Is the French language increasing or decreasing in use across the world?

French is now the fifth most spoken world language and growing—thanks to Africans. The number of people speaking French has shown a steady increase: up nearly 9.6\% since 2014. Measuring from 2010 to today, 22.7 million more people speak French: 68\% of these are sub-Saharan Africa, while 22\% live in North Africa.

How widespread is French in Africa?

There are 300 million French speakers worldwide today, up almost 10\% since 2014, and a recent survey showed that 44\% of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. By 2050, a full 85\% of French speakers could live on the continent, according to an estimate by an organisation that monitors statistics on who speaks the language.

Why is French so widely spoken in Africa?

The French language was brought to the African continent through colonialism. During the 1950s and 60s, France and Belgium lost control of their African colonies, however, French is still spoken in at least 29 African countries. There is so much to learn about this magnificent continent!

Is French a growing language?

Forbes Magazine reports that, “[French] is growing in the fastest-growing areas of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. The latest projection is that French will be spoken by 750 million people by 2050.”

How many countries are francophone?

29 countries
The 29 countries are, in alphabetical order: Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, the Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, France, Haiti, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Mali, Monaco, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Switzerland, Togo and Vanuatu.

How much of Africa speaks French?

Africa makes up more than 70\% of the world’s total French speaking population. In 2015, a total of 31 independent states around the world reported French as an official language. If territories are included, the total number increases to 42….French Speaking Countries in Africa.

Rank	Country	Population
21	Seychelles	92,900

How many Francophone countries are there in the world where French is the official language?

French is recognized as an official language in 29 countries around the world, listed below in descending order of the number of people speaking the language. Most of the French-speaking countries are part of La Francophonie, and many of them are former French colonies.

What does the French word francophone mean?

Definition of francophone : of, having, or belonging to a population using French as its first or sometimes second language.

How many Francophone countries are in Africa?

There are 31 french speaking countries in Africa. Now, the French language in Africa is more than the legacy of the colonialists. The role of this language is very important throughout the continent. French is still a popular and important language in many African countries.

Is French the most spoken language in Africa?

Apart from English, French is the most widely-used colonial language in Africa. It’s the official language of many countries in Africa, and spoken by over 100M people, mostly in West Africa. The biggest mostly French-speaking countries in Africa are Madagascar, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Guinea.

Do most African countries speak French?

French is an official language in 29 independent nations….French.

Regions	Country	Status
Africa	Rwanda	co-official with English, Kinyarwanda and Swahili
Senegal	official; Wolof most widely spoken
Seychelles	co-official with English and Seychellois Creole
Togo	official

What countries in Africa have French as an official language?

French is an official language, or shares official status with other languages in Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Central African Republic, Madagascar, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin, Burundi, Guinea, Chad, Rwanda, Congo, Mali, the Seychelles, Djibouti, and Senegal.