The French language is an unofficial language of some countries.
French language . French is an official language in 29 countries , most of which are members of la francophonie , the community of French-speaking countries . It is spoken as a first language ( in descending order of the highest number ) in France , the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick , the region of Wallonia in Belgium , western Switzerland , Monaco , certain other regions of Canada and the United States , and by various communities elsewhere . In 2015 , approximately 40 % of the francophone population ( including L2 and partial speakers ) lived in Europe , 35 % in sub-Saharan Africa , 15 % in North Africa and the Middle East , 8 % in the Americas , and 1 % in Asia and Oceania .