French-speaking countries

Official languages

Country	Capital	Continent	Population	Official languages
Belgium	Brussels	Europe	11 876 844	Néerlandais, Français, Allemand
Benin	Porto Novo	Africa	14 462 724	Français
Burkina Faso	Ouagadougou	Africa	23 548 781	Français
Burundi	Bujumbura	Africa	14 047 786	Français, Kirundi
Cameroon	Yaoundé	Africa	29 123 744	Français, Anglais
Canada	Ottawa	America	41 288 599	Français, Anglais
Central African Republic	Bangui	Africa	5 330 690	Sango, Français
Chad	N'Djamena	Africa	20 299 123	Français, Arabe
Comoros	Moroni	Africa	866 628	Comorien, Français, Arabe
Democratic Republic of Congo	Kinshasa	Africa	109 276 265	Français
Djibouti	Djibouti	Africa	1 168 722	Français, Arabe
Equatorial Guinea	Malabo	Africa	1 892 516	Espagnol, Français, Portugais
France	Paris	Europe	68 516 699	Français
Gabon	Libreville	Africa	2 538 952	Français
Guinea	Conakry	Africa	14 754 785	Français
Haiti	Port-au-Prince	America	11 772 557	Français, Créole haïtien
Ivory Coast	Yamoussoukro	Africa	31 934 230	Français
Luxembourg	Luxembourg	Europe	677 717	Luxembourgeois, Français, Allemand
Madagascar	Antananarivo	Africa	31 964 956	Malgache, Français
Mali	Bamako	Africa	24 478 595	Français
Monaco	Monaco	Europe	38 631	Français
Niger	Niamey	Africa	27 032 412	Français
Republic of the Congo	Brazzaville	Africa	6 332 961	Français
Rwanda	Kigali	Africa	14 256 567	Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Français, Anglais
Senegal	Dakar	Africa	18 501 984	Français
Seychelles	Victoria	Africa	121 354	Créole seychellois, Anglais, Français
Switzerland	Bern	Europe	9 034 102	Allemand, Français, Italien, Romanche
Togo	Lomé	Africa	9 515 236	Français
Vanuatu	Port Vila	Oceania	327 777	Bichelamar, Français, Anglais

Frequently asked questions

How many French-speaking countries are there in the world?

There are 29 countries where French is recognised as an official language. La Francophonie is present on 5 continents: Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Canada, the Caribbean and parts of Oceania.

What is the largest French-speaking country in the world?

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the largest French-speaking country by area (2.3 million km²) and the most populous in Francophone Africa. France remains the country where French is the sole official language with the most native speakers.

Why do so many African countries speak French?

French spread in Africa due to French and Belgian colonisation in the 19th and 20th centuries. After independence (1960s), many countries retained French as their administrative and educational language, often as a neutral choice above local languages.

Is French growing or declining?

French is growing rapidly, especially in Africa. According to the OIF, the number of speakers could reach 700 million by 2050, up from around 320 million today — one of the few major world languages in expansion.