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French climbs to 4th place among the world's most spoken languages.

Auteur: Ivoirematin

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Le français grimpe au 4e rang mondial des langues les plus parlées

The language of Molière is gaining ground. According to the latest report from the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) , published by Gallimard, French is now the 4th most spoken language on the planet , surpassing standard Arabic.

Progress driven by Africa

With 396 million recorded speakers (compared to 321 million in 2022), French ranks just behind the top three languages: English, Mandarin, and Spanish. This increase is mainly due to:

  1. Geographical influence: 65% of French speakers reside in sub-Saharan Africa and the Maghreb.
  2. A new calculation method: The count now includes students aged 6 to 9 educated in French in countries of the South.
  3. Demographics: The expansion of African education systems plays a driving role in this growth.

Key figures and outlook

The report "The French Language in the World, 2023-2026" highlights the vitality and challenges of the Francophonie:

Domain Ranking / Statistics
Language learned 2nd in the world (170 million learners)
Economy & Business 3rd place worldwide
Internet 4th place (but only 4% of the content)
Projection 2050 590 million speakers expected
"While this estimate is encouraging, it is linked to the combined effect of African population growth and the expansion of education systems," analyzes Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of the OIF.

Heading to Cambodia in 2026

The report, with a foreword by Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, also looks ahead to the 20th Francophonie Summit . This major event will be held in 2026 in Siem Reap , Cambodia, at the historic site of the Angkor temples.

Auteur: Ivoirematin
Publié le: Jeudi 19 Mars 2026

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