La Francophonie in Canada – Month of La Francophonie

In the most recent census in 2021, Canada had a population of nearly 37 million people. French was the first official language spoken for 22.0% of the population. Almost 10.7 million Canadians could carry on a conversation in French. There was a keen interest in learning French among young people, with nearly 1.7 million studying French as a second language.

Since its modernization in 2023, the Official Languages Act recognizes that French is a minority language in Canada and North America. The Act includes commitments for the Government of Canada to protect and promote the French language, including in Quebec.

To achieve its objectives to strengthen the vitality of French, the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028: Protection - Promotion - Collaboration sets out the federal government's priorities for official languages. This plan is supported by investments totalling more than $4.1 billion.

International Day of La Francophonie

The International Day of La Francophonie is celebrated on March 20. The date was chosen to celebrate the creation of the Organisation internationale of la Francophonie (OIF) [International Organisation of La Francophonie] formerly known as the Agency for Cultural and Technical Co-operation, at the Niamey Conference in Niger on March 20, 1970.

This day is meant to celebrate the importance of the French language along with the cultural diversity that exists within the French-speaking communities around the world.

Discover more about what Canada is doing internationally for La Francophonie

Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie

Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie is one not-to-be-missed event to celebrate the Month of La Francophonie. An initiative of the Dialogue Network, the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie is made possible through financial support from the Government of Canada. The 2025 theme is “Cultivate your roots!” and the programming will reflect this quest to learn about and recognize the various communities that belong to Canada’s Francophonie.

We invite you to visit the Dialogue Network’s website to explore all the activities happening in March.

Additional information

• Flags of La Francophonie
• Facts about the Canadian Francophonie
• 2022 Survey on the Official Language Minority Population from Statistics Canada
• Resources of the Language Portal of Canada
• Modernization of the Official Languages Act
• Action Plan for Official Languages 2023-2028: Protection - Promotion - Collaboration