On the occasion of International Francophonie Day this Friday, March 20, 2026, Preply, a leading online language learning platform, has shared new data with actu.fr confirming the significant growth of the French language in 2026 worldwide.
Preply has observed a growing demand for French language courses, whether for professional or educational reasons. These statistics validate the appeal of the French language, reflecting its cultural influence and practical usability, according to the platform. These figures are also supported by recent statistics from the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).
Nearly 350 million daily speakers worldwide
The French language is now the fourth most spoken language in the world, with over 348 million daily users, as per the latest OIF report (“The French Language in the World”, 2026 edition) released on March 16. This document, available on actu.fr, provides insights into the number of French speakers per country and their distribution within each population.
If the map does not display correctly, you can view it by clicking here.
The study also reveals that French is now the second most learned language after English. It is the official language in 32 countries, and OIF’s projections suggest it could reach 425 million speakers by 2030.
International Francophonie Day
Every March 20 marks International Francophonie Day, commemorating the establishment of OIF in 1970 and recognizing the global significance of one of the most influential languages on the planet, as explained by Preply on its website.
Personalize your news by adding your favorite cities and media to My News.
