List Of French Speaking Countries In Africa 2025

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Africa has a total of 31 francophone countries spoken by an estimated population of 120 million people. The population covers both the people who consider it a primary or secondary language. In the continent, French is spoken together with the people’s indigenous dialects, but in some urban settings both in central and western Africa, It is their formal language.

However, for states like Tunisia, Mauritania, Algeria, and Morocco, it is a class dialect with only a select number of the population, or a given class using it for their communication. Under each of the French-speaking countries in Africa, there are local dissimilarities concerning its vocabulary and pronunciation.

French-speaking Countries In Africa And Their Capitals

Francophone countries in Africa are mostly products of their colonial masters pre-independence. The different varieties of French spoken in Africa differ depending on their vocabulary and pronunciation, but in official communication, it is used in media, education, and legal processes.

One of the major facts about French-speaking countries in Africa is their strong affiliation with France. Unlike other colonizers, French protectorates enjoyed support from their overseas allies with direct administrative, economic, and social support.

Francophone nations in Africa are mostly former territories of France, save for a few instances in different countries. Other than French, other nations consider English, Portuguese, and Spanish as their official languages.

So which African countries have French as their official language? Well, in 2015 statistics, 29 nations officially recognized the language as formal out of the 31 that speak it for cross-cultural interactions and trade. Here is a list of all French-speaking countries in Africa.

1. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Population: 91 Million | Capital City: Kinshasa

DRC formerly known as Zaire is the second largest country in the area after Algeria and the fourth most populated country in the continent. After gaining independence in 1960, it adopted the francophone culture and language. Other official languages recognized by the government include Kikongo, Tshiluba, Swahili, and Lingala.

The French Language spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo has many similarities with Belgian French. The rationale is that it was introduced to the country in its colonial period when it was under Belgian rule. Other than French, DRC is home to more than 250 different dialects.

2. Algeria

Population: 40.4 Million | Capital City: Algiers

Algeria is a country situated in the North of Africa with a Mediterranean coastline and a Saharan desert interior. It is Africa’s largest country by size, but most of the population is in the country’s South, running away from the desert North.

It was colonized by the French who invaded the land in 1830. It became so dominant that it replaced native languages. Although it has no official status, it is widely used in government, culture, media (newspapers), and education (from primary school).

3. Burkina Faso

Population: 19 Million | Capital City: Ouagadougou

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It borders six nations namely Niger to the east, Mali to the north, Benin to the southeast; Togo and Ghana to the south; and Ivory Coast to the southwest. The country was colonized by the French, with the locals adopting the language and making it the official language as stated in their constitution. However, locals have their primary dialects and use French for trade and social interactions.

4. Chad

Population: 11.3 Million | Capital City: N’Djamena

Chad is a landlocked country located in the north-central African region and bordered by Niger, Sudan, Libya, Central Africa Republic, Nigeria, and Cameroon. The official languages spoken in the nation are French and Arabic. Its adoption as an official language dates back to the French colonial rule of the territory from 1920 to 1960. Further, Chad is home to different communities including Sara, Kanembu/Buduma, Arab, Masalit, Gorane, and Masa.

5. Niger

Population: 21 Million | Capital City: Niamey

Niger is a landlocked country in the West African region bordering Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali. It is one of the top French-speaking countries in Africa and has been the official language post-independence.

Other than its official status, most people use it as a secondary language, especially the elite. Other than French, the nation has other ten official languages considered primary by the specific communities.

6. Mali

Population: 20 Million | Capital City: Bamako

Mali uses French as the official language after France’s colonial rule over the territory. Other than that, there are more than 40 African languages that are used by the locals as their primary dialect. Bambara is the most famous and highly accepted dialect in the country with more than 80% of the population using the lingua franca fluently.

In addition to Bamara and French, there are 12 other national dialects including Bomu, Toro So Dogon, Tieyaxo Bozo, Maasina Fulfulde, Mamara Senoufo, Hassaniya Arabic, Kita Maninkakan, Soninke, Koyraboro Senni, Syenara Tamasheq, Senoufo, and Xaasongaxango.

7. Senegal

Population: 14.8 Million | Capital City: Dakar

As a result of Senegal’s colonial past, French is technically the country’s official language and has significant political and economic influence in Senegalese society. It is used for teaching in public schools across the country, as well as the dialect of governance.

Proficiency in speaking the lingua franca is considered an essential requirement for accessing opportunities and achieving success. Senegal is one of the countries that esteems the dialect both as an official and a general inter-ethnic dialect.

8. Guinea

Population: 12.5 Million | Capital City: Conakry

Guinea is a West African country located on the coastal shores of the Atlantic Ocean. The official language in the country for administrative and educational purposes is French. However, 24 additional ethnic groups speak different dialects namely Maninka, Susu, Pular, Loma, Kpelle, and Kissi. The most prevalent group is Islam with over 85% of the population ascribing to religion and culture.

9. Benin

Population: 10 Million | Capital City: Porto-Novo

French is the only official language of Benin according to the Constitution of Benin. It was introduced during the colonial period and retained as the official language upon independence.

It is spoken by about 4 million people, constituting around 35% of Benin’s population. In 1904 the area became part of France’s colonial rule, titled French Dahomey, which would later be named the Republic of Benin in 1991.

10. Burundi

Population: 10 Million | Capital City: Gitega

The Republic of Burundi earned its independence in 1962 as a Belgium protectorate. It is a small nation located in East-Central Africa. Despite being a Belgium colony, the official language in use is French.

Just like Congo Brazzaville, it is one of the countries in Africa with French as an official language despite being from a different colonial master. Other ethnic divisions include Hutu, Tutsi, Twa, and other foreigners. Besides, Kirundi is the national and official language, and English an additional official language.

11. Togo

Population: 8 Million | Capital City: Lomé

Togo is a sub-Saharan nation bordered by its neighbors Burkina Faso, Benin, and Ghana. The state attained its independence from France in 1960 and adopted French as the country’s official dialect to date. Despite being the nation’s official dialect, there are local lingos spoken by the natives as their primary dialect especially those from the Gbe family. Other recognized dialects include Kabiyé and Ewe.

12. Madagascar

Population: 22 Million | Capital City: Antananarivo (Tananarive)

Madagascar is an island in the Indian Ocean and east of South Africa. For many years, Madagascar was a place on the Eastern way from Europe to Asia. This affected the local populations of Madagascar who spoke many different dialects.

For a short time, they had made English an official dialect but was removed in 2010 when the Malagasy voters approved the new Constitution retaining French, adopted from their former colonial masters. The majority of the population in Madagascar speaks French as their first language.

13. Central Africa Republic (CAR)

Population: 4.5 Million | Capital City: Bangui

CAR is a landlocked country located in the Central part of the continent with the neighbors being Sudan, Chad, South Sudan, DRC, and Cameroon. The nation gained its independence in 1960 from its France colonial masters after which they adopted French and Sango as the country’s official languages to date. However, it is not the first dialect for the locals, but the official means of communication for all government administrative communication.

14. Equatorial Guinea

Population: 1.2 Million | Capital City: Malabo

Equatorial Guinea was a Spanish protectorate until 1968 when the country earned its independence. It also became the only country in the continent with Spain as the official language post-independence.

Other recognized official languages include French and Portuguese. Other than Spain, the country has recognized aboriginal dialects including Benga, Balengue, Ndowe, Bujeba, Fang, Gumu, Bube, Igbo, Pichinglis, Bissio, and Baseke.

15. Tunisia

Population: 11.3 Million | Capital City: Tunis

The majority of Tunisians are fluent in French. In school, it is taught to children from the age of eight. French colony in Tunisia commenced in 1881 and ended in 1956 with Tunisia’s independence.

The lingua franca is mostly spoken in Tunisia by around 5.89 million individuals but is sometimes considered a language of the elite. Other spoken dialects include English and Arabic with the latter as the official language.

16. Djibouti

Population: 942,333 | Capital City: Djibouti

Djibouti is a nation with a multilingual orientation. Their three official languages include French, Arabic, and Somali. About 59,000 people speak Djibouti Arabic also known as Ta’izzi-Adeni Arabic, while Somali is used formally for religious significance.

However, French is a statutory national language after the locals inherited it from their colonial masters post-independence. At least 17,000 citizens consider it their first language.

17. Ivory Coast

Population: 22.7 million | Capital City: Yamoussoukro

Ivory Coast is located in the West Africa section of the continent. Yamoussoukro is the country’s Capital city while Abidjan is the largest city in terms of economic growth. French is the official language in the country introduced during colonialism.

Besides, the citizenry also speaks Diula, Anyin, Baule, and Sentari. This state became a colony under France between the years 1843 and 1844 later, in 1893 during Europe’s scramble for Africa, Ivory Coast became a French protectorate. Ivory Coast was a fundamental unit of the Federation of French West Africa from 1904 to 1958.

18. Comoros

Population: 850,688 | Capital City: Moroni

Union of Comoros is an Island nation located in the Indian Ocean. It obtained its independence from France in 1975. After liberation, the nation adopted French as their official language for use in both government and intercommunity communication. However, it’s considered the second language by most natives.

19. Cameroon

Population: 24 Million | Capital City: Yaoundé

Cameroon is both a British and a French colony. France had a larger geographical share in the country during colonialism. Both English and French are official languages, but the primary source of heritage for Cameroon’s colonial past from 1916 to 1960 was being both a colony of the United Kingdom and France. The nation strives toward bilingualism, but in reality, French is the most prominent language for interethnic communication in the country.

20. Gabon

Population: 2 Million | Capital City: Libreville

French is the most used language in Gabon, with an estimated population of over 80% speaking it fluently. Further, about 30% of the residents consider it as their first dialect. According to national statistics, the Fang language is spoken by 32% of the residents as their native dialect. As of October 2012, the country decided to introduce English as the second official language.

21. Rwanda

Population: 11 Million | Capital City: Kigali

The Republic of Rwanda is a country in the East African bloc and neighbor to Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, and DRC. Kinyarwanda is the primary language and is fluently spoken by nearly all citizens.

Post-independence, the country adopted French from the Belgium colonizers and went forth to become the country’s official language. Currently, English, Kinyarwanda, Swahili, and French are the official dialects recognized by the state. As a member of the East African Community, Swahili is a vital lingua franca for the nation.

22. Mauritius

Population: 1.2 million | Capital City: Port Louis

Mauritius is an island country located in the Indian Ocean. The country earned its independence in 1968 from its colonial masters and has since transformed into a middle-income state. French is used as an official language and a means for inter-ethnic exchange. However, it is not the first language for most people.

23. Reunion

Population: 845,000 | Capital City: Saint-Denis

Reunion is an island country located in the Indian Ocean about 180 km from Mauritius, and east of Madagascar. The official languages in the country are Réunion Creole and French. The country is under the French overseas department with ethnic groups including Malagasy, African, Pakistani, Chinese, and Indians.

24. Seychelles

Population: 92,000 | Capital City: Victoria

Seychelles is an island country located in the Indian Ocean. It consists of 116 smaller islands in the area northeast of Madagascar. The main language is Seychellois Creole with over 90% of the people speaking it fluently. Others include English and French, which are both recognized as official means of communication by the state.

25. Congo Brazzaville

Population: 4 Million | Capital City: Brazzaville

Congo was a French colony until its independence in 1960. The ethnic distribution consists of 15 Bantu groups and an additional 70 other ethnic subgroups. The official languages include French, Lingala, Vili, Lari, Sangho, and Kikongo. Munukutuba is the most used dialect and is recognized as the country’s national language.

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