View source for Geographical distribution of French speakers

{{Short description|none}}
{{About|the geography of French speaking populations|the French-speaking world|Francophonie}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

The [[French language]] became an international language, the second [[Lingua franca|international language]] alongside [[Latin]], in the [[Middle Ages]], "from the fourteenth century onwards". It was not by virtue of the power of the [[Kingdom of France]]: '"... until the end of the fifteenth century, the French of the chancellery spread as a political and literary language because the French court was the model of [[Chivalry|chivalric]] culture". Consequently, it was less as a centralising monarch than as a "gentle courtly prince" that the king unwittingly spread his language" and "the methods of expansion were not political"'.<ref>Léonard Dauphant, ''Le Royaume des quatre rivières. L'espace politique français (1380-1515)''. Paris, Champ-Vallon, 2012, p. 217, quoted in Thierry Dutour, ''La France hors la France. L’identité avant la nation'', Editions Véndémiaire, 2022, p. 62</ref> This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the language of European diplomacy and international relations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Why Is French Considered the Language of Diplomacy? |url=https://www.legallanguage.com/legal-articles/language-of-diplomacy/ |website=Legal Language Blog |access-date=28 November 2021}}</ref>

The terms [[Francophonie]] or Francophone world refer the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. French is [[List of official languages|the second most geographically widespread language]] in the world after [[English language|English]], with the French-speaking world comprising about 50 countries and territories where French is a de jure or de facto official, administrative, or cultural language.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/04/23/the-worlds-languages-in-7-maps-and-charts/|title= The world's languages, in 7 maps and charts|newspaper= [[The Washington Post]]|date=18 April 2022|access-date =19 April 2022}}</ref>

According to the 2022 report of the [[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie]] (OIF), 321 million people speak French.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Qui parle français dans le monde – Organisation internationale de la Francophonie – Langue française et diversité linguistique |url=https://observatoire.francophonie.org/qui-parle-francais-dans-le-monde/ |access-date=2023-11-25 |language=fr-FR}}</ref> 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.<ref name=rtbf274>{{cite news|title=La langue française réunit 274 millions de personnes dans le monde|url=http://www.rtbf.be/culture/litterature/detail_la-langue-francaise-reunit-274-millions-de-personnes-dans-le-monde?id=8400114|access-date=29 April 2015|publisher=RTBF Litterature|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150107072308/http://www.rtbf.be/culture/litterature/detail_la-langue-francaise-reunit-274-millions-de-personnes-dans-le-monde?id=8400114|archive-date=2015-01-07|url-status=live}}</ref> The OIF figures have been contested as being underestimated due to the methodology used and its strict definition of the word francophone. The French ''Conseil économique, social et environnemental'' estimate that were they included, the total number of French speakers passed 500 million in the year 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.francophonie.org/spip.php?page=les-derniers-discours|title=Discours|website=La voix de la diversité|publisher=Organisation internationale de la Francophonie|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516190050/http://www.francophonie.org/spip.php?page=les-derniers-discours|archive-date=2013-05-16|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-12-30}}</ref>

[[File:Proportion of French speakers by country (1-50% gradation).svg|thumb|upright=3|Proportion of French speakers (including [[Second language|L2-speakers]]) by country in 2022, saturating at 50%, according to the [[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie|OIF]]{{sfn|OIF|2022|pp=30–35}}
{{legend|#959EA9|0–9% Francophone}}
{{legend|#778EAC|10–19% Francophone}}
{{legend|#517CB3|20–29% Francophone}}
{{legend|#3369B0|30–39% Francophone}}
{{legend|#1B57A5|40–49% Francophone}}
{{legend|#084594|50%+ Francophone}}
]]
[[File:Proportion of French speakers by country (1-100% gradation).svg|thumb|upright=3|Proportion of French speakers, saturating at 100%{{sfn|OIF|2022|pp=30–35}}
{{legend|#959EA9|0–19% Francophone}}
{{legend|#6987AE|20–39% Francophone}}
{{legend|#3E71B3|40–59% Francophone}}
{{legend|#1F5BA8|60–79% Francophone}}
{{legend|#084594|80–99% Francophone}}
]]

==Statistics==
===OIF figures===
{{Update section|reason=Figures provided are not from the official 2022 OIF report|date=July 2024}}

{{Pie chart
|thumb = left
|caption = French speakers by Regions |label1 = [[Europe]]
|value1 = 41.2
|color1 = Blue
|label2 = [[Maghreb]]
|value2 = 12.7
|color2 = Green
|label3 = [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]
|value3 = 44.1
|color3 = Black
|label4 = [[North America]]
|value4 = 0.5
|color4 = Red
|label5 = Others
|value5 = 1.5
|color5 = Grey
}}


[[File:Percentage of population who can understand French (Eurobarometer, 2012).svg|thumb|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).{{sfn|ODSEF|2022|pp=31–161}} No distinctions are made between [[first language|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.<ref name=chemins>{{cite web|title=Les chemins de la langue|url=http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/note_methodologique.pdf|publisher=Francophonie|access-date=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402111334/http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/note_methodologique.pdf|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref name=chemins/>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Country !! French speakers !! % !! Basis of projection
|-
| {{flag|Albania}} || 29,731 || 1.04% || Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Algeria}} || 14,903,789 || 32.86% || 2008 census
|-
| {{flag|Andorra}} || 54,315 || 70.12% || 2009 national survey
|-
| {{flag|Armenia}} || 10,105 || 0.34% || 2011 census
|-
| {{flag|Austria}} || 1,166,035 || 12.86% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Belgium}} || 8,814,948 || 75.55% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Benin}} || 4,306,099 || 33.68% || 2013 census
|-
| {{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}} || 25,523 || 0.79% || Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Bulgaria}} || 157,440 || 2.30% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Burkina Faso}} || 5,403,610 || 24.45% || Demographic and Health Survey 
|-
| {{flag|Burundi}} || 1,073,506 || 8.50% || 2008 census
|-
| {{flag|Cambodia}} || 463,248 || 2.70% || 2010 OIF report + 2010 observations
|-
| {{flag|Cameroon}} || 11,490,652 || 41.17% || 2005 census
|-
| {{flag|Canada}} || 11,060,585 || 28.58% || 2016 census
|-
| {{flag|Cape Verde}} || 61,000 || 10.8% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Central African Republic}} || 1,435,061 || 28.61% || Demographic and Health Survey 
|-
| {{flag|Chad}} || 2,249,023 || 12.92% || 2009 census
|-
| {{flag|Colombia}} || 4,636 || 0.01% || French embassy in Colombia 2016
|-
| {{flag|Comoros}} || 237,140 || 35.69% || 2003 census
|-
| {{flag|Congo}} || 3,518,464 || 60.69% || Demographic and Health Survey 
|-
| {{flag|Costa Rica}} || 5,231 || 0.10% || Rivard (2016)
|-
| {{flag|Croatia}} || 95,650 || 2.36% || 2005 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Cuba}} || 339 || 0.003% || French embassy in Cuba 2019
|-
| {{flag|Cyprus}} || 80,711 || 6.60% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Czech Republic}} || 233,351 || 2.17% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Denmark}} || 442,142 || 7.51% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Djibouti}} || 508,049 || 50% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Dominica}} || 6,936 || 9.59% || 2010 OIF report + 2006-2007 OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Dominican Republic}} || 158,808 || 1.44% || 2014 OIF report
|-
| {{flag|DR Congo}} || 72,110,821 || 74% || Target Survey 2021<ref>{{Cite web |title=Target Survey 2021 |url=https://www.target-sarl.cd/en/content/target-survey-french-most-spoken-language-drc-far-ahead-lingala |access-date=27 May 2023 |archive-date=23 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023160328/https://www.target-sarl.cd/en/content/target-survey-french-most-spoken-language-drc-far-ahead-lingala |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Egypt}} || 3,204,706 || 3.02% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Equatorial Guinea}} || 432,705 || 28.91% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Estonia}} || 19,200 || 1.45% || 2011 census
|-
| {{flag|Finland}} || 437,772 || 7.88% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|France}} ([[Metropolitan France|Metropolitan]]) || 63,958,684 || 97.52% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Gabon}} || 1,865,225 || 80% || World Atlas <ref>{{Cite web |title=What Languages Are Spoken In Gabon? |date=14 August 2017 |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-gabon.html}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|Gambia}} || 511,699 || 20.00% || 2018 OIF observer application
|-
| {{flag|Georgia}} || 16,594 || 0.42% || 2002 census
|-
| {{flag|Germany}} || 12,242,129 || 14.88% || Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Ghana}} || 273,795 || 0.85% || 2010 census
|-
| {{flag|Greece}} || 754,215 || 7.31% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Guinea}} || 3,776,680 || 27.24% || Demographic and Health Survey 
|-
| {{flag|Guinea-Bissau}} || 317,351 || 15.38% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Haiti}} || 4,906,073 || 42.00% || 2010 OIF report
|-
| {{flag|Hungary}} || 113,216 || 1.18% || 2011 census
|-
| {{flag|Ireland}} || 635,876 || 12.67% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Israel}} || 527,804 || 5.92% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Italy}} || 11,796,508 || 19.58% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Ivory Coast}} || 9,324,605 || 33.61% || 2014 census
|-
| {{flag|Kosovo}} || 25,517 || 1.41% || 2011 census
|-
| {{flag|Laos}} || 204,188 || 2.73% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Latvia}} || 20,220 || 1.09% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Lebanon}} || 2,539,554 || 37.99% || 2010 OIF report + 2012 observations
|-
| {{flag|Lithuania}} || 62,492 || 2.35% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Luxembourg}} || 590,896 || 91.99% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Madagascar}} || 7,729,277 || 26.49% || 2018 census
|-
| {{flag|Mali}} || 3,702,660 || 17.24% || 2009 census
|-
| {{flag|Malta}} || 58,158 || 13.10% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Mauritania}} || 655,948 || 13.38% || 2013 census
|-
| {{flag|Mauritius}} || 926,053 || 72.65% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Mexico}} || 30,184 || 0.02% || Rivard (2016)
|-
| {{flag|Moldova}} || 54,579 || 1.36% || 2014 census
|-
| {{flag|Monaco}} || 38,549 || 96.91% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Montenegro}} || 12,897 || 2.05% || 2011 census
|-
| {{flag|Morocco}} || 13,456,845 || 35.63% || 2014 census
|-
| {{flag|Mozambique}} || 98,822 || 0.30% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Netherlands}} || 3,306,754 || 19.21% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Niger}} || 3,362,988 || 12.89% || 2012 census
|-
|| {{flag|North Macedonia}} || 42,544 || 2.04% || Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Norway}} || 167,905 || 3.05% || Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Paraguay}} || 14,612 || 0.20% || 2002 census
|-
| {{flag|Peru}} || 371 || 0.001% || Alliances françaises in Peru 2018
|-
| {{flag|Poland}} || 947,243 || 2.51% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Portugal}} || 2,546,977 || 25.12% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Qatar}} || 126,751 || 4.25% || 2012 OIF associate application
|-
| {{flag|Romania}} || 2,281,829 || 11.99% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Russia}} || 628,723 || 0.43% || 2010 census
|-
| {{flag|Rwanda}} || 792,815 || 5.83% || 2012 census
|-
| {{flag|Saint Lucia}} || 3,002 || 1.62% || 2010 OIF report + 2003 OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|São Tomé and Príncipe}} || 45,984 || 20.20% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Senegal}} || 4,640,365 || 26.29% || 2013 census
|-
| {{flag|Serbia}} (excl. [[Kosovo]]) || 244,973 || 3.58% || Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Seychelles}} || 52,699 || 53.00% || OIF survey
|-
| {{flag|Slovakia}} || 113,621 || 2.08% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Slovenia}} || 50,042 || 2.41% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Spain}} || 5,471,670 || 11.71% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Suriname}} || 537 || 0.09% || 2017 census
|-
| {{flag|Sweden}} || 844,989 || 8.27% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Switzerland}} || 5,889,496 || 67.13% || Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|Thailand}} || 578,085 || 0.82% || 2010 OIF report + 2010 observations
|-
| {{flag|Togo}} || 3,554,266 || 40.94% || 2010 census
|-
| {{flag|Tunisia}} || 6,321,391 || 52.47% || 2014 census
|-
| {{flag|Ukraine}} || 52,822 || 0.12% || 2001 census
|-
| {{flag|United Arab Emirates}} || 264,153 || 2.62% || 2018 OIF application for a status change
|-
| {{flag|United Kingdom}} || 11,281,136 || 16.47% || 2012 Eurobarometer + Adult Education Survey
|-
| {{flag|United States}} || 2,179,246 || 0.65% || 2017 American Community Survey
|-
| {{flag|Uruguay}} || 5,096 || 0.15% || Rivard (2016)
|-
| {{flag|Vanuatu}} || 100,153 || 31.12% || 2009 census
|-
| {{flag|Vietnam}} || 692,983 || 0.70% || 2010 OIF report + pre-2010 observations
|}

====Other territories====
{{Update section|reason=Many of the sources are outdated|date=May 2022}} 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Territory !! Country !! French speakers !! Percentage !! Year !! Reference
|-
| [[French Community of Belgium]] || {{flag|Belgium}} || 4,658,000 || 98% || 2014 || {{sfn|OIF|2014}}
|-
| [[New Brunswick]] || {{flag|Canada}} || 320,000 || 42% || 2014 || {{sfn|OIF|2014}}
|-
| [[Ontario]] || {{flag|Canada}} || 1,530,440 || 11.38% || 2016 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2022>{{cite book |title = Estimation des populations francophones dans le monde en 2022 |language = fr |year = 2022 |publisher = Observatoire démographique et statistique de l’espace francophone |url = https://observatoire.francophonie.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/odsef-lfdm-2022.pdf|access-date = 31 May 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220523052229/https://observatoire.francophonie.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/odsef-lfdm-2022.pdf |archive-date = 23 May 2022}}</ref>
|-
| [[Québec]] || {{flag|Canada}} || 7,666,000 || 93% || 2014 || {{sfn|OIF|2014}}
|-
| [[Collectivity of Saint Martin]] || {{flag|France}} || 33,375 || 84% || 2022 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2022/>
|-
| [[French Guiana]] || {{flag|France}} || 162,000 || 62% || 2015 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2015/>
|-
| [[French Polynesia]] || {{flag|France}} || 276,000 || 98% || 2015 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2015/>
|-
| [[Guadeloupe]] || {{flag|France}} || 395,000 || 84% || 2015 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2015/>
|-
| [[Martinique]] || {{flag|France}} || 329,000 || 81% || 2015 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2015/>
|-
| [[Mayotte]] || {{flag|France}} || 147,000 || 63% || 2015 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2015/>
|-
| [[New Caledonia]] || {{flag|France}} || 260,000 || 99% || 2015 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2015/>
|-
| [[Réunion]] || {{flag|France}} || 788,000 || 88% || 2015 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2015>{{cite web|title=Estimation des francophones dans le monde en 2015|url=https://www.odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/sites/odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/files/odsef_nr_lfdm_2015_finalweb-elp.pdf|publisher=Observatoire démographique et statistique de l’espace francophonie|access-date=8 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415001037/https://www.odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/sites/odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/files/odsef_nr_lfdm_2015_finalweb-elp.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-15|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Saint Barthélemy]] || {{flag|France}} || 8,355 || 84% || 2022 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2022/>
|-
| [[Saint Pierre and Miquelon]] || {{flag|France}} || 6,000 || 100% || 2015 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2015/>
|-
| [[Wallis and Futuna]] || {{flag|France}} || 11,000 || 83% || 2015 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2015/>
|-
| [[Aosta Valley]] || {{flag|Italy}} || 72,000 || 60% || 2001 || {{sfn|OIF|2014}}
|-
| [[Aruba]] || {{flag|Netherlands}} || 117 || 0.11% || 2022 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2022/>
|-
| [[Louisiana]] || {{flag|United States}} || 84,163 || 1.84% || 2022 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2022/>
|-
| [[Puerto Rico]] || {{flag|United States}} || 849 || 0.03% || 2022 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2022/>
|-
| [[United States Virgin Islands]] || {{flag|United States}} || 8,941 || 8.60% || 2022 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2022/>
|-
|}

===Native speakers===

{{Pie chart
|thumb = left
|caption = French native speakers by countries |label1 = [[France]]
|value1 = 82.3
|color1 = Blue
|label2 = [[Canada]]
|value2 = 9.3
|color2 = Red
|label3 = [[Belgium]]
|value3 = 5.0
|color3 = Yellow
|label4 = [[Switzerland]]
|value4 = 2.0
|color4 = White
|label5 = Others
|value5 = 1.4
|color5 = Grey
}}

It is estimated that 80 million people worldwide speak French as a main or [[first language]].<ref name="EdmistonDumenil2015">{{cite book|author1=William Edmiston|author2=Annie Dumenil|title=La France contemporaine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b1TjBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT90|date=2015-01-01|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=978-1-305-80441-8|page=90}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Country !! [[First language|L1]] speakers !! Percentage !! Year !! Reference !! [[Subregion|Region]]
|-
| {{flag|Algeria}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop">The percentage is calculated from the [https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=GA World Bank] population estimate for the given year.</ref>|| 10,200 || 0.03% || 2012 || <ref name="ethnologue">{{cite web|title=French|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/fra|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210705044408/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/fra|archive-date=2021-07-05|access-date=8 July 2020|publisher=Ethnologue}}</ref>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Andorra}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 4,200 || 5.2% || 2005 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Australia}} || 57,739 || 0.3% || 2011 || <ref name=austat>{{cite web|title=The People of Australia|url=https://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/immigration-update/people-australia-2013-statistics.pdf|publisher=Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection|access-date=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714131850/https://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/immigration-update/people-australia-2013-statistics.pdf|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|Australasia
|-
| {{flag|Austria}} || 10,190 || 0.1% || 2001 || <ref name=undata>{{cite web|title=Population by language, sex and urban/rural residence|url=http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3a27%3bareaCode%3a0%3bsexCode%3a0&c=2,3,5,7,9,11,13,14,15&s=_vcvv2:asc,_countryEnglishNameOrderBy:asc,refYear:desc&v=1|publisher=UNdata|access-date=13 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160519181010/http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=POP&f=tableCode%3A27%3BareaCode%3A0%3BsexCode%3A0&c=2%2C3%2C5%2C7%2C9%2C11%2C13%2C14%2C15&s=_vcvv2%3Aasc%2C_countryEnglishNameOrderBy%3Aasc%2CrefYear%3Adesc&v=1|archive-date=2016-05-19|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Belgium}}<ref group="note">Based on a 2012 population of 11,035,948 ([http://statbel.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/chiffres/population/structure/agesexe/popbel/ StatBel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521225019/http://statbel.fgov.be/fr/statistiques/chiffres/population/structure/agesexe/popbel/ |date=2015-05-21 }})</ref> || 4,194,000 || 38% || 2012 || <ref name=eu386>{{cite web|title=Special Eurobarometer 386: Europeans And Their Languages |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf |publisher=European Commission |access-date=31 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106183351/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf |archive-date=6 January 2016 }}</ref>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Benin}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 16,700 || 0.3% || 1993 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Burkina Faso}} || 261,000 || 1.2% || 2021 || <ref name="bfcensus">{{cite web |title=Burkina Faso |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/BF/#status |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006214510/https://www.ethnologue.com/country/BF/ |archive-date=6 October 2022 |access-date=2 March 2023 |website=Ethnologue |publisher= |pages=}}</ref>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Burundi}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 2,200 || 0.03% || 2004 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Cambodia}} || 873 || 0.01% || 2008 || <ref name=undata/>
|Asia
|-
| {{flag|Canada}} || 7,651,360 || 20.8% || 2021 || <ref name="stacan">{{cite web |title=Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population | date=9 February 2022 |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?LANG=E&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1,4&DGUIDlist=2021A000011124&HEADERlist=14&SearchText=Canada  |access-date=8 January 2023 |publisher=Statistique Canada}}</ref>
|North America
|-
| {{flag|Central African Republic}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 9,000 || 0.3% || 1996 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Chad}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 3,000 || 0.05% || 1993 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Comoros}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 1,700 || 0.4% || 1993 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Congo-Brazzaville}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 28,000 || 1.1% || 1993 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Cote d'Ivoire}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 17,500 || 0.2% || 1988 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Cyprus}} || 1,139 || 0.1% || 2011 || <ref name=undata/>
|Asia/Europe
|-
| {{flag|Czech Republic}}<ref group="note">2,056 or 0.02% of the total population of 10,436,560</ref> || 2,056 || 0.02% || 2011 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Tab. 614b Obyvatelstvo podle věku, mateřského jazyka a pohlaví|url=http://vdb.czso.cz/sldbvo#!stranka=podle-tematu&tu=30629&th=&v=&vo=H4sIAAAAAAAAAFvzloG1uIhBMCuxLFGvtCQzR88jsTjDN7GAlf3WwcNiCReZGZjcGLhy8hNT3BKTS_KLPBk4SzKKUosz8nNSKgrsHRhAgKecA0gKADF3CQNnaLBrUIBjkKNvcSFDHQMDhhqGCqCiYA__cLCiEgZGvxIGdg9_Fz__EMeCEgY2b38XZ89gIIvLxTHEP8wx2NEFJM4ZHOIY5u_t7-MJ1OIP5IdEBkT5OwU5RgH5IUB9fo4ePq4uEPNYw1yDolzhPstJzEvX88wrSU1PLRJ6tGDJ98Z2CyYGRk8G1rLEnNLUiiIGAYQ6v9LcpNSitjVTZbmnPOhmArq34D8QlDDwAG10C_KFWcoe4ugU6uPtWMLA4eni6hcSEAZ0FYe_k3OQmaGJUwUA4lOtR1sBAAA.&vseuzemi=null&void=|publisher=Český statistický úřad|access-date=26 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130128061415/http://vdb.czso.cz/sldbvo/#!stranka=podle-tematu&tu=30629&th=&v=&vo=H4sIAAAAAAAAAFvzloG1uIhBMCuxLFGvtCQzR88jsTjDN7GAlf3WwcNiCReZGZjcGLhy8hNT3BKTS_KLPBk4SzKKUosz8nNSKgrsHRhAgKecA0gKADF3CQNnaLBrUIBjkKNvcSFDHQMDhhqGCqCiYA__cLCiEgZGvxIGdg9_Fz__EMeCEgY2b38XZ89gIIvLxTHEP8wx2NEFJM4ZHOIY5u_t7-MJ1OIP5IdEBkT5OwU5RgH5IUB9fo4ePq4uEPNYw1yDolzhPstJzEvX88wrSU1PLRJ6tGDJ98Z2CyYGRk8G1rLEnNLUiiIGAYQ6v9LcpNSitjVTZbmnPOhmArq34D8QlDDwAG10C_KFWcoe4ugU6uPtWMLA4eni6hcSEAZ0FYe_k3OQmaGJUwUA4lOtR1sBAAA.&vseuzemi=null&void=|archive-date=2013-01-28|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Djibouti}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 10,200 || 1.3% || 2006 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Estonia}} || 124 || 0.01% || 2011 || <ref name=est>{{cite web|title=PCE06: Enumerated permanent residents by mother tongue and sex, 31 December 2011|url=http://www.stat.ee/sdb-update?db_update_id=13544|publisher=Statistics Estonia|access-date=31 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115012259/http://www.stat.ee/sdb-update?db_update_id=13544|archive-date=2014-11-15|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Finland}} || 4,402 || 0.1% || 2018 || <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/fi/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_031.px/?rxid=726cd24d-d0f1-416a-8eec-7ce9b82fd5a4# |title=PX-Web - Valitse muuttuja ja arvot |access-date=2018-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626001544/http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/fi/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_031.px/?rxid=726cd24d-d0f1-416a-8eec-7ce9b82fd5a4 |archive-date=2018-06-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|France}}<ref group="note">Based on a 2012 population of 65,241,000 ([http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.asp?reg_id=0&ref_id=NATnon02145 INSEE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150718210938/http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/tableau.asp?reg_id=0&ref_id=NATnon02145 |date=2015-07-18 }})</ref> || 66,740,000 || 93% || 2012 || <ref name=eu386/>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Gabon}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 320,000 || 15.1% || 2018 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Georgia}}<ref group="note">Based on a 2002 population of 4,371,535 ([http://www.geostat.ge/cms/site_images/_files/english/census/2002/01%20Population%20By%20Municipalities%20and%20sex.pdf Geostat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924021819/http://www.geostat.ge/cms/site_images/_files/english/census/2002/01%20Population%20By%20Municipalities%20and%20sex.pdf |date=2015-09-24 }})</ref> || 28 || 0.001% || 2002 || <ref name=odsefnrlfdm2015 />
|Asia/Europe
|-
| {{flag|Hungary}}<ref group="note">117,121 – 98,178 = 18,943 (total speakers less non-native speakers), or 0.2% of the total population of 9,937,628</ref> || 18,943 || 0.2% || 2011 || <ref name=hungarycensus>{{cite web|title=1.1.18 A népesség száma és megoszlása nyelvismeret szerint|url=http://www.ksh.hu/nepszamlalas/docs/tablak/demografia/04_01_01_18.xls|publisher=Központi Statisztikai Hivatal|access-date=26 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075817/http://www.ksh.hu/nepszamlalas/docs/tablak/demografia/04_01_01_18.xls|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|India}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 150,000 || 0.02% || 2008 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Asia
|-
| {{flag|Lebanon}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 16,600 || 0.4% || 2004 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Asia
|-
| {{flag|Liechtenstein}} || 39 || 0.1% || 2010 || <ref name=undata/>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Lithuania}} || 95 || 0.003% || 2011 || <ref name=undata/>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Luxembourg}} || 57,633 || 12.1% || 2013 || <ref name=stlux>{{cite web|title=N° 17 La langue principale, celle que l'on maîtrise le mieux|url=http://www.statistiques.public.lu/fr/publications/series/rp2011/2013/17-13-langues/index.html|publisher=Statistiques Luxembourg|access-date=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520203704/http://www.statistiques.public.lu/fr/publications/series/rp2011/2013/17-13-langues/index.html|archive-date=2015-05-20|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Madagascar}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 101,004 || 0.57% || 2003 || <ref>{{Cite web |last=Øyvind |first=Dahl |date=June 19, 2024 |title=Linguistic policy challenges in Madagascar Pg. 52 |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/225930576.pdf}}</ref>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Mali}} || 7,000 || 0.09% || 1998 || <ref name=odsefmali>{{cite web|title=Dynamique des langues locales et de la langue française au Mali: un éclairage à travers les recensements généraux de la population (1987 et 1998)|url=http://www.odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/sites/odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/files/languesau_mali_final_web_c2._28012011_145930.pdf#page=34|publisher=Observatoire démographique et statistique de l'espace francophone|access-date=8 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118163258/http://www.odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/sites/odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/files/languesau_mali_final_web_c2._28012011_145930.pdf#page=34|archive-date=2015-01-18|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Mauritius}} || 51,000 || 4% || 2018 || <ref name="mauritiuscensus">{{cite web |title=Republic of Mauritius |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/MU/#status |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227102624/https://www.ethnologue.com/country/MU/ |archive-date=2022-12-27 |access-date=2 March 2022 |website=Ethnologue |publisher=}}</ref>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Monaco}} || 16,500 || 45% || 2014 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Morocco}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 80,000 || 0.3% || 2007 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Niger}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 6,000 || 0.1% || 1993 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Poland}}<ref group="note">3,488 or 0.01% of the total population of 38,511,824</ref> || 3,488 || 0.01% || 2011 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Tabl. 4.6. Ludność według języka ojczystego, płci oraz charakteru miejsca zamieszkania w 2011 roku|url=http://www.stat.gov.pl/download/cps/rde/xbcr/gus/LUD_ludnosc_stan_str_dem_spo_NSP2011.pdf|publisher=Główny Urząd Statystyczny|access-date=26 April 2015|page=98|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171010205640/http://www.stat.gov.pl/download/cps/rde/xbcr/gus/LUD_ludnosc_stan_str_dem_spo_NSP2011.pdf|archive-date=2017-10-10|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Rwanda}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 2,300 || 0.03% || 2004 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Senegal}} || 59,605 || 0.6% || 2002 || <ref name=odsef-senegal>{{cite web|title=Dynamique des langues locales et de la langue française au Sénégal en 1988 et 2002|url=https://www.odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/sites/odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/files/camara_senegal_site_internet_v19janv2011._25012011_170738.pdf|publisher=ODSEF|access-date=9 April 2015|page=25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415212007/https://www.odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/sites/odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/files/camara_senegal_site_internet_v19janv2011._25012011_170738.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-15|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Seychelles}}<ref group="note">0.7% of a 2010 population of 90,945</ref> || 650 || 0.7% || 2010 || <ref name=seycensus>{{cite web |title=Population and Housing Census 2010 Report |url=http://www.nsb.gov.sc/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Population_and_Housing_Census_2010_Report.pdf |publisher=National Bureau of Statistics |access-date=26 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514112130/http://www.nsb.gov.sc/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Population_and_Housing_Census_2010_Report.pdf |archive-date=14 May 2014 }}</ref>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|South Africa}} || 9,268 || 0.02% || 1996 || <ref name=undata/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Switzerland}} || 1,791,115 || 22.5% || 2013 || <ref name=statsuisse>{{cite web|title=Population résidante selon la ou les langue(s) principale(s), de 1970 à 2013|url=http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/fr/index/themen/01/05/blank/key/sprachen.html|publisher=Statistique suisse|access-date=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101117052137/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/fr/index/themen/01/05/blank/key/sprachen.html|archive-date=2010-11-17|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|Togo}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 3,000 || 0.1% || 1993 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|Tunisia}}<ref group="note" name="wbpop"/> || 11,000 || 0.1% || 1993 || <ref name=ethnologue/>
|Africa
|-
| {{flag|United Kingdom}} (England and Wales) || 147,000 || 0.3% || 2011 || <ref name=onsuk>{{cite web|title=2011 Census: Quick Statistics for England and Wales, March 2011|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_297002.pdf|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006093247/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171778_297002.pdf|archive-date=2014-10-06|url-status=live}}</ref>
|Europe
|-
| {{flag|United States}} || 1,307,742 || 0.5% || 2013 || <ref name=usspokenhome>{{cite web|title=Language Spoken At Home By Ability To Speak English For The Population 5 Years And Over|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_5YR/B16001/0100000US%7C0400000US22%7C0400000US23|publisher=American FactFinder|access-date=3 April 2015|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150404125121/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/13_5YR/B16001/0100000US%7C0400000US22%7C0400000US23|archive-date=4 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|North America
|-
| {{flag|Vanuatu}}<ref group="note">0.6% of a 2009 population of 234,023 ([http://www.vnso.gov.vu/index.php/census-and-surveys/censuses#census-comparision VNSO] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417021742/http://www.vnso.gov.vu/index.php/census-and-surveys/censuses#census-comparision |date=2015-04-17 }})</ref> || 1,400 || 0.6% || 2009 || <ref name=bookoffact/>
|Melanesia
|}

====Subnational territories====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Territory !! Country !! [[First language|L1]] speakers !! Percentage !! Year !! Reference 
|-
| [[Flanders]] || {{flag|Belgium}} || 367,000 || 5.9% || 2009 || <ref>{{cite news|title=Il y a aujourd'hui 367 000 francophones en Flandre|url=http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/il-y-a-aujourd-hui-367-000-francophones-en-flandre-51b8b0afe4b0de6db9b85f5b|access-date=26 April 2015|publisher=La Libre.be|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626195227/http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/il-y-a-aujourd-hui-367-000-francophones-en-flandre-51b8b0afe4b0de6db9b85f5b|archive-date=2015-06-26|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[New Brunswick]] || {{flag|Canada}} || 240,455 || 32.5% || 2011 || <ref name="nbao">{{cite web|title=Effectif et proportion de la population ayant déclaré le français selon la caractéristique linguistique, Nouveau-Brunswick et Ontario, 2006 et 2011|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-314-x/2011003/tbl/tbl3_1-4-fra.cfm|publisher=Statistique Canada|access-date=3 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411153903/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-314-x/2011003/tbl/tbl3_1-4-fra.cfm|archive-date=2015-04-11|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Nova Scotia]] || {{flag|Canada}} || 31,110 || 3.4% || 2011 || <ref name="nbao"/>
|-
| [[Ontario]] || {{flag|Canada}} || 597,000 || 4.3% || 2016 || <ref name="nbao"/>
|-
| [[Quebec]] || {{flag|Canada}} || 6,540,735 || 77.7% || 2021 || <ref>{{cite web |title=Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population | date=9 February 2022 |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?LANG=E&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1,4&DGUIDlist=2021A000224&HEADERlist=,15,13,18,12,16,14,17&SearchText=Quebec  |access-date=8 January 2023 |publisher=Statistique Canada}}</ref>
|-
| [[Manitoba]] || {{flag|Canada}} || 51,280 || 4.3% || 2011 || <ref name="nbao"/>
|-
| [[Alberta]] || {{flag|Canada}} || 68 435 || 2.1% || 2011 || <ref name="nbao"/>
|-
| [[British Columbia]] || {{flag|Canada}} || 63 625 || 1.4% || 2011 || <ref name="nbao"/>
|-
| [[Uusimaa]] || {{flag|Finland}} || 2,823 || 0.17% || 2018 || <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/fi/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11rl.px/?rxid=726cd24d-d0f1-416a-8eec-7ce9b82fd5a4|title=Väestö 31.12. Muuttujina Maakunta, Kieli, Ikä, Sukupuoli, Vuosi ja Tiedot|access-date=25 May 2019|archive-date=15 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215224048/http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/fi/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11rl.px/?rxid=726cd24d-d0f1-416a-8eec-7ce9b82fd5a4|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| [[Mayotte]]<ref group="note">Based on a 2012 population of 212,600 ([http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asp?ref_id=19214 INSEE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514095033/http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asp?ref_id=19214 |date=2015-05-14 }})</ref> || {{flag|France}} || 21,000 || 10% || 2014 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Quatre jeunes sur dix en grande difficulté à l'écrit à Mayotte|url=http://insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asp?reg_id=27&ref_id=20788|publisher=Insee|access-date=2 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406183721/http://insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asp?reg_id=27&ref_id=20788|archive-date=2015-04-06|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Réunion]]<ref group="note">Based on a 2010 population of 821,136 ([http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asp?reg_id=24&ref_id=19421 INSEE] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412225414/http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asp?reg_id=24&ref_id=19421 |date=2015-04-12 }})</ref> || {{flag|France}} || 65,700 || 8% || 2010 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Conditions de vie-Société – Le créole encore très largement majoritaire à La Réunion|url=http://insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asp?reg_id=24&ref_id=16941#p2|publisher=Insee|access-date=2 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406145626/http://www.insee.fr/fr/themes/document.asp?reg_id=24&ref_id=16941#p2|archive-date=2015-04-06|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]]<ref group="note">Based on a 1981 population of 604,471 ([http://pandr.puducherry.gov.in/publications/v2020/pdf_files/APPENDIX.pdf Planning and Research Department of Puducherry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304094918/http://pandr.puducherry.gov.in/publications/v2020/pdf_files/APPENDIX.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }})</ref> || {{flag|India}} || 10,600 || 0.26% || 1982 || <ref name=pudu>{{cite web|title=Gazetteer of India – Union Territory of Pondicherry|url=http://statistics.puducherry.gov.in/gazetter/PDF/III-%20II-%20LANGUAGE.pdf|publisher=Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Puducherry|access-date=27 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081518/http://statistics.puducherry.gov.in/gazetter/PDF/III-%20II-%20LANGUAGE.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-04|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| [[Aosta Valley]]<ref group="note">Based on a 2003 population of 120,909 ([http://www.istat.it/it/valle-d%27aosta-vall%C3%A9e-d%27aoste/dati?q=gettableterr&dataset=DCIS_POPRES1&dim=14,1,0,182,8,0&lang=2&tr=0&te=1 ISTAT] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407014823/http://www.istat.it/it/valle-d%27aosta-vall%C3%A9e-d%27aoste/dati?q=gettableterr&dataset=DCIS_POPRES1&dim=14,1,0,182,8,0&lang=2&tr=0&te=1 |date=2015-04-07 }})</ref> || {{flag|Italy}} || 1,500 || 1.3% || 2003 || <ref name=vda>{{cite web|title=Sondage linguistique|url=http://www.fondchanoux.org/sondagelinguistiqueq.aspx|publisher=Institut d'études fédéralistes et régionalistes|access-date=3 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705142845/http://www.fondchanoux.org/sondagelinguistiqueq.aspx|archive-date=5 July 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| [[Romandy]] || {{flag|Switzerland}} || 1,606,029 || 83.6% || 2013 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Population résidante permanente selon la région linguistique et les langues principales|url=http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/fr/index/themen/01/05/blank/key/sprachen.Document.192662.xls|publisher=Statistique suisse|access-date=3 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407085446/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/fr/index/themen/01/05/blank/key/sprachen.Document.192662.xls|archive-date=7 April 2015}}</ref>
|-
| [[Louisiana]] || {{flag|United States}} || 119,931 || 2.8% || 2013 || <ref name="State ACS"/> 
|-
| [[Maine]] || {{flag|United States}} || 47,066 || 3.73% || 2012 || <ref name="State ACS">{{Cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_5YR/B16001/0100000US.04000| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212085035/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_5YR/B16001/0100000US.04000| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over (B16001): All States Within United States, 2008–2012 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau American FactFinder| access-date=April 21, 2014}}</ref> 
|-
| [[Massachusetts]] || {{flag|United States}} || 65,874 || 1.06% || 2012 || <ref name="State ACS"/> 
|-
| [[Connecticut]] || {{flag|United States}} || 35,565 || 1.05% || 2012 || <ref name="State ACS"/> 
|-
| [[New Hampshire]] || {{flag|United States}} || 24,697 || 1.98% || 2012 || <ref name="State ACS"/> 
|-
| [[Vermont]] || {{flag|United States}} || 9,543 || 1.61% || 2012 || <ref name="State ACS"/>
|-
| [[Rhode Island]] || {{flag|United States}} || 11,477 || 1.15% || 2012 || <ref name="State ACS"/>
|}

==Africa==
===Northern Africa===
====Algeria====
{{Main|French language in Algeria}}

In [[Algeria]], 69.1% of the population over 15 in [[Algiers|Alger]], [[Constantine, Algeria|Constantine]], [[Oran]] and [[Annaba]] can read and write French.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=30}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=79}} In urban areas, the ability to speak fluent French is considered almost mandatory to find employment, especially in specialized [[White-collar worker|white collar]] fields.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=73}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=214}}

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, [[Code-switching|alternating]] it with Arabic, and 'passive Francophones', who can understand French but do not speak it.<ref name=berba>{{cite web|last1=Berbaoui|first1=Nacer|title=La francophonie en Algérie|url=http://manifest.univ-ouargla.dz/documents/Archive/Archive%20Faculte%20des%20Lettres%20et%20des%20Langues/seminaires%20facultes%20des%20lettres/enseignement-apprentissage-du-francais-en-Algerie/BERBAOUI_Nacer.pdf|publisher=Université de Béchar|access-date=29 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010205656/http://manifest.univ-ouargla.dz/documents/Archive/Archive%20Faculte%20des%20Lettres%20et%20des%20Langues/seminaires%20facultes%20des%20lettres/enseignement-apprentissage-du-francais-en-Algerie/BERBAOUI_Nacer.pdf|archive-date=2017-10-10|url-status=live}}</ref>

French television channels are widely watched in Algeria, and Algerian newspapers print their television schedules.<ref name=rapport>{{cite web|title=Rapport d'information de M. Pouria Amirshahi déposé en application de l'article 145 du règlement, par la commission des affaires étrangères, en conclusion des travaux d'une mission d'information sur la francophonie|url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/14/rap-info/i1723.asp|publisher=Assemblée Nationale|access-date=28 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150319091437/http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/14/rap-info/i1723.asp|archive-date=2015-03-19|url-status=live}}</ref> Algeria also has a sizeable French-language press.<ref name=rapport/> A 2014 report published by the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly of France]] describes it as the most important French-speaking country after France.<ref name=rapport/> Nevertheless, Algeria is not a member of the Francophonie.<ref name=rapport/> On [[social media]], French was used on [[Facebook]] by 76% of Algerians in 2014.<ref name=socialmedia>{{cite web|title=Citizen Engagement and Public Services in the Arab World: The Potential of Social Media|url=http://www.arabsocialmediareport.com/UserManagement/PDF/ASMR6_En_Final.pdf|publisher=Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government|date=25 June 2014|access-date=8 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616050604/http://www.arabsocialmediareport.com/UserManagement/PDF/ASMR6_En_Final.pdf|archive-date=2015-06-16|url-status=dead}}</ref>

French is not official, but [[The World Factbook]] cites it as the [[lingua franca]] of the country.<ref name=bookoffact>{{cite web|title=Languages|url=https://www.cia.gov/Library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2098.html|publisher=The World Factbook|access-date=26 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114054042/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2098.html|archive-date=2009-01-14|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref name=taleb>{{cite journal|last1=Taleb Ibrahimi|first1=Khaoula|title=L'Algérie : coexistence et concurrence des langues|journal=L'Année du Maghreb|date=1 June 2006|issue=I|pages=207–218|doi=10.4000/anneemaghreb.305|url=http://anneemaghreb.revues.org/305#quotation|access-date=26 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727213534/http://anneemaghreb.revues.org/305#quotation|archive-date=2011-07-27|url-status=live|doi-access=free}}</ref> The usage of French in the country reached its lowest point during the [[Algerian Civil War]] in the 1990s, when armed Islamist groups{{who|date=August 2022}} targeted teachers of French. The language has rebounded in public life since the end of the war,<ref name=geopolis>{{cite news|title=Francophonie : l'Algérie et son "butin de guerre"|url=http://geopolis.francetvinfo.fr/francophonie-lalgerie-et-son-butin-de-guerre-56411|access-date=26 April 2015|publisher=Geopolis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502001635/http://geopolis.francetvinfo.fr/francophonie-lalgerie-et-son-butin-de-guerre-56411|archive-date=2015-05-02|url-status=live}}</ref> culminating in the efforts to reintroduce French in primary schools in 2006, which were initially hampered by a lack of sufficiently qualified teachers.<ref name=taleb/> Referring to the continued usage of French in Algeria in the post-colonial period, the writer [[Kateb Yacine]] described the French language as the '[[War looting|spoils of war]]' (''butin de guerre'') of Algerians.<ref name=butinmonde>{{cite news|title=La langue française, "butin de guerre", prospère en Algérie|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2012/12/17/la-langue-francaise-butin-de-guerre-prospere-en-algerie_1807263_3212.html|access-date=26 April 2015|publisher=Le Monde|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225145046/http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2012/12/17/la-langue-francaise-butin-de-guerre-prospere-en-algerie_1807263_3212.html|archive-date=2015-12-25|url-status=live}}</ref>

Local French-language media include {{Lang|ar-latn|[[El Watan]]}}, {{Lang|fr|[[Le Soir d'Algérie]]}}, {{Lang|fr|[[Liberté (Algeria)|Liberté]]}}, {{Lang|fr|[[Le Matin (Algeria)|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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pqn : les 15–34 ans plus grands lecteurs|url=http://www.ouargla-aps.dz/spip.php?article2993|access-date=29 April 2015|publisher=Aps-Sud-Infos|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627133728/http://www.ouargla-aps.dz/spip.php?article2993|archive-date=27 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

====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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=216}} At the time, it was also a [[lingua franca]] for the communities of foreign origin, especially in [[Cairo]].{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=216}}

During the period of the [[History of Egypt under the British|British colonization of Egypt]] French was actually the medium of communication among foreigners and between foreigners and Egyptians;<ref name=Makp87>Mak, Lanver. ''The British in Egypt: Community, Crime and Crises 1882–1922'' (Volume 74 of International Library of Historical Studies). I.B.Tauris, March 15, 2012. {{ISBN|1848857098}}, 9781848857094. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=cfJC1zLvBhQC&pg=PA87 87].</ref> 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.<ref>Mak, Lanver. ''The British in Egypt: Community, Crime and Crises 1882–1922'' (Volume 74 of International Library of Historical Studies). I.B.Tauris, March 15, 2012. {{ISBN|1848857098}}, 9781848857094. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=cfJC1zLvBhQC&pg=PA87 87]-[https://books.google.com/books?id=cfJC1zLvBhQC&pg=PA88 88].</ref> This was partly because of some Egyptians had French education and partly because of cultural influence from France.<ref name=Makp87/> Despite efforts from British legal personnel, English was never adopted as a language of the Egyptian civil courts during the period of British influence.<ref>Mak, Lanver. ''The British in Egypt: Community, Crime and Crises 1882–1922'' (Volume 74 of International Library of Historical Studies). I.B.Tauris, March 15, 2012. {{ISBN|1848857098}}, 9781848857094. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=cfJC1zLvBhQC&pg=PA89 89].</ref>

French began to lose ground in Egyptian society in the 1920s for a number of political and social reasons;{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=216}} from the 1930s onwards English became the main foreign language, but French was still being learnt by 8 million Egyptians in 2013.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=217}} There are two French-speaking universities in the country, the [[Université Française d'Égypte]] and the [[Senghor University|Université Senghor]].{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=217}}

====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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=215}} On social media, 59% of Mauritanian Facebook users used French on the website in 2014.<ref name=socialmedia/>

====Morocco====
{{Main|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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Recensement général de la population et de l'habitat 2004|url=http://www.hcp.ma/Recensement-general-de-la-population-et-de-l-habitat-2004_a633.html|publisher=Haut-Commissariat au Plan du Royaume du Maroc|access-date=26 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326033153/http://www.hcp.ma/Recensement-general-de-la-population-et-de-l-habitat-2004_a633.html|archive-date=2015-03-26|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=214}} In the private sector, French is treated as more than simply a foreign language.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=214}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=215}} Moroccans are the largest group of foreign students in France, ahead of the Chinese and Algerians.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=386}}

50.3% of the population over 15 in [[Tanger]], [[Fès]], [[Rabat]], [[Casablanca]] and [[Marrakech]] can read and write French.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=30}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=75}} French is nevertheless deemed essential, both in the professional and private spheres, by three-quarters of respondents.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=79}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=499}} On social media, French was used on Facebook by 75% of Moroccans in 2014.<ref name=socialmedia/>

Local French-language media include {{Lang|fr|[[Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb]]}}, {{Lang|fr|[[TelQuel]]}}, {{Lang|fr|[[Aujourd'hui le Maroc]]}}, {{Lang|fr|[[La Vie éco]]}}.

====Tunisia====
{{Main|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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=215}}

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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=79}} 70.8% of the population over 15 in the aforementioned Tunisians cities{{clarify|date=March 2017}} can read and write French.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=30}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=499}} On social media, French was used on Facebook by 91% of Tunisians in 2014.<ref name=socialmedia/>

Local French-language media include [[La Presse de Tunisie]], [[L'Economiste Maghrébin]], [[Tunivisions]], [[Le Temps (Tunisia)|Le Temps]].

===Sub-Saharan Africa===
[[File:Francophone Africa 2014.svg|thumb|French speakers in Africa in 2014:
{{legend|#c6dbef|0–10% Francophone}}
{{legend|#9ecae1|11–20% Francophone}}
{{legend|#6baed6|21–30% Francophone}}
{{legend|#4292c6|31–40% Francophone}}
{{legend|#2171b5|41–50% Francophone}}
{{legend|#084594|>50% Francophone}}
]]

According to the High Council of the [[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie|International Organization of the Francophonie]], in 2010, 96.2 million French speakers were living in various countries in Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/Synthese-Langue-Francaise-2010.pdf|last=Wolff|first=Alexandre|title=La langue française dans le monde 2010 (synthèse) [The French language in the 2010 world (summary)]|publisher=Organisation internationale de la Francophonie|edition=Nathan|year=2011|language=fr|access-date=2015-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405071540/http://www.francophonie.org/IMG/pdf/Synthese-Langue-Francaise-2010.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-05|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/lfr_0023-8368_1994_num_104_1_5735|last=Manessy|first=G|title=Pratique du français en Afrique noire francophone [The practice of French in francophone black Africa]|journal=Langue française|volume=104|year=1994|pages=11–19|doi=10.3406/lfr.1994.5735|language=fr}}</ref> Some linguists discuss a "second French language"<ref>{{cite book|last=Lafage|first=S|title=Le français d'afrique noire à l'aube de l'an 2000: éléments de problématique [French in black Africa at the dawn of 2000: problematic elements]|location=Paris|publisher=Université Paris III|year=1998|language=fr}}</ref> or even an "African French language".<ref>{{cite book|last=Dumont|first=Pierre|title=Le français langue africaine [The African French language]|location=Paris|publisher=l'Harmattan|year=1990|language=fr}}</ref>[[File:African Native Speakers.jpg|thumb|Native Speakers in Africa]]

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."<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/lfr_0023-8368_1994_num_104_1_5743|last=Wald|first=Paul|title=L'appropriation du français en Afrique noire: une dynamique discursive [The appropriation of French in black Africa: a dynamic discourse]|journal=Langue française|volume=104|year=1994|pages=115–124|doi=10.3406/lfr.1994.5743|language=fr}}</ref> French can thus be considered the result of functional and [[vernacular]] ownerships, satisfying the needs of a society with new [[Sociocultural linguistics|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 [[Languages of Côte d'Ivoire|Ivorian]] jargon "[[Nouchi]]" in [[Abidjan]] and the Cameroonian "[[Camfranglais]]", which is a mixture of French and English with elements of indigenous languages.

====Benin====
{{Main|Languages of Benin#French}}

French is the sole official language of [[Benin]].<ref name=bookoffact/> According to a 2014 survey, 57.3% of residents of [[Cotonou]] over the age of 15 could read and write French.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=30}} Knowledge of French is considered important for employment, bureaucracy, education but also in everyday life.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=78}} 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 Department|Atlantique]] and [[Littoral Department|Littoral]] departments have a French-speaking majority. French speakers are more commonly men than women, owing to a disparity in access to education.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=87}}

====Burkina Faso====
{{Main|Languages of Burkina Faso#French language}}

French is the sole official language of [[Burkina Faso]].<ref name=bookoffact/> In [[Ouagadougou]], 49.4% of the population aged 15 and older can read and write French.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=30}} 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 language|Dioula]].{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=85}}

====Burundi====
{{See also|Languages of Burundi}}

Until 2014, French was one of two official languages of [[Burundi]], the other being [[Kirundi]].<ref name=bookoffact/> 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.<ref name="3L">[https://web.archive.org/web/20151117024558/http://www.iwacu-burundi.org/blogs/english/english-is-now-official-language-of-burundi/ English is now official language of Burundi], iwacu-burundi.org, 17-09-2014</ref>

====Cameroon====
{{See also|Languages of Cameroon}}

French is one of two official languages of [[Cameroon]], the other being English.<ref name=bookoffact/> French is the main language in eight of the ten [[Regions of Cameroon|regions]] of the country, with English being dominant in the remaining two.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=88}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=30}} 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.<ref name=bookoffact/>

====Chad====
{{See also|Languages of Chad}}

French is one of two official languages of [[Chad]], together with Arabic.<ref name=bookoffact/> Half of the residents of [[N'Djamena]]  feel solidarity towards other French-speaking countries and wishes for the use of French to expand.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=75}} French is seen as important in work and education.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=79}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=131}} French is also spoken as part of daily life.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=133}}

====Comoros====
{{See also|Languages of Comoros}}

French is one of two official languages of [[Comoros]], Arabic being the second.<ref name=bookoffact/> On social media, French was used on Facebook by 100% of Comorians in 2014.<ref name=socialmedia/>

====Congo-Brazzaville====
{{See also|Languages of the Republic of the Congo}}

French is the sole official language of [[Republic of Congo]].<ref name=bookoffact/> 68.7% of the population of [[Brazzaville]] aged 15 and older can read and write French.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=30}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=102}}

====Congo-Kinshasa====
{{Main|Languages of the Democratic Republic of the Congo#French}}

French is the sole official language of [[Democratic Republic of Congo]].<ref name=bookoffact/> 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=78}} French is the main language of education after third grade.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=117}}

====Djibouti====
{{See also|Languages of Djibouti}}

French is one of two official languages of [[Djibouti]], the other being Arabic.<ref name=bookoffact/> On social media, French was used on Facebook by 82% of Djiboutians in 2014.<ref name=socialmedia/>

====Gabon====
{{See also|Languages of Gabon}}

French is the sole official language of [[Gabon]].<ref name=bookoffact/> According to a 1999 survey, French was the first language for 26.3% of [[Libreville]] residents between the age of 15 and 25.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=108}} 71.9% of the capital's residents over 15 years of age could read and write French.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=30}} Three quarters of the population of the capital identifies as Francophone and considers French as essential.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=79}} All local publications are in French.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=108}}

====Guinea====
{{See also|Languages of Guinea}}

French is the sole official language of [[Guinea]].<ref name=bookoffact/> In [[Conakry]], 42.1% of the population aged 15 and older can read and write French.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=30}}

====Ivory Coast====
{{See also|Languages of Ivory Coast}}

French is the sole official language of the [[Ivory Coast]].<ref name=bookoffact/> 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=30}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=78}} 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 ({{interlanguage link|Ivorian French|fr|Français de Côte d'Ivoire|vertical-align=sup}}).{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=139}}

====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 language|Malagasy]] dominates. Less than half feel solidarity with other Francophone countries or consider knowledge of French as essential.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=78}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=351}} It is also the main language of government, alongside Malagasy.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=352}}

====Mauritius====
{{See also|Languages of Mauritius}}

====Niger====
{{See also|Languages of Niger}}

French is the sole official language of [[Niger]].<ref name=bookoffact/> In [[Niamey]], the capital, French is seen as essential for work, studies and administrative procedures.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=78}} Two-thirds of residents believe that the use of French is becoming more common in the country.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=78}}

====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,{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=126}} effectively relegating French to the status of third language.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=230}} Nevertheless, a survey of students in [[Kigali]] found that French was known by a majority of them.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=67}}

====Senegal====
{{See also|Languages of Senegal}}

French is the sole official language of [[Senegal]].<ref name=bookoffact/> French was commonly spoken by 9.4% of Senegalese in 2002, mainly as a second language, with just 0.6% speaking it natively.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=84}} [[Wolof language|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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=83}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=78}}

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 Region|Kaffrine]], where Arabic remains dominant, with significant Arabic-educated minorities in [[Kaolack Region|Kaolack]] (15.9% to 33.0% for French), [[Louga Region|Louga]] (15.8% to 22.7%) and [[Diourbel Region|Diourbel]] (15.0% to 17.2%). This phenomenon is explained by the impact of [[Quranic school]]s or [[Daara]] in those regions.<ref name=rgphae-sn>{{cite web|title=Rapport definitif RGPHAE 2013|url=http://www.ansd.sn/ressources/RGPHAE-2013/ressources/doc/pdf/3.pdf|publisher=Agence Nationale de la Statistique et de la Démographie|access-date=9 April 2015|page=15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923172654/http://www.ansd.sn/ressources/RGPHAE-2013/ressources/doc/pdf/3.pdf|archive-date=2015-09-23|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Seychelles====
{{See also|Languages of Seychelles}}

====Togo====
{{See also|Languages of Togo}}

French is the sole official language of [[Togo]].<ref name=bookoffact/> According to the 2010 census, 53% of the population over the age of 15 can read and write French.<ref name="togo2010">{{cite web|title=Quatrième Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat – Alphabétisation|url=http://www.stat-togo.org/contenu/pdf/pb/pb-vol-3-rgph4-tg-2010.pdf|publisher=Stat Togo|access-date=1 September 2016|page=295|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195601/http://www.stat-togo.org/contenu/pdf/pb/pb-vol-3-rgph4-tg-2010.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-03|url-status=live}}</ref>

==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.<ref name=bookoffact/> 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=359}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=359}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=359}}

===North America===
====Canada====
{{Main|Canadian French|French language in Canada}}
French is the second most common language in [[Canada]], after [[English language|English]], which are the two official languages of the Canadian federation.<ref name=bookoffact/> About 6,827,860 Canadians speak French as their first language, or around 20% of the country,<ref name="tlfq.ulaval1">{{cite web |url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Pages/Highlight.cfm?TabID=1&Lang=E&PRCode=01&Age=1&tableID=403&queryID=1 |title=Population by language spoken most often and regularly at home, age groups (total), for Canada, provinces and territories |publisher=2.statcan.ca |access-date=2015-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609063621/http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Pages/Highlight.cfm?TabID=1&Lang=E&PRCode=01&Age=1&tableID=403&queryID=1 |archive-date=2015-06-09 |url-status=live }}</ref> with 2,065,300 constituting secondary speakers.<ref name="tlfq.ulaval1" /> Bilingualism with French has been declining in English Canada in recent years.<ref name="tlfq.ulaval2">{{cite web|url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-006-x/2013001/article/11795-eng.htm|title=he evolution of English–French bilingualism in Canada from 1961 to 2011|date=28 May 2013 |publisher=2.statcan.ca|access-date=2015-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924123216/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-006-x/2013001/article/11795-eng.htm|archive-date=2015-09-24|url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref name=nb>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-new-brunswick|title=Infographic: The French Presence in New Brunswick|work=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|publisher=Government of Canada|access-date=3 December 2021|date=18 September 2019|archive-date=23 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123132602/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-new-brunswick|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref name=mani>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-manitoba|title=Infographic: The French Presence in Manitoba|work=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|publisher=Government of Canada|access-date=3 December 2021|date=13 September 2019|archive-date=25 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425005951/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-manitoba|url-status=dead}}</ref>  [[Franco-Manitoban]]s are primarily concentrated in [[southern Manitoba]], along corridors that follows the [[Seine River (Manitoba)|Seine]] and the [[Red River of the North]];<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/francophones-of-manitoba|title=Francophones of Manitoba|publisher=Historica Canada|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|last=Collins|first=Emmet|date=3 December 2021|access-date=5 May 2020}}</ref> with 80 per cent of Franco-Manitobans residing in [[Eastman Region|Eastman]] or the [[Winnipeg Capital Region]].<ref name=mani/>

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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89201&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=701&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838089 |title=Detailed Mother Tongue (186), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) (2006 Census) |publisher=2.statcan.ca |date=December 7, 2010 |access-date=February 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202091813/http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89201&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=701&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838089 |archive-date=2009-02-02 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/bench_bar_advisory_committee/#_ftnref7|title=Access to justice in French|work=Ministry of the Attorney General|publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario|access-date=22 April 2020|date=25 June 2012}}</ref> 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-Ontarian]]s reside in [[Eastern Ontario]], with more than half of that population living in communities close to the Ontario-Quebec border. [[Central Ontario|Central]] and [[northeastern Ontario]] also holds significant populations of Franco-Ontarians, with francophones making up over 22 per cent of northeastern Ontario's population.<ref name=idf>{{cite web|url=https://www.ontario.ca/page/profile-francophone-population-ontario-2016#section-0|title=Profile of the Francophone population in Ontario - 2016|publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario|access-date=3 December 2021|date=5 February 2019|website=www.ontario.ca}}</ref>

====United States====
{{Main|French language in the United States}}

[[File:French in the United States.png|thumb|French language spread in the United States]]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2011), French is the fourth<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf |title=Language Use in the United States: 2011, American Community Survey Reports, Camille Ryan, Issued August 2013 |access-date=2017-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205101044/http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/acs-22.pdf |archive-date=2016-02-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref> most-spoken language in the United States after [[English language|English]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and [[Chinese language|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]] and [[Maine]].

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 French|Louisiana Creole]] is excluded.<ref name="factfinder.census.gov">[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=D&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_QTP16&-ds_name=D&-_lang=en U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 3] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212043448/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=D&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_QTP16&-ds_name=D&-_lang=en |date=2020-02-12 }}&nbsp;– Language Spoken at Home: 2000.</ref> In October 2018, Louisiana became the first U.S. state to join the {{Lang|fr|[[Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie]]|italic=no}}.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hasselle |first=Della |date=October 13, 2018 |title=Louisiana Joins International Organization of French-speaking Governments |language=en |work=NOLA.com |url=https://www.nola.com/news/article_302082ef-9b0e-59de-8583-4e320c5c792a.html}}</ref> [[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]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Status and Function of Languages and Language Varieties |last= Ammon|first= Ulrich|author2=International Sociological Association|year= 1989|publisher= Walter de Gruyter|isbn= 0-89925-356-3|pages= 306–308|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=geh261xgI8sC|access-date=14 November 2011}}</ref>

===South America===
====Argentina====
See [[French Argentines]]

====Brazil====
The [[Lusophobia|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.<ref>{{cite book |last= Barbosa|first= Rosana|title= Immigration and Xenophobia: Portuguese Immigrants in Early 19th Century Rio de Janeiro|year= 2009|publisher= University Press of America|location= United States|isbn= 978-0-7618-4147-0}}, p. 19</ref> 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 language|Spanish]], in the latter.<ref>{{in lang|pt}} [http://www.gel.org.br/estudoslinguisticos/volumes/37/EL_V37N2_01.pdf The importance of the French language in Brazil: marks and milestones in the early periods of teaching] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924021258/http://www.gel.org.br/estudoslinguisticos/volumes/37/EL_V37N2_01.pdf |date=2015-09-24 }}</ref><ref>{{in lang|pt}} [http://w3.ufsm.br/revistaletras/artigos_r39/artigo39_001.pdf Presence of the French language and literature in Brazil – for a history of Franco-Brazilian bonds of cultural affection] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053420/http://w3.ufsm.br/revistaletras/artigos_r39/artigo39_001.pdf |date=September 21, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{in lang|pt}} [http://revistaescola.abril.com.br/historia/fundamentos/quais-influencias-pensamento-frances-ainda-podem-ser-vistas-brasil-471230.shtml What are the French thinking influences still present in Brazil?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150517045650/http://revistaescola.abril.com.br/historia/fundamentos/quais-influencias-pensamento-frances-ainda-podem-ser-vistas-brasil-471230.shtml |date=2015-05-17 }}</ref><ref>{{in lang|pt}} [http://www.cedep.ifch.ufrgs.br/oanodafrancanobrasilaimportanciadadiplomaciacultural.pdf France in Brazil Year – the importance of cultural diplomacy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304025230/http://www.cedep.ifch.ufrgs.br/oanodafrancanobrasilaimportanciadadiplomaciacultural.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }}</ref>

==Asia==
===Cambodia===
{{Main|French language in Cambodia}}
About 3% of the population of [[Cambodia]] can speak French as of 2014. Most of these speakers tend to be older since they grew up when Cambodia was a colony of France {{sfn|OIF|2014|pp=13–19}}

===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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=249}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=249}}

==== Hong Kong ====
{{See also|French people in Hong Kong|Languages of Hong Kong}}
The French Consulate estimated there are 8,000 Native French speakers in [[British Hong Kong|Hong Kong]], of which approximately 6,000 are French citizens. Moreover, 50,000 people is estimated to occasionally practice French, while 2% of Hong Kong's total population of 7 million have studied the language. French is one of the two foreign languages (Mandarin & French) that can be taken in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education (HKCEE).<ref>[https://hongkong.consulfrance.org/French-Language-in-Hong-Kong French Language in Hong Kong]</ref>

It is one of the largest French community in Asia.<ref>[https://world.time.com/2013/07/25/with-its-french-population-soaring-hong-kong-emerges-as-asias-gallic-capital/ With Its French Population Soaring, Hong Kong Emerges as Asia’s Gallic Capital]</ref>

===India===
French was used previously during French Colonization as the official language in areas of [[Pondicherry]], [[Karikal]] and [[Chandannagar]] as they were former French colonies.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vistawide.com/languages/top_30_languages.htm | title=Top 30 Language Spoken in the World by Number of Speakers }}</ref>

===Lebanon===
{{Main|French language 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|date=August 2016}} 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, [[Christianity|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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=217}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=218}} 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.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=358}} On social media, French was used on Facebook by just 10% of Lebanese in 2014, far behind English (78%).<ref name=socialmedia/>

===Laos===
{{Main|French language in Laos}}

About 3% of the population of [[Laos]] can speak French as of 2014.{{sfn|OIF|2014|pp=13–19}}

===Philippines===
The [[Philippines]] has become one of the most active areas where [[French language|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 language|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 Mandate]]s 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 language|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|French language in Vietnam}}

About 0.7% of the population of [[Vietnam]] can speak French as of 2014.{{sfn|OIF|2014|pp=13–19}}

==Europe==
[[File:Idioma francés.png|thumb|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 language|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).<ref name=eu386/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://languageknowledge.eu/countries/eu27 |title=Explore language knowledge in Europe |access-date=2015-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318040712/http://languageknowledge.eu/countries/eu27 |archive-date=2015-03-18 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Andorra===
{{empty section|date=May 2022}}

===Belgium===
{{Main|Belgian French}}
{{Further|Languages of Belgium}}

In [[Belgium]], French is an official language in [[Wallonia]] and Brussels.<ref name=bookoffact/> French is the primary language of [[Wallonia]] (excluding a part of the [[East Cantons]], which are [[German language|German-speaking]]) and in the [[Brussels-Capital Region]], where it is spoken by the majority of the population often as their primary language.<ref name=philippevanparijs>{{Cite journal|title=Belgium's new linguistic challenge |author=[[Philippe Van Parijs|Van Parijs, Philippe]] |journal=KVS Express (Supplement to Newspaper de Morgen) March–April 2006 |pages=Article from [http://www.kvs.be/kvs_express/KVS_EXPRESS_13_WEB.pdf original source (pdf 4.9&nbsp;MB)] pages 34–36 republished by the Belgian Federal Government Service (ministry) of Economy&nbsp;– Directorate–general Statistics Belgium |url=http://www.statbel.fgov.be/studies/ac699_en.pdf |format=pdf 0.7&nbsp;MB |access-date=5 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613234540/http://www.statbel.fgov.be/studies/ac699_en.pdf |archive-date=June 13, 2007 }}&nbsp;– The linguistic situation in Belgium (and in particular various estimations of the population speaking French and Dutch in Brussels) is discussed in detail.</ref> 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.<ref name=eu386 /> Including speakers of French as a second language, about 72% of the Belgian population can speak French.{{sfn|OIF|2014|pp=13–19}}

===France===
{{See also|Toubon Law|Languages of France}}

French formally became the official language of [[France]] in 1992,<ref>{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.languefrancaise.net/dossiers/dossiers.php?id_dossier=50 Loi constitutionnelle 1992] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430182017/http://www.languefrancaise.net/dossiers/dossiers.php?id_dossier=50 |date=2008-04-30 }}&nbsp;– {{lang|fr|C'est à la loi constitutionnelle du 25 juin 1992, rédigée dans le cadre de l'intégration européenne, que l'on doit la première déclaration de principe sur le français, langue de la République.}}</ref> 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|date=April 2015}} and legal [[contract]]s; [[advertisement]]s must bear a translation of foreign words.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}

===Guernsey===
{{Further|Languages of Guernsey}}

In [[Bailiwick of Guernsey|Guernsey]], English is the only official language, although French is sometimes used in legislation with a ceremonial capacity. Nevertheless, [[Norman language|Norman]] (in its local forms, [[Guernésiais]] and [[Jèrriais]]) is the historical [[vernacular]] of the islands.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

===Italy===
{{Further|Aosta Valley}}

The Aosta Valley was the first government authority to adopt Modern French as working language in 1536, three years before [[France]] itself.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.paysdaoste.eu/la-valle-d-aosta-un-po-di-storia/7-marzo-1536/ |title=Pays d'Aoste – Histoire |access-date=2015-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701025853/http://www.paysdaoste.eu/la-valle-d-aosta-un-po-di-storia/7-marzo-1536/ |archive-date=2015-07-01 |url-status=live }}</ref> French has been the official language of the [[Aosta Valley]] since 1561, when it replaced Latin.<ref name=svdab>{{cite web|title=Langue et littérature en Vallée d'Aoste au XVIe siècle|url=http://biblio.regione.vda.it/fr/sites/aosta/assets/Documenti/Lett.Vald-XVI-sicle-FR.pdf|publisher=Système Valdôtain des Bibliothèques|access-date=7 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415152921/http://biblio.regione.vda.it/fr/sites/aosta/assets/Documenti/Lett.Vald-XVI-sicle-FR.pdf|archive-date=2015-04-15|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref name=aostebi>{{cite web|title=Une Vallée d'Aoste bilingue dans une Europe plurilingue|url=http://www.fondchanoux.org/scarica.aspx?id=29|publisher=Fondation Emile Chanoux|access-date=7 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924014323/http://www.fondchanoux.org/scarica.aspx?id=29|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The suppression of all French-language schools and institutions and violence against French speakers during the forceful [[Italianisation]] campaign of the [[Kingdom of Italy#Fascist regime .281922.E2.80.931943.29|Fascist government]] irretrievably damaged the status of French in the region.<ref name=aostebi/> Italian and French are nowadays the region's [[official language]]s<ref name=statut>{{cite book |title=Le Statut spécial de la Vallée d'Aoste, Article 38, Title VI |publisher=Region Vallée d'Aoste |url=http://www.regione.vda.it/amministrazione/autonomia/statutospeciale/titolo6_f.asp |access-date=5 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104223214/http://www.regione.vda.it/amministrazione/autonomia/statutospeciale/titolo6_f.asp |archive-date=2011-11-04 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref name=vda/> French remains widely known as a second language, but it is no longer spoken as part of daily life.{{sfn|OIF|2014|p=12}} 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.<ref name="Vallée d 2009, p. 20">Assessorat de l'éducation et la culture de la région autonome Vallée d'Aoste – Département de la surintendance des écoles, ''Profil de la politique linguistique éducative'', Le Château éd., 2009, p. 20.</ref> School education is delivered equally in both Italian and French<ref name=statut/> so that everyone who went to school in Aosta Valley can speak French to at least a medium-high level.

===Jersey===
{{Further|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|Languages of Luxembourg|Multilingualism in Luxembourg}}

French is one of three official languages of [[Luxembourg|the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg]], alongside [[German language|German]] and [[Lëtzebuergesch|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 <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legilux.public.lu/leg/a/archives/1984/0016/a016.pdf |title=Luxembourg law of 1984 |access-date=2015-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205613/http://www.legilux.public.lu/leg/a/archives/1984/0016/a016.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.men.public.lu/sys_edu/langues_ecole/index.html |title=Ministère de l'Éducation nationale et de la Formation professionnelle / Luxembourg – Quelles langues apprend-on à l'école luxembourgeoise ? |publisher=Men.public.lu |date=2012-10-25 |access-date=2013-05-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721005753/http://www.men.public.lu/sys_edu/langues_ecole/index.html |archive-date=2013-07-21 }}</ref> At the Luxembourg University courses are offered in French, German and English.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wwwen.uni.lu/international/multilinguisme |title=University of Luxembourg – Multilingualism |publisher=N.uni.lu |date=2003-08-12 |access-date=2013-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722222329/http://wwwen.uni.lu/international/multilinguisme |archive-date=2013-07-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Switzerland===
{{Further|Languages of Switzerland}}{{Main|Swiss French|Romandie}}

French is one of the four official languages of [[Switzerland]] (along with [[German language|German]], [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[Romansh language|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 of Switzerland|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%<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=abit8Yd6J-cC&q=%22connaissance+du+francais+en+suisse%22&pg=PA92 |title=Le français et les langues ... – Google Books |date= 1 January 2007|access-date=10 September 2010|isbn=978-2-87747-881-6|last1=Abalain |first1=Hervé |publisher=Editions Jean-paul Gisserot }}</ref> of the population.

===United Kingdom===
{{Further|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf |title=EUROPA |access-date=21 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080803015530/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_en.pdf |archive-date=2008-08-03 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other surveys put the figure at 15%.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25003828 "'Alarming shortage' of foreign language skills in UK"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018171832/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25003828 |date=2017-10-18 }}, ''BBC News'', 20 November 2013</ref><ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10460432/Three-quarters-of-adults-cannot-speak-a-foreign-language.html "Three-quarters of adults 'cannot speak a foreign language'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215105318/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10460432/Three-quarters-of-adults-cannot-speak-a-foreign-language.html |date=2018-02-15 }}, ''The Telegraph'', 20 Nov 2013</ref>

==See also==
* [[Francophone]]
* [[List of territorial entities where French is an official language]]
* [[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie]]
* [[French-based creole languages]]
* [[List of countries and territories where English is an official language| Anglophone]]
* [[List of countries and territories where Arabic is an official language|Arabophone]]
* [[Geographical distribution of German speakers]]
* [[Hispanophone]]
* [[Indosphere]]
* [[Lusophone]]
* [[List of countries and territories where Persian is an official language|Persophone]]
* [[Russophone]]
* [[Sinophone]]
* [[List of lingua francas |List of link languages]]
* [[Dialect continuum]]
* [[Geolinguistics]]
* [[Language geography]]

== Notes==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |title=La langue française dans le monde, 2014 |language=fr |year=2014 |publisher=Nathan |isbn=978-2-09-882654-0 |url=http://www.francophonie.org/Langue-Francaise-2014/projet/Rapport-OIF-2014.pdf |access-date=5 April 2015 |ref={{harvid|OIF|2014}} |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412002239/http://www.francophonie.org/Langue-Francaise-2014/projet/Rapport-OIF-2014.pdf |archive-date=12 April 2015 |url-status=dead |author=Organisation internationale de la Francophonie |editor-first=Alexandre |editor-last=Wolff}}
* {{cite book |author=Organisation internationale de la Francophonie |title=La langue française dans le monde, 2019-2022 |language=fr |year=2022 |publisher=Gallimard |isbn=978-2-07-297686-5 |url=https://observatoire.francophonie.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Rapport-La-langue-francaise-dans-le-monde_VF-2022.pdf |access-date=4 January 2023 |ref={{harvid|OIF|2022}} }}
* {{cite book |first1=Richard |last1=Marcoux |first2=Laurent |last2=Richard |first3=Alexandre |last3=Wolff |title=Estimation des populations francophones dans le monde en 2022 |language=fr |date=March 2022 |publisher=Observatoire démographique et statistique de l’espace francophone |url=https://observatoire.francophonie.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/odsef-lfdm-2022.pdf|access-date=31 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523052229/https://observatoire.francophonie.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/odsef-lfdm-2022.pdf |archive-date=23 May 2022 |isbn=978-2-924698-32-7 |ref={{harvid|ODSEF|2022}} }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://www.odsef.fss.ulaval.ca/ Observatoire démographique et statistique de l’espace francophone] (ODSEF)
* [https://foreignlanguages.camden.rutgers.edu/french/why-french-matters/ Why French Matters]
* [https://www.languagesoftheworld.info/geolinguistics/is-french-a-global-language.html Is French a Global Language?]

{{Geographical distribution of French speakers}}
{{Geographical distribution of languages}}

[[Category:Geographical distribution of the French language| ]]