French ranks among the 10 most common languages worldwide and had over 77 million native speakers. In total, there are over 220 million French speakers globally. During the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, France had a huge colonial influence on many countries. As a result, the residents were turned into French speakers and the governments in these countries had to recognize French as an official language.
| French as an official language | European countries where citizens speak French | African countries where citizens speak French | Pacific Countries where citizens speak French | American and Caribbean countries where residents speak French |
| Belgium | Belgium | Algeria | French Polynesia | Canada |
| Benin | Luxembourg | Benin | New Caledonia | French Guiana |
| Vanuatu | Monaco |
Cameroon |
Vanuatu | Guadeloupe |
| Togo | Switzerland |
Tunisia |
Haiti | |
| Switzerland |
Togo |
Martinique | ||
| Seychelles |
Equatorial Guinea |
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| Senegal |
Djibouti |
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| Rwanda |
Comoros |
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| Congo |
Democratic Republic of Congo |
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| Republic of the Congo |
Mali |
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| Niger |
Mauritius |
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| Monaco |
Madagascar |
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| Mali |
Gabon |
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| Madagascar |
Burundi |
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| Luxembourg |
Ivory Coast |
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| Ivory Coast |
Burkina Faso |
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| Haiti |
Niger |
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| Guinea |
Burundi |
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| Gabon |
Chad |
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| France | Central African Republic | |||
| Djibouti | Seychelles | |||
| Canada | ||||
| Chad | ||||
| Comoros | ||||
| Burkina Faso | ||||
| Burundi | ||||
| Cameroon | ||||
Most of the countries that speak French also uphold their local languages. The countries may also have more than one official language as not all citizens speak French. For instance, most African countries also recognize English as an official language.
Looking at the above list, it is evident that many countries recognized French as a national language and this is the reason why people from all over the world have chosen to learn this language. Whether you intend to move to a French-speaking country or you wish to tour France, learning French is important.
There are many schools where you can learn French at an affordable fee locally or online. With interest and a determination to learn, you will be amazed at how fast you will become a pro in this popular language.
