year ReferenceFrench Community of Belgium Belgium 4 658 000 98 2014 8 New Brunswick Canada 320 000 42 2014 8 Ontario Canada 1 530 440 11 38 2016 9 Quebec Canada 7 666 000 93 2014 8 Collectivity of Saint Martin France 33 375 84 2022 9 French Guiana France 162 000 62 2015 10 French Polynesia France 276 000 98 2015 10 Guadeloupe France 395 000 84 2015 10 Martinique France 329 000 81 2015 10 Mayotte France 147 000 63 2015 10 New Caledonia France 260 000 99 2015 10 Reunion France 788 000 88 2015 10 Saint Barthelemy France 8 355 84 2022 9 Saint Pierre and Miquelon France 6 000 100 2015 10 Wallis and Futuna France 11 000 83 2015 10 Aosta Valley Italy 72 000 60 2001 8 Aruba Netherlands 117 0 11 2022 9 Louisiana United States 84 163 1 84 2022 9 Puerto Rico United States 849 0 03 2022 9 United States Virgin Islands United States 8 941 8 60 2022 9 Native speakers Edit It is estimated that 80 million people worldwide speak French as a main or first language 11 Country L1 speakers Percentage Year Reference Region Algeria note 1 10 200 0 03 2012 12 Africa Andorra note 1 4 200 5 2 2005 12 Europe Australia 57 739 0 3 2011 13 Australasia Austria 10 190 0 1 2001 14 Europe Belgium note 2 4 194 000 38 2012 15 Europe Benin note 1 16 700 0 3 1993 12 Africa Burkina Faso 170 047 1 3 2006 16 Africa Burundi note 1 2 200 0 03 2004 12 Africa Cambodia 873 0 01 2008 14 Asia Canada 7 651 360 20 8 2021 17 North America Central African Republic note 1 9 000 0 3 1996 12 Africa Chad note 1 3 000 0 05 1993 12 Africa Comoros note 1 1 700 0 4 1993 12 Africa Congo Brazzaville note 1 28 000 1 1 1993 12 Africa Cote d Ivoire note 1 17 500 0 2 1988 12 Africa Cyprus 1 139 0 1 2011 14 Asia Europe Czech Republic note 3 2 056 0 02 2011 18 Europe Djibouti note 1 10 200 1 3 2006 12 Africa Estonia 124 0 01 2011 19 Europe Finland 4 402 0 1 2018 20 Europe France note 4 66 740 000 93 2012 15 Europe Gabon note 1 320 000 15 1 2018 12 Africa Georgia note 5 28 0 001 2002 10 Asia Europe Hungary note 6 18 943 0 2 2011 21 Europe India note 1 150 000 0 02 2008 12 Asia Lebanon note 1 16 600 0 4 2004 12 Asia Liechtenstein 39 0 1 2010 14 Europe Lithuania 95 0 003 2011 14 Europe Luxembourg 57 633 12 1 2013 22 Europe Madagascar note 1 18 000 0 1 1993 12 Africa Mali 7 000 0 09 1998 23 Africa Mauritius note 7 44 400 3 6 2011 24 Africa Monaco 16 500 45 2014 12 Europe Morocco note 1 80 000 0 3 2007 12 Africa Niger note 1 6 000 0 1 1993 12 Africa Poland note 8 3 488 0 01 2011 25 Europe Rwanda note 1 2 300 0 03 2004 12 Africa Senegal 59 605 0 6 2002 26 Africa Seychelles note 9 650 0 7 2010 27 Africa South Africa 9 268 0 02 1996 14 Africa Switzerland 1 791 115 22 5 2013 28 Europe Togo note 1 3 000 0 1 1993 12 Africa Tunisia note 1 11 000 0 1 1993 12 Africa United Kingdom England and Wales 147 000 0 3 2011 29 Europe United States 1 307 742 0 5 2013 30 North America Vanuatu note 10 1 400 0 6 2009 31 MelanesiaSubnational territories Edit Territory Country L1 speakers Percentage Year ReferenceFlanders Belgium 367 000 5 9 2009 32 New Brunswick Canada 240 455 32 5 2011 33 Nova Scotia Canada 31 110 3 4 2011 33 Ontario Canada 597 000 4 3 2016 33 Quebec Canada 6 540 735 77 7 2021 34 Manitoba Canada 51 280 4 3 2011 33 Alberta Canada 68 435 2 1 2011 33 British Columbia Canada 63 625 1 4 2011 33 Uusimaa Finland 2 823 0 17 2018 35 Mayotte note 11 France 21 000 10 2014 36 Reunion note 12 France 65 700 8 2010 37 Puducherry note 13 India 10 600 0 26 1982 38 Aosta Valley note 14 Italy 1 500 1 3 2003 39 Romandy Switzerland 1 606 029 83 6 2013 40 Louisiana United States 119 931 2 8 2013 41 Maine United States 47 066 3 73 2012 41 Massachusetts United States 65 874 1 06 2012 41 Connecticut United States 35 565 1 05 2012 41 New Hampshire United States 24 697 1 98 2012 41 Vermont United States 9 543 1 61 2012 41 Rhode Island United States 11 477 1 15 2012 41 Africa EditNorthern Africa Edit Algeria Edit Main article French language in Algeria Bilingual sign in Algiers in Arabic and French In Algeria 69 1 of the population over 15 in Alger Constantine Oran and Annaba can read and write French 42 According to a survey conducted in 2012 fewer than four in 10 Algerians identified with a Francophone identity Conversely speaking French was seen as essential by seven in 10 though a third of the population felt that the use of French is declining 43 In urban areas the ability to speak fluent French is considered almost mandatory to find employment especially in specialized white collar fields 44 French is the first foreign language in Algeria and is introduced at the primary level In higher education French is the language of instruction in scientific and technical fields 45 Francophone Algerians can be divided into three broad categories real Francophones who speak French as part of their daily lives and mostly come from a privileged background casual Francophones who use the language in certain contexts alternating it with Arabic and passive Francophones who can understand French but do not speak it 46 French television channels are widely watched in Algeria and Algerian newspaper print their television schedules 47 Algeria also has a sizeable French language press 47 A 2014 report published by the National Assembly of France describes it as the most important French speaking country after France 47 Nevertheless Algeria is not a member of the Francophonie 47 On social media French was used on Facebook by 76 of Algerians in 2014 48 French is not official but The World Factbook cites it as the lingua franca of the country 31 The French language restricted to an urban elite during the colonial period began to expand as part of the mass education efforts launched after 1962 Its controversial status as a legacy of colonialism led to the increasing Arabisation of the school system in the 1970s and 1980s 49 The usage of French in the country reached its lowest point during the Algerian Civil War in the 1990s when armed Islamist groups who targeted teachers of French The language has rebounded in public life since the end of the war 50 culminating in the efforts to reintroduce French in primary schools in 2006 which were initially hampered by a lack of sufficiently qualified teachers 49 Referring to the continued usage of French in Algeria in the post colonial period the writer Kateb Yacine described the French language as the spoils of war butin de guerre of Algerians 51 Local French language media include El Watan Le Soir d Algerie Liberte Le Matin and Tout sur l Algerie According to a 2010 study by IMMAR Research amp Consultancy Francophone newspapers had a readership of 4 459 000 in the country or 28 of the total and a majority among readers with a high school or university education 52 Egypt Edit The first French medium school was established in Egypt in 1836 and the importance of French expanded throughout the second half of the 19th century until it became the most common foreign language in the country 53 At the time it was also a lingua franca for the communities of foreign origin especially in Cairo 53 During the period of the British colonization of Egypt French was actually the medium of communication among foreigners and between foreigners and Egyptians 54 the mixed French Egyptian civil courts operated in French and government notices from the Egyptian Sultan taxi stand information timetables of trains and other legal documents were issued in French 55 This was partly because of some Egyptians had French education and partly because of cultural influence from France 54 Despite efforts from British legal personnel English was never adopted as a language of the Egyptian civil courts during the period of British influence 56 French began to lose ground in Egyptian society in the 1920s for a number of political and social reasons 53 from the 1930s onwards English became the main foreign language but French was still being learnt by 8 million Egyptians in 2013 57 There are two French speaking universities in the country the Universite Francaise d Egypte and the Universite Senghor 57 French is spoken by elderly people in the educated class who are over 40 years old These people are more eloquent in this language because French was the main language used in education many years back before English prevailed and became the most preferred language of teaching French is however starting to gain more prevalence as many young people are now attending French schools compared to before As a result of this the number of young people speaking French has risen to match those speaking English 58 Mauritania Edit See also Languages of Mauritania French was demoted from its status as an official language of Mauritania in 1991 Even so it is taught from the second grade onward for up to six hours a week French is also a language of instruction in high school for scientific subjects In higher education 2 300 students were enrolled in French courses in 2012 French remains alongside Arabic the language of work and education although there were attempts to introduce English as a first foreign language 59 On social media 59 of Mauritanian Facebook users used French on the website in 2014 48 Morocco Edit Main article French language in Morocco See also Language Attitudes Among Arabic French Bilinguals in Morocco The 2004 census of Morocco found that 39 5 of the population aged 10 and older could read and write French 60 Spoken mainly in cities among the upper middle class French is the medium of instruction of two thirds of courses in higher education including science and technology health economics and management although the adoption of English for this role was being considered by the Minister of Education 45 In the private sector French is treated as more than simply a foreign language 45 French is introduced in primary school where it is studied for up to 7 hours a week It is also used as the language of education in many private schools 59 Moroccans are the largest group of foreign students in France ahead of the Chinese and Algerians 61 50 3 of the population over 15 in Tanger Fes Rabat Casablanca and Marrakech can read and write French 42 According to a survey conducted in 2012 just a third of urban Moroccans identify with a Francophone identity and slightly more wish for French to become more commonly used 62 French is nevertheless deemed essential both in the professional and private spheres by three quarters of respondents 43 French language media are losing ground to Arabic media including in television radio or the press of 618 Moroccan publications in 2004 448 were in Arabic and 164 in French 63 On social media French was used on Facebook by 75 of Moroccans in 2014 48 Local French language media include Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb TelQuel Aujourd hui le Maroc La Vie eco Tunisia Edit Main article Languages of Tunisia French French is a working language in many sectors in Tunisia including healthcare commerce or communication In coastal areas and the more developed neighbourhoods of the capital it is also a common language of communication for all social groups either in its standardised form or hybridised with Arabic In the inland regions and the south it remains a foreign language French is introduced from the third grade at 8 hours per week In high school French is the language of instruction for mathematics science and computing Teachers are not always sufficiently trained for this usage however 59 Nearly three quarters of the population of Tunis Sousse and Sfax consider French as essential in their professional or personal lives However only half of the population feels Francophone and only a third feels solidarity with other Francophone countries 43 70 8 of the population over 15 in the aforementioned Tunisians cities clarification needed can read and write French 42 Arabic increasingly dominates the Tunisian media landscape especially on television the audience share of local French language channels reached 25 in the early 1990s but hardly reached 3 by the 2010s 63 On social media French was used on Facebook by 91 of Tunisians in 2014 48 Local French language media include La Presse de Tunisie L Economiste Maghrebin Tunivisions Le Temps Sub Saharan Africa Edit French speakers in Africa in 2014 0 10 Francophone 11 20 Francophone 21 30 Francophone 31 40 Francophone 41 50 Francophone gt 50 Francophone According to the High Council of the International Organization of the Francophonie in 2010 96 2 million French speakers were living in various countries in Africa 64 French has been imported to most of these countries through colonization and it is not a mother tongue to most residents African standards of French differ from European ones 65 Some linguists discuss a second French language 66 or even an African French language 67 According to Paul Wald The notion of ownership of an imported language begins when despite its identification as a foreign and or vernacular language its use does not imply a relationship with the foreigner 68 French can thus be considered the result of functional and vernacular ownerships satisfying the needs of a society with new sociocultural and socioeconomic realities French has begun developing into almost independent varieties with creation of different types of slang by speakers with a sufficient knowledge of French Examples include the Ivorian jargon Nouchi in Abidjan and the Cameroonian Camfranglais which is a mixture of French and English with elements of indigenous languages Benin Edit Main article Languages of Benin French French is the sole official language of Benin 31 According to a 2014 survey 57 3 of residents of Cotonou over the age of 15 could read and write French 42 Knowledge of French is considered important for employment bureaucracy education but also in everyday life 69 34 of the population was Francophone in 2002 up from 23 in 1992 There are strong regional differences with the ability to speak French being more common in the south of the country The Atlantique and Littoral departments have a French speaking majority French speakers are more commonly men than women owing to a disparity in access to education 70 Burkina Faso Edit Main article Languages of Burkina Faso French language French is the sole official language of Burkina Faso 31 In Ouagadougou 49 4 of the population aged 15 and older can read and write French 42 At the national level French was the first language for 1 66 of the population in 2006 up from 0 75 in 1996 reaching 9 54 in the capital where it is the second most spoken language behind Dioula 71 Burundi Edit See also Languages of Burundi Until 2014 French was one of two official languages of Burundi the other being Kirundi 31 Only Kirundi is spoken by the vast majority of the population therefore holding the status of national language as determined by article 5 of the Constitution 72 Cameroon Edit See also Languages of Cameroon French is one of two official languages of Cameroon the other being English 31 French is the main language in eight of the ten regions of the country with English being dominant in the remaining two 73 French is the mother tongue of a vast proportion of young Cameroonians living in urban centers In Cameroon 63 7 of the population aged 15 and older in Douala and 60 5 in Yaounde can read and write French an additional 13 15 can speak French without being able to write it 42 To some extent the language situation in Cameroon between French and English could be described fairly accurately as an exact inversion of the linguistic situation existing in Canada between English and French Being spoken by 80 of the educated population unlike English which is much less spoken French predominates largely especially in government and information even in English speaking regions which has led to the current uprising of the English speaking minority living at the Nigerian border which complains that English language is disappearing progressively under the pressure of the more numerous French speakers and that the linguistic rights of the English speakers are not respected endangering their specific culture Central African Republic Edit See also Languages of the Central African Republic French is an official language of the Central African Republic along with Sango 31 Chad Edit See also Languages of Chad French is one of two official languages of Chad together with Arabic 31 Half of the residents of N Djamena feel solidarity towards other French speaking countries and wishes for the use of French to expand 62 French is seen as important in work and education 43 French shares a place with Arabic as the language of administration and education as well as in the press French is dominant on radio and television 74 French is also spoken as part of daily life 75 Comoros Edit See also Languages of Comoros French is one of two official languages of Comoros Arabic being the second 31 On social media French was used on Facebook by 100 of Comorians in 2014 48 Congo Brazzaville Edit See also Languages of the Republic of the Congo French is the sole official language of Republic of Congo 31 68 7 of the population of Brazzaville aged 15 and older can read and write French 42 French is the main language in the media used by 63 of radio and television broadcasters French is also the dominant language in the state administrations 76 Congo Kinshasa Edit Main article Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo French French is the sole official language of Democratic Republic of Congo 31 About half of Kinshasa residents feel solidarity towards Francophone countries and French is seen as important for education and relations with the government It is also seen as important to be successful in life along with English 69 French is the main language of education after third grade 77 Djibouti Edit See also Languages of Djibouti French is one of two official languages of Djibouti the other being Arabic 31 On social media French was used on Facebook by 82 of Djiboutians in 2014 48 Gabon Edit See also Languages of Gabon French is the sole official language of Gabon 31 According to a 1999 survey French was the first language for 26 3 of Libreville residents between the age of 15 and 25 78 71 9 of the capital s residents over 15 years of age could read and write French 42 Three quarters of the population of the capital identifies as Francophone and considers French as essential 43 All local publications are in French 78 Guinea Edit See also Languages of Guinea French is the sole official language of Guinea 31 In Conakry 42 1 of the population aged 15 and older can read and write French 42 Ivory Coast Edit See also Languages of Ivory Coast French is the sole official language of the Ivory Coast 31 In Abidjan largest city of the country 57 6 of the inhabitants over 15 can read and write French and another 11 can speak it but not write it 42 The French language is seen as essential by a large majority especially for dealing with the government and in education Two thirds of respondents report feeling Francophone 69 French plays an important role in all areas of public and private life across the whole country French is increasingly seen as an Ivorian language and a local variety distinct from standard French has emerged Ivorian French fr 79 Madagascar Edit See also Languages of Madagascar In Antananarivo the capital of Madagascar French is seen as important for work education and administrative matters but not in everyday life where Malagasy dominates Less than half feel solidarity with other Francophone countries or consider knowledge of French as essential 69 Education in primary schools is bilingual in Malagasy and French The latter is used as medium of education for mathematics and scientific subjects French is the language of instruction in secondary and tertiary education 80 It is also the main language of government alongside Malagasy 81 Mali Edit See also Languages of Mali In Bamako 47 7 of the population over 15 can read and write French 42 Only 5 out of 10 people in the capital feel solidarity towards Francophone countries French however is seen as essential for work studies and administrative procedures 69 French is advancing as a second language rising from 11 9 in 1987 to 24 4 in 2009 but declining as a native language from 0 11 of the population in 1987 to 0 09 in 1998 losing some ground to Bambara 82 French is more widely spoken in the Sahel region in the north of the country than in the south 83 Mauritius Edit See also Languages of Mauritius Niger Edit See also Languages of Niger French is the sole official language of Niger 31 In Niamey the capital French is seen as essential for work studies and administrative procedures 69 Two thirds of residents believe that the use of French is becoming more common in the country 69 Rwanda Edit See also Languages of Rwanda French became the administrative language of Rwanda in 1916 The Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 and the victory of the Rwandan Patriotic Front were followed by a period of linguistic upheaval with the return of refugees from Anglophone countries setting the stage for the officialisation of English in 1996 and the gradual usurpation of French as the language of education culminating in the decision in October 2008 to make English the main language of education at higher levels 84 effectively relegating French to the status of third language 85 Nevertheless a survey of students in Kigali found that French was known by a majority of them 86 Senegal Edit See also Languages of Senegal French is the sole official language of Senegal 31 French was commonly spoken by 9 4 of Senegalese in 2002 mainly as a second language with just 0 6 speaking it natively 87 Wolof is by far the most spoken language in the country including the capital while French remains a second language becoming the main language only in non Wolof areas French is the main language of institutions however 88 Only half of Dakar residents identify with a Francophone status or feel solidarity with French speaking countries but the French language is seen as essential for everyday affairs and education 69 French was the language of literacy for 37 2 of the population in 2013 followed by Arabic at 11 1 French is the main language of education in all regions of Senegal except for Kaffrine where Arabic remains dominant with significant Arabic educated minorities in Kaolack 15 9 to 33 0 for French Louga 15 8 to 22 7 and Diourbel 15 0 to 17 2 This phenomenon is explained by the impact of Quranic schools or Daara in those regions 89 Seychelles Edit See also Languages of Seychelles Togo Edit See also Languages of Togo French is the sole official language of Togo 31 According to the 2010 census 53 of the population over the age of 15 can read and write French 90 Americas EditCaribbean Edit See also French West Indies French language is spoken in the overseas departments of French Guiana and the French Antilles including Guadeloupe Martinique and the islands formerly attached to Guadeloupe There are over a million people living in these departments and collectivities French Creoles are also spoken on the islands of Dominica St Lucia and to a more limited extent Grenada Haiti Edit See also Haitian French French is one of two official languages of Haiti together with Haitian Creole which is French based 31 French is the language of culture and business in Haiti and also the main language of institutions French is used most by the elite and the middle class 91 Attempts to increase the legitimacy of Creole as an official language and in the media on radio and television in particular led to a relative decline in the share of French usage 91 Most teachers of French suffer from a low level of skills in the language with nearly 85 achieving a level between A2 and B1 in the Test de connaissance du francais TCF in 2009 91 North America Edit Canada Edit Main articles Canadian French and French language in Canada French is the second most common language in Canada after English which are the two official languages of the Canadian federation 31 About 6 827 860 Canadians speak French as their first language or around 20 of the country 92 with 2 065 300 constituting secondary speakers 92 Bilingualism with French has been declining in English Canada in recent years 93 Provincially French is the sole official language of the Province of Quebec being the mother tongue for some 7 million people or almost 80 1 percent 2006 Census of the province About 95 percent of the people of Quebec speak French as either a first or second language English and French are the official languages of New Brunswick where bilingualism is constitutionally and statutorily enacted In 2016 approximately 32 per cent of New Brunswick claims French as their mother tongue More than three quarters of francophones in New Brunswick resides in the eastern portion of the province 94 English and French are also constitutionally recognized as the official languages of Manitoba s legislative and judicial branches In 2016 more than 43 000 Manitobans 3 4 per cent of the province s population claims French as their mother tongue 95 Franco Manitobans are primarily concentrated in southern Manitoba along corridors that follows the Seine and the Red River of the North 96 with 80 per cent of Franco Manitobans residing in Eastman or the Winnipeg Capital Region 95 French is also an official language of all three territories Northwest Territories Nunavut and Yukon along with English and in Northwest Territories and Nunavut multiple Aboriginal languages Out of the three Yukon has the most French speakers comprising just under 4 per cent of the population 97 French is also an official language of Ontario s legislature and judiciary with access to a French judiciary being viewed as quasi constitutional right in that province 98 French language rights are also statutorily enacted to certain regions of Ontario under the French Language Services Act More than 600 000 francophones reside in Ontario approximately 4 7 per cent of the population constituting the largest French speaking community in Canada outside Quebec Over 40 per cent of Franco Ontarians reside in Eastern Ontario with more than half of that population living in communities close to the Ontario Quebec border Central and northeastern Ontario also holds significant populations of Franco Ontarians with francophones making up over 22 per cent of northeastern Ontario s population 99 United States Edit Main article French language in the United States French language spread in the United States According to the U S Census Bureau 2011 French is the fourth 100 most spoken language in the United States after English Spanish and Chinese when all forms of French are considered together and all languages of Chinese are similarly combined French remains the second most spoken language in the states of Louisiana Maine Vermont and New Hampshire Louisiana is home to many distinct dialects collectively known as Louisiana French Cajun French has the largest number of speakers mostly living in Acadiana According to the 2000 United States Census there are over 194 000 people in Louisiana who speak French at home the most of any state if Louisiana Creole is excluded 101 In October 2018 Louisiana became the first U S state to join the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie 102 New England French essentially a variant of Canadian French is spoken in parts of New England Missouri French Muskrat French and Metis French were historically spoken by descendants of habitants voyageurs and coureurs des bois in various parts of New France but are now endangered languages 103 South America Edit Argentina Edit See French Argentines Brazil Edit The anti Portuguese factor of Brazilian nationalism in the 19th century led to an increased use of the French language to the detriment of Portuguese as France was seen at the time as a model of civilization and progress 104 The learning of French has historically been important and strong among the Lusophone high societies and for a great span of time it was also the main foreign language among the middle class of both Portugal and Brazil but now trails English in both and more recently Spanish in the latter 105 106 107 108 Asia EditMyanmar Edit In Myanmar French is gaining popularity amongst university students and the tourism sector as the country slowly opens up French is taught in secondary school as with other foreign languages aside from English which is taught from primary school 109 Two universities in the country have French language departments for a total of 350 students 109 Cambodia Edit Main article French language in Cambodia About 3 of the population of Cambodia can speak French as of 2014 110 China Edit In China the language was also spoken by the elite in the Shanghai French Concession and other concessions in Guangzhou Shamian Island Hankou Tianjin Kwang Chou Wan and in the French zone of influence over the provinces of Yunnan Guangxi Hainan and Guangdong French is seen as important for doing business in Africa in particular and 6 000 students attended French courses in 2013 111 29 000 study French in one of the Alliance francaise establishments and 20 000 more study it in private language schools or academies while 35 000 Chinese people are studying in France 111 India Edit French is used as the official language in areas of Pondicherry Karikal and Chandannagar as they were former French colonies 112 Jordan Edit See also Languages of Jordan French is a minor language in Jordan brought over by French colonists in Lebanon and Syria and Maghrebi and French expatriates The growth of French in Jordan occurred primarily in the 20th century but it is still popular today Amman is home to the Lycee Francais while the Institut francais de Jordanie is another important Francophone institution in the country 113 According to the 2014 Francophonie report 12 000 Jordanians were studying French at the primary level 30 000 at the secondary level and 1 747 in universities 114 Lebanon Edit Main article French language in Lebanon Town sign in Standard Arabic and French at the entrance of Rechmaya in Lebanon As the Lebanese people historically call France la tendre mere English The Tender Mother not only is speaking French in Lebanon common and encouraged citation needed but it is also a self identification with the French liberal and cultural spirit that was mainly the result of the French colonial period and educational Christian religious and governmental enterprises However most Lebanese privilege French out of fascination and infatuation with the culture not for any functional purposes While the Article 11 of Lebanon s Constitution states that Arabic is the official national language a law determines the cases in which the French language is to be used Today French and English are secondary languages of Lebanon with about 40 of the population being Francophone and 40 Anglophone 57 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 115 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 116 On social media French was used on Facebook by just 10 of Lebanese in 2014 far behind English 78 48 Laos Edit Main article French language in Laos About 3 of the population of Laos can speak French as of 2014 110 Philippines Edit The Philippines has become one of the most active areas where French is being studied Home of the first Alliance Francaise in the Southeast Asia founded in 1912 it continues to educate many Filipinos and expatriates in the said language There are currently two branches of Alliance Francaise in the Philippines that of Manila and Cebu Although the language is not offered in elementary school President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued a proclamation encouraging the language to be an elective in high school Also French along with Spanish is a popular foreign language offered in many universities in the country The University of the Philippines offers a bachelor s degree in European Languages where French is one of the possible majors Singapore Edit In Singapore the top 10 of Primary School Leaving Examination graduates may choose to opt for French as a second or third language in secondary school though the language is not an official language in Singapore and is not commonly spoken among locals Syria Edit Syria as well as Lebanon were French League of Nations Mandates following World War I which put French language as one of the main official language in Syria Following independence French was demoted as the official language of Syria but it remained taught alongside English in schools as the second foreign language French remains widely spoken among intellectuals and members of the upper class in Syria and most educated Syrians are trilingual speaking Arabic English and French French is mostly popular in the cities of Damascus and Aleppo where the Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle and l Ecole Francaise Syria s only two French schools are located respectively In 2016 a new French school opened in Tartous increasing the total number to three Vietnam Edit Main article French language in Vietnam About 0 7 of the population of Vietnam can speak French as of 2014 110 Europe Edit Distribution of the French language in Europe Spoken by 12 of the EU population French is the second most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union after German it is also the third most widely known language of the Union after English and German 33 of the EU population report to know how to speak English whilst 22 of Europeans understand German and 20 French 15 117 Andorra Edit This section is empty You can help by adding to it May 2022 Belgium Edit Main article Belgian French Further information Languages of Belgium In Belgium French is an official language in Wallonia and Brussels 31 French is the primary language of Wallonia excluding a part of the East Cantons which are German speaking and in the Brussels Capital Region where it is spoken by the majority of the population often as their primary language 118 In the Flemish Region French is not an official language with the exception of a dozen municipalities with language facilities for French speakers along borders with the Walloon and Brussels Capital regions In total native French speakers make up about 38 of the country s population 15 Including speakers of French as a second language about 72 of the Belgian population can speak French 110 France Edit See also Toubon Law and Languages of France French formally became the official language of France in 1992 119 but the ordinance of Villers Cotterets made it mandatory for legal documents in 1539 France mandates the use of French in official government publications and public education except in specific cases though these dispositions are often ignored citation needed and legal contracts advertisements must bear a translation of foreign words citation needed Guernsey Edit Further information Languages of Guernsey In Guernsey English is the only official language although French is sometimes used in legislation with a ceremonial capacity Nevertheless Norman in its local forms Guernesiais and Jerriais is the historical vernacular of the islands citation needed Italy Edit Further information Aosta Valley The Aosta Valley was the first government authority to adopt Modern French as working language in 1536 three years before France itself 120 French has been the official language of the Aosta Valley since 1561 when it replaced Latin 121 In the 1861 census the first held after the unification of Italy 93 declared being Francophone in 1921 the last census with a question about language found that 88 of the population was French speaking 122 The suppression of all French language schools and institutions and violence against French speakers during the forceful Italianisation campaign of the Fascist government irretrievably damaged the status of French in the region 122 Italian and French are nowadays the region s official languages 123 and are used for the regional government s acts and laws though Italian is much more widely spoken in everyday life and French is mostly used within cultural events Though French was re introduced as an official language after World War II and by 2003 just 0 99 reported speaking French natively 39 French remains widely known as a second language but it is no longer spoken as part of daily life 124 In 2001 75 41 of the Valdostan population declared to know French 96 01 declared to know Italian 55 77 Franco Provencal and 50 53 all of them 125 School education is delivered equally in both Italian and French 123 so that everyone who went to school in Aosta Valley can speak French to at least a medium high level Jersey Edit Further information Languages of Jersey In Jersey a standardized variety of French called Jersey Legal French is an official language However its use is generally restricted to parliament formalities or legal codes and contracts Luxembourg Edit Further information Languages of Luxembourg and Multilingualism in Luxembourg French is one of three official languages of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg alongside German and Luxembourgish the natively spoken language of Luxembourg French is primarily used for administrative purposes by the government is the language in which laws are published since the law of 1984 126 and is also the primary language used to converse with foreigners Luxembourg s education system is trilingual the first cycle of basic school is in Luxembourgish before changing officially to German for most branches while in secondary school the language of instruction changes to French for most subjects such as mathematics and science 127 At the Luxembourg University courses are offered in French German and English 128 Switzerland Edit Further information Languages of SwitzerlandMain articles Swiss French and Romandie 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 Romandie 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 Biel Bienne or cantons such as Valais Fribourg Berne French is the native language of about 20 of the Swiss population and is spoken by 50 4 129 of the population United Kingdom Edit Further information Languages of the United Kingdom French is the most popular foreign language studied in British schools According to a 2006 European Commission report 23 of UK residents are able to carry on a conversation in French 130 Other surveys put the figure at 15 131 132 See also EditList of territorial entities where French is an official language Organisation internationale de la Francophonie HispanophoneNotes Edit a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s The percentage is calculated from the World Bank population estimate for the given year Based on a 2012 population of 11 035 948 StatBel Archived 2015 05 21 at the Wayback Machine 2 056 or 0 02 of the total population of 10 436 560 Based on a 2012 population of 65 241 000 INSEE Archived 2015 07 18 at the Wayback Machine Based on a 2002 population of 4 371 535 Geostat Archived 2015 09 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