About 396 million people speak French making it the fourth most spoken language globally, La Francophonie organization said on Monday.
“The 2026 report reveals that the number of French speakers in the world is now 396 million people, moving the Langue Française from the 5th to the 4th position worldwide behind English, Chinese, and Spanish, and ahead of standard Arabic,” La Francophonie organization said.
According to statistics, roughly 59% of daily French speakers live in Africa.
The LaFrancophonie organization whose main objective is to promote the French language was established in 1970, currently comprises 90 states and governments (53 members, 5 associates, and 32 observers).
Report Launch
During the launch of the 2026 report on the Langue Française in the world, the Secretary-General of the Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo was received by the Quebec Prime Minister, François Legault.
Their discussions focused on several shared priorities, including strengthening the place of French in the world and bolstering the economic Francophonie.
Mushikiwabo also extended her thanks to the Premier, whose term is coming to an end, for his commitment to the La Francophonie.
Mushikiwabo presented the main data on the evolution of the French language and emphasized that a new method, based on the onset of literacy in French, complements the previous approach and highlights the geopolitical and geolinguistic weight of the Francophone space.
