Top 10 French-Speaking Countries In Francophone Africa

Of the 50-plus countries in Africa, 26 have French as a first or second language. These are the top French-speaking countries in francophone Africa, according to a report by the Organisation International de la Francophonie.

This article was originally published  July 21, 2014.

10. Equatorial Guinea

The eighth, ninth and 10th places on our list are a three-way tie. In Equatorial Guinea, which has some beautiful beaches as witnessed in the above phone, some 60 percent of the population speaks some level of French.

9. Republic of Congo

Same story in the Republic of Congo — well minus the beaches and sadly, adding in war — 60 percent of the population speaks French.

8. Seychelles

A popular luxury travel destination, especially with the French, some 60 percent of the population living on the island of Seychelles speaks some degree of Creole and proper French.

7. Guinea

Around 63.2 percent of people in Guinea, or some 6 million of its residents, can speak French.

6. Tunisia

Some 63 percent of people living in the North African nation can speak some level of French, making Tunisia No. 6 on our list.

5. Sao Tome and Principe

Portuguese is the official language of this island off the coast west of Gabon but 65 percent of the population can speak French.

4. Senegal

Tying for No. 4 with Côte d’Ivoire, 70 percent of the population of Senegal speaks French.

3. Cote d’Ivoire

With 70 percent of the population — or 12.7 million people — speaking French, this West African nation ties with Senegal for the No. 3 spot.

2. Mauritius

The island nation of Mauritius comes in at No. 2 with 72.7 percent of the population able to speak French –the country’s official language. Creole, the French spoken here, is a different dialect than that spoken in West Africa.

1. Gabon

With 80 percent Gabon’s citizens speaking some level of French, it is No. 1 on our list. French is the official language of the country and considered a unifying force among the country’s 40 different ethnic groups, all of which have diverse local languages.