The Main French-Speaking Countries
Find out how many French-speaking countries there are in the world. This article contains the names of the different francophone countries.
Have you ever wondered how many countries speak French? Here we explore the main French-speaking countries in the world, with some information about the various French dialects and history.
The History of French
French is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world, with over 300 million people speaking it, and it is an official or working language in many countries. It is usually ranked among the ten most spoken languages in the world.
French is also one of the working languages of the EU, and the EU’s Court of Justice uses it for its internal deliberations.
French is derived from Latin, the language used by the Romans. This is why French is so similar to the other Romance languages, such as Italian and Spanish. A lot of the words we all use today have origins in Latin, due to the influence of the Roman Empire.
In 1539, François Ier required French in legal and administrative documents. French was already spoken by parts of the population, alongside other regional languages; it was not restricted to the elite. Its use spread more widely over the following centuries, including after the Revolution.
French-Speaking Countries
French has official status in many countries, sometimes alongside other languages, as in Canada. Status can change: Mali and Burkina Faso designated French a working language in 2023, and Niger did so in 2025. These countries remain relevant to a guide to French-speaking places.
The most well-known Francophone countries include Canada, Belgium and France. Below is a selection of countries where French has official or working status, rather than an exhaustive list of every country with French speakers.
French-Speaking Countries in Africa
Africa is home to many French-speaking countries and well over 100 million French speakers. Some countries below have several official languages; French has official status in many and working-language status in others.
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Republic of the Congo
- Ivory Coast
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: this is probably the country with the most French speakers outside of France.
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Guinea
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Niger
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Togo
French-Speaking Countries in Europe
French is spoken by roughly a quarter of EU citizens (as a native or second language) and is the third most widely spoken language in the EU, after English and German.
- Belgium: about 4 million native speakers.
- France: where the language originated, with about 65 million native speakers.
- Luxembourg
- Monaco: French is the only official language.
- Switzerland: about 2 million native speakers.
French-Speaking Countries in America
In the Americas, there are several varieties of French, including Louisiana French and Quebec French. Louisiana Creole is a separate French-based creole language, rather than simply a dialect of French.
Louisiana Creole developed through language contact in colonial Louisiana, with much of its vocabulary coming from French and influences from African and other languages. French settlement began in 1699, and the transatlantic slave trade was central to this history.
- Canada: about 7 million native speakers, mostly in Quebec.
- Haiti
French-Speaking Countries in Oceania
- Vanuatu
Conclusion
French may not be the only language spoken in these countries, and its use varies greatly. Official or working status does not mean that everyone speaks it.
Canada is actually an officially bilingual country, where both English and French are the official languages. This partly reflects Quebec’s history within New France: Quebec City was founded in 1608, French colonial rule ended with the conquest in 1760, and France formally ceded New France in 1763.
Also, while all these countries speak French, there are different regional varieties, and you will find that in Canada and Belgium, words and phrases can mean different things. For example, “Bienvenue” in Quebec means “You’re welcome” instead of simply “welcome” as it would in France. So, it is important to look into these differences when you are learning the language.
On the topic of different French dialects, you will also find regional differences within France itself, such as accents and everyday expressions that vary between the north and the south of the country.
If you would like to know more about the differences in the dialect and uses of French in different countries you can find information here and here.
