language knowledge /eu publishes the latest language knowledge statistics in france using European Commission data published in 2024. Explore which languages are most spoken by the population of france, compare native speakers with foreign speakers, and compare age groups to see which languages are gaining or losing popularity.
According to European Commission Eurobarometer survey data (2024), the most spoken languages in France are French (95.8%), followed by English (24.6%) and Spanish (7.8%). These figures include both native speakers and residents speaking each language as a foreign language with good or very good competence.
English is spoken as a foreign language by 23.0% of the population in France. Spanish is spoken as a foreign language by 6.7%.
24.6% of people in France speak English (1.6% native speakers and 23.0% as a foreign language). By age group, 37.5% of 15–34 year olds speak English, compared to 15.1% of people aged 55 and over.