List of countries and territories where French is an official language
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Map-Francophone_World.svg/330px-Map-Francophone_World.svg.png)
French is an official language in 32 independent nations which is the second most geographically widespread official language in the world after English. French is also the second most geographically widespread language in the world after English, with about 60 countries and territories having it as a de jure or de facto official, administrative, or cultural language.[1] The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where French is an official or de facto language.
Sole official language
Countries
List of countries where French is the only official language:
- Benin
- Congo, Democratic Republic of
- Congo, Republic of
- France (Metropolitan and Overseas France)
- Gabon
- Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Monaco
- Niger
- Senegal
- Togo
Non-sovereign entities
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Jura, Switzerland
- Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Quebec, Canada
- Vaud, Switzerland
- Valais, Switzerland
Co-official use
Sovereign states
In many countries, French is used as a co-official language alongside one or more other languages. List of countries where French is a co-official language:
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Countries_where_French_is_an_official_language.svg/330px-Countries_where_French_is_an_official_language.svg.png)
National subdivisions
- Aosta Valley,Aosta, Italy
- Bern, Switzerland
- Brussels, Belgium
- Fribourg, Switzerland
- New Brunswick, Canada
- Northwest Territories, Canada
- Nunavut, Canada
- Valais, Switzerland
- Wallonia, Belgium
- Yukon, Canada
- Puducherry, India
Officially recognized status
Although a non-official minority language, French is granted certain rights in the following countries and territories:
Intergovernmental organizations
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Francophonie_flag_Ottawa.jpg/220px-Francophonie_flag_Ottawa.jpg)
French is an official language, mostly in conjunction with English, of 36 international organisations. These include:
- Francophonie
- United Nations
- International Olympic Committee
- European Union
- African Union
- NATO
- World Trade Organization
- Council of Europe
Countries
This table shows the total populations of the countries, not the number of French speakers – most of these countries have a majority that do not speak French.
No. | Country | Continent | Population[6] |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa | 105,044,646 |
2. | France | Europe | 68,051,000 |
3. | Canada | North America | 38,653,740 |
4. | Madagascar | Africa | 24,235,400 |
5. | Cameroon | Africa | 23,345,200 |
6. | Côte d'Ivoire | Africa | 22,701,600 |
7. | Niger | Africa | 19,899,100 |
8. | Senegal | Africa | 15,129,300 |
9. | Chad | Africa | 14,037,500 |
10. | Guinea | Africa | 12,608,600 |
11. | Rwanda | Africa | 11,607,700 |
12. | Belgium | Europe | 11,358,357 |
13. | Burundi | Africa | 11,178,900 |
14. | Benin | Africa | 10,879,800 |
15. | Haiti | Caribbean | 10,711,100 |
16. | Switzerland | Europe | 8,510,000 |
17. | Togo | Africa | 7,304,600 |
18. | Central African Republic | Africa | 4,900,300 |
19. | Congo | Africa | 4,620,300 |
20. | Gabon | Africa | 1,725,300 |
21. | Equatorial Guinea | Africa | 1,221,490 |
22. | Djibouti | Africa | 887,861 |
23. | Comoros | Africa | 795,601 |
24. | Luxembourg | Europe | 602,900 |
25. | Vanuatu | Oceania | 264,652 |
26. | Seychelles | Africa | 92,900 |
27. | Monaco | Europe | 38,731 |
Total | All countries | World | c. 430,406,578 |
Dependent entities
Nr. | Entity | Continent | Population | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | French Polynesia | Oceania | 284,060 | Overseas collectivity of France |
2. | New Caledonia | Oceania | 267,000 | Collectivity of France with special status |
3. | Aosta Valley | Europe | 128,000 | Autonomous region of Italy |
4. | Saint Martin | North America | 37,264 | Overseas collectivity of France |
5. | Wallis and Futuna | Oceania | 15,289 | Overseas collectivity of France |
6. | Saint Barthélemy | North America | 9,131 | Overseas collectivity of France |
7. | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | North America | 5,888 | Overseas collectivity of France |
8. | French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Africa, Antarctica | 100 | Overseas collectivity of France |
9. | Clipperton Island | North America | 0 | Overseas collectivity of France |
Note: Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Mayotte are classified as overseas departments and regions of France and are thus not a part of this list. While not de jure official, the U.S. states of Louisiana and Maine recognize the usage of French in law, governance, and commerce and allow state services and publicly funded education in the language, rendering it de facto official alongside English.[7][5]
Non-official but significant language
While French is not an official language in these countries, it is widely used in administration and many professional sectors, as well as being highly influential as a cultural language in the local society and has certain privileges in the education system.
Country | Continent | Population (2023)[8] | Usage of French |
---|---|---|---|
Algeria | Africa | 44,758,398 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language[9] |
Burkina Faso | Africa | 22,489,126 | Administrative, educational[10][11] |
Cambodia | Asia | 16,891,245 | Administrative (particularly judicial and diplomacy), cultural, some educational[12][13] |
Laos | Asia | 7,852,377 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational[14][15] |
Lebanon | Asia | 5,331,203 | De jure second language[2] |
Mali | Africa | 21,359,722 | Administrative (de facto official), educational[16][17] |
Mauritania | Africa | 4,244,878 | De facto second official language, educational[18] |
Mauritius | Africa | 1,309,448 | Administrative (de facto official), cultural, educational[3] |
Morocco | Africa | 37,067,420 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language[19][20] |
Tunisia | Africa | 11,976,182 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language[21] |
Vietnam | Asia | 99,460,000 | Administrative (diplomatic), cultural, some educational, working language in medicine, science, and law[22][23] |
See also
- Geographical distribution of French speakers
- Francophonie
- List of international organisations which have French as an official language
- French-based creole languages
- Geolinguistics
- Language geography
References
- ^ "The world's languages, in 7 maps and charts". The Washington Post. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- ^ a b Axel Tschentscher, LL.M. "Article 11 of the Lebanese Constitution". Servat.unibe.ch. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
- ^ a b Article 49 in the Constitution of Mauritius. ilo.org
- ^ French's Legal Status In Louisiana, Conseil pour le développement du Français en Louisiane (CODOFIL)
- ^ a b "Ici on parle français", Report of the Commission to Study the Development of Maine's Franco-American Resources, Maine State Legislature Law and Legislative Reference Library, December 1997
- ^ "Google Public Data Explorer". World Bank. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
- ^ Ward, Roger K. The French Language in Louisiana Law and Legal Education: A Requiem, Louisiana Law Review, 1997
- ^ World Population 2023, The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency
- ^ "Le dénombrement des francophones" (PDF). Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2013. () p. 9 "Nous y agrégeons néanmoins quelques données disponibles pour des pays n'appartenant pas à l'OIF mais dont nous savons, comme pour l'Algérie (11,2 millions en 20081
- ^ "Burkina Faso - Ibrahim Traoré promulgue la loi révisant la Constitution". LibreExpress. 27 January 2024.
- ^ "DÉCRET N° 2024-0040/PRES-TRANS promulguant la loi constitutionnelle n° 045-2023/ALT du 30 décembre 2023 portant révision de la Constitution" (PDF). minute.bf. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ^ Aménagement linguistique dans le monde - Cambodge, Université Laval (in French)
- ^ Richardson, Michael (16 October 1993). "French Declines in Indochina, as English Booms". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
- ^ Aménagement linguistique dans le monde - Laos, Université Laval (in French)
- ^ Richardson, Michael (16 October 1993). "French Declines in Indochina, as English Booms". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
- ^ Mali's new constitution adopted after court validation, Radio France Internationale, 22 July 2023.
- ^ "Journal Officiel de la République du Mali Secretariat du Général du Governement - Decret DECRET N°2023-0401/PT-RM du 22 Juillet 2023 pourtant promulgation de la Constitution" (PDF). sgg-mali.ml. 22 July 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Mauritania". Ethnologue.
- ^ "Morocco". World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 14 July 2023.
- ^ "Présentation du Maroc". Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (in French).
- ^ Samy Ghorbal, «Le français a-t-il encore un avenir ? », Jeune Afrique, 27 April 2008, pp. 77-78
- ^ Duc Tri-Quê Anh. Promouvoir l’enseignement du français au Vietnam, Le Courrier du Vietnam, 7 March 2022. (in French)
- ^ Kirkpatrick, Andy and Anthony J. Liddicoat, The Routledge International Handbook of Language Education Policy in Asia., Routledge, 2019, p. 192
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