French language in Laos

French is spoken by a significant minority in Laos. Laos has the second largest Francophone community in Southeast Asia after Vietnam and ahead of Cambodia. French is used as an administrative language and is also widely present in commerce, and is also studied by over a third of students in Laos. Consequently, the language enjoys a healthier status in Laos compared to other Francophone Southeast Asian countries, although its influence is still under threat from the encroaching use of English.