Defending Francophonie and the French language The French language in figures. Cultural diplomacy Francophonie Published on : March 09th 2026 Updated on : March 20th 2026 MAE/F. de La Mure Dans cette rubrique The ministry in action Action for peace and respect for human rights Action within the UN Security, Disarmament and Non-proliferation Emergency Humanitarian Action Protecting Human Rights Gender equality: a priority for France Commitment to international justice Digital Diplomacy Promoting a sovereign Europe The European Political Community Defence Europe France and the European Union European matters Promoting French businesses and France’s attractiveness Attracting foreign investment Attracting international students Destination France: The recovery and transformation plan for tourism Promoting French expertise in sport Supporting French exporters Supporting researchers and scientific cooperation globally The French Government’s Trade Policy Ensuring the presence of French culture Cultural Diplomacy Defending Francophonie and the French language Franco-German cooperation Supporting the cultural and creative industries Contributing to sustainable, balanced globalization Addressing the climate and environmental emergency Combating global social inequality External action of local government bodies Summits and global issues Regional strategies Video: The French language throughout the world International Organisation of La Francophonie –Report by the Observatoire de la Langue Française • 5th most widely spoken language in the world,• official language of 32 States and governments,• 396 million speakers,• 65% of which live in Africa (North Africa, Near East and Sub-Saharan Africa),• 170 million learners of and in French,• 4th most used language on the internet. French schooling abroad French schooling abroad is provided by a network of schools recognized by the Ministry of National Education and Young People. It offers French... La Francophonie, an area of multilateral cooperation La Francophonie is a an institution organizing relations between countries which use the French language. Léopold Sédar Senghor, Habib Bourguiba,... France’s commitment to the French language France’s commitment to the French language is above all reflected in the International Strategy for the French Language and multilingualism,...