While France remains the core of the French language, Africa is home to some of the world’s largest French-speaking cities, thanks to historical links and colonial influences.
These cities not only highlight the language, but also exhibit the various cultures and customs that enrich the Francophone global powerhouse.
However, regions that were once considered French colonies, particularly in West Africa, are no longer receptive to French influence and have rejected their ideals entirely.
Countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, all of which are French speaking countries are presently on a campaign to rid their respective regions of any lingering French control.
Needless to say, this mission, while possible, presents a barrier in the form of a language that is deeply ingrained in the very fabric of their history.
Outside of these three West African countries, there are also other countries on the continent that are predominantly French speaking regions.
With that said, here are the 10 largest French speaking cities in Africa, according to a ranking by EnVols, as derived from the Demographia World Urban Areas report.
The report notes that Kinshasa located in the Democratic Republic of Congo has a higher speaking French population than Paris, as 51% of Kinshasa’s 90 million residents speak French on a regular basis as of 2022.
The report also indicates that 11 of the 15 cities on the list are located in Africa. a pattern that supports the International Organization of la Francophonie’s (OIF) projection that, by 2050, 80% of French speakers worldwide would be African.
| Rank | City | Population | Country | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Kinshasa |
12.8 million inhabitants |
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
1st |
|
2. |
Abidjan |
5.4 million inhabitants |
Ivory Coast |
3rd |
|
3. |
Yaoundé |
4.6 million inhabitants |
Cameroon |
4th |
|
4. |
Casablanca |
4.3 million inhabitants |
Morocco |
5th |
|
5. |
Bamako |
4 million inhabitants |
Mali |
6th |
|
6. |
Ouagadougou |
3.8 million inhabitants |
Burkina Faso |
7th |
|
7. |
Algiers |
3.7 million inhabitants |
Algeria |
8th |
|
8. |
Dakar |
3.7 million inhabitants |
Senegal |
9th |
|
9. |
Mbuji-Mayi |
3.6 million inhabitants |
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
11th |
|
10. |
Douala |
3.6 million inhabitants |
Cameroon |
12th |
