Language is one of humanity’s most essential tools, a bridge of communication, a cultural marker, and a vessel of identity. Notably, some languages have become more dominant over time, thanks to history, colonization, and globalization.
French is a great example of this, it’s spoken by over 300 million people around the globe. If all those speakers formed one country, they would be just below the U.S. in population.
While French is widely used as a common language in lots of places, there’s also a strong community of native French speakers, especially in Africa, where the language holds its own cultural and social significance.
French made its way to Africa during the colonial expansion of the 19th and early 20th centuries, where it was initially forced upon communities as the language of administration, education, and governance. But as time went on, it became woven into the very fabric of African societies and continued to be an important way to communicate even after colonial rule came to an end.
Today, countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and Cameroon not only use French as an official language but also as the native tongue for parts of their population. This native use of French is different from its role as a lingua franca.
The total number of native French speakers in Africa and globally remains significantly lower than those who use it as a second or third language. Out of the 300 million global French speakers, about 100 million are native speakers, with many concentrated in specific African nations, according to data sourced from Worlddata.info.
Below are the top 5 African countries with the most native French speakers:
| Rank | Country | No of Native French Speakers |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
DRC |
12.3M |
|
2 |
Mali |
1.5M |
|
3 |
Cameroon |
859K |
|
4 |
Madagascar |
697K |
|
5 |
Togo |
652K |
