# List of countries and territories where French is an official language

French is an official language in 27 independent nations. It is also the second most geographically widespread language in the world after English, with about 50 countries and territories having it as a de jure or de facto official, administrative, or cultural language. The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where French is an official or de facto language.

## Sole official language
### Countries

List of countries where French is the only official language:
| Country | Continent |
| Benin | Africa |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Africa |
| Republic of the Congo | Africa |
| France and Overseas France | Europe, Africa, Oceania |
| Gabon | Africa |
| Ivory Coast | Africa |
| Niger | Africa |
| Togo | Africa |
| Guinea | Africa |
| Monaco | Europe |
| Senegal | Africa |

### Non-sovereign entities

| Region | Country |
| Canton of Geneva | Switzerland |
| Canton of Jura | Switzerland |
| Canton of Neuchâtel | Switzerland |
| Vaud | Switzerland |
| Quebec | Canada |

## Co-official use
### Sovereign states

In many countries, French is used as a co-official language alongside one or more other languages. List of countries where French is a co-official language:
| Country | Alongside |
| Belgium | Dutch, German |
| Burundi | Kirundi, English, Swahili |
| Cameroon | English |
| Canada | English |
| Chad | Arabic |
| Central African Republic | Sango |
| Comoros | Comorian, Arabic |
| Djibouti | Arabic |
| Equatorial Guinea | Spanish, Portuguese |
| Haiti | Haitian Creole |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourgish. German |
| Madagascar | Malagasy |
| Rwanda | Kinyarwanda, English, Swahili |
| Seychelles | English, Seychellois Creole |
| Switzerland | German, Italian, Romansh |
| Vanuatu | Bislama, English |

### National subdivisions

| Region | Country | Alongside |
| Aosta Valley, Aosta | Italy | Italian |
| Flanders | Belgium | Dutch |
| Wallonia | Belgium | French, German |
| Canton of Bern | Switzerland | German |
| Canton of Fribourg | Switzerland | German |
| Valais | Switzerland | German |
| New Brunswick | Canada | English |
| Yukon | Canada | English |
| Northwest Territories | Canada | English and several indigenous languages |
| Nunavut | Canada | Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun, English |
| Puducherry | India | Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, English |

## Officially recognized status

Although a non-official minority language, French is granted certain rights in the following countries and territories:
* Lebanon
* Louisiana (United States)
* Maine (United States)
* Mauritius

## Intergovernmental organizations

French is an official language, mostly in conjunction with English, of 36 international organizations. These include:
* Francophonie
* United Nations
* International Olympic Committee
* European Union
* African Union
* NATO
* World Trade Organization
* Council of Europe

## Countries

This table shows the total populations of the countries, not the number of French speakers – most of these countries have a majority that do not speak French.
| No. | Country | Continent | Population |
| 1. | Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa | 105,044,646 |
| 2. | France | Europe | 68,051,000 |
| 3. | Canada | North America | 38,653,740 |
| 4. | Madagascar | Africa | 24,235,400 |
| 5. | Cameroon | Africa | 23,345,200 |
| 6. | Côte d'Ivoire | Africa | 22,701,600 |
| 7. | Niger | Africa | 19,899,100 |
| 8. | Senegal | Africa | 15,129,300 |
| 9. | Chad | Africa | 14,037,500 |
| 10. | Guinea | Africa | 12,608,600 |
| 11. | Rwanda | Africa | 11,607,700 |
| 12. | Belgium | Europe | 11,358,357 |
| 13. | Burundi | Africa | 11,178,900 |
| 14. | Benin | Africa | 10,879,800 |
| 15. | Haiti | Caribbean | 10,711,100 |
| 16. | Switzerland | Europe | 8,510,000 |
| 17. | Togo | Africa | 7,304,600 |
| 18. | Central African Republic | Africa | 4,900,300 |
| 19. | Congo | Africa | 4,620,300 |
| 20. | Gabon | Africa | 1,725,300 |
| 21. | Equatorial Guinea | Africa | 1,221,490 |
| 22. | Djibouti | Africa | 887,861 |
| 23. | Comoros | Africa | 795,601 |
| 24. | Luxembourg | Europe | 602,900 |
| 25. | Vanuatu | Oceania | 264,652 |
| 26. | Seychelles | Africa | 92,900 |
| 27. | Monaco | Europe | 38,731 |
| Total | All countries | World | c. 430,406,578 |

## Dependent entities

| Nr. | Entity | Continent | Population | Status |
| 1. | French Polynesia | Oceania | 284,060 | Overseas collectivity of France |
| 2. | New Caledonia | Oceania | 267,000 | Collectivity of France with special status |
| 3. | Saint Martin | North America | 37,264 | Overseas collectivity of France |
| 4. | Wallis and Futuna | Oceania | 15,289 | Overseas collectivity of France |
| 5. | Saint Barthélemy | North America | 9,131 | Overseas collectivity of France |
| 6. | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | North America | 5,888 | Overseas collectivity of France |
| 7. | French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Africa, Antarctica | 100 | Overseas collectivity of France |
| 8. | Clipperton Island | North America | 0 | Overseas collectivity of France |
Note: Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Mayotte are classified as overseas departments and regions of France and are thus not a part of this list. While not de jure official, the U.S. states of Louisiana and Maine recognize the usage of French in law, governance, and commerce and allow state services and publicly funded education in the language, rendering it de facto official alongside English.

## Non-official but significant language

While French is not an official language in these countries, it is widely used in administration and many professional sectors, as well as being highly influential as a cultural language in the local society and has certain privileges in the education system.
| Country | Continent | Population (2023) | Usage of French |
| Algeria | Africa | 44,758,398 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language |
| Burkina Faso | Africa | 22,489,126 | Administrative (de facto official), educational |
| Cambodia | Asia | 16,891,245 | Administrative (particularly judicial and diplomacy), cultural, some educational |
| Laos | Asia | 7,852,377 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational |
| Lebanon | Asia | 5,331,203 | De jure second language |
| Mali | Africa | 21,359,722 | Administrative (de facto official), educational |
| Mauritania | Africa | 4,244,878 | De facto second official language, educational |
| Mauritius | Africa | 1,309,448 | Administrative (de facto official), cultural, educational |
| Morocco | Africa | 37,067,420 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language |
| Tunisia | Africa | 11,976,182 | Administrative, commercial, cultural, educational, de facto official language |
| Vietnam | Asia | 99,460,000 | Administrative (diplomatic), cultural, some educational, working language in medicine, science, and law |