List of countries and territories where French is an official language

French is an official language in 32 independent nations which is the second most geographically widespread official language in the world after English. French is also the second most geographically widespread language in the world after English, with about 60 countries and territories having it as a de jure or de facto official, administrative, or cultural language. The following is a list of sovereign states and territories where French is an official or de facto language.

Countries
List of countries where French is the only official language:


 * Benin
 * Ivory Coast
 * France (Metropolitan & Overseas France)
 * Gabon
 * Guinea
 * Monaco
 * Niger
 * Senegal
 * Togo

Non-sovereign entities

 * Geneva, Switzerland
 * Jura, Switzerland
 * Neuchâtel, Switzerland
 * Quebec, Canada
 * Vaud, Switzerland
 * Valais, Switzerland

Sovereign states
In many countries, French is used as a co-official language alongside one or more other languages. List of countries where French is a co-official language:


 * Belgium
 * Burundi
 * Cameroon
 * Canada
 * Chad
 * Central African Republic
 * Comoros
 * Djibouti
 * Equatorial Guinea
 * Haiti
 * Luxembourg
 * Madagascar
 * Mauritania
 * Rwanda
 * Seychelles
 * Switzerland
 * Vanuatu
 * Democratic Republic of the Congo
 * Congo

National subdivisions

 * Aosta Valley,Aosta, Italy
 * Bern, Switzerland
 * Brussels, Belgium
 * Fribourg, Switzerland
 * New Brunswick, Canada
 * Northwest Territories, Canada
 * Nunavut, Canada
 * Valais, Switzerland
 * Wallonia, Belgium
 * Yukon, Canada
 * Puducherry, India

Officially recognized status
Although a non-official minority language, French is granted certain rights in the following countries and territories:
 * Lebanon
 * Mauritius
 * Louisiana
 * Maine

Intergovernmental organizations
French is an official language, mostly in conjunction with English, of 36 international organisations. These include:
 * Francophonie
 * United Nations
 * International Olympic Committee
 * European Union
 * African Union
 * NATO
 * World Trade Organization
 * Council of Europe

Countries
This table shows the total populations of the countries, not the number of French speakers – most of these countries have a majority that do not speak French.

Dependent entities
Note: Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Mayotte are classified as overseas departments and regions of France and are thus not a part of this list. While not de jure official, the U.S. states of Louisiana and Maine recognize the usage of French in law, governance, and commerce and allow state services and publicly funded education in the language, rendering it de facto official alongside English.

Non-official but significant language
While French is not an official language in these countries, it is widely used in administration and many professional sectors, as well as being highly influential as a cultural language in the local society and has certain privileges in the education system.