- size ▁and ▁large ▁companies , ▁international ▁commerce ▁with ▁French - spe aking ▁countries , ▁and ▁often ▁in ▁international ▁diplom acy . ▁French ▁is ▁taught ▁as ▁an ▁oblig atory ▁language ▁in ▁all ▁schools . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁there ▁were ▁ 1 0 , 3 6 6 , 0 0 0 ▁French - spe akers ▁in ▁Mor oc co , ▁or ▁about ▁ 3 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁population . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁census , ▁ 2 . 1 9   mill ion ▁Mor occ ans ▁spoke ▁a ▁foreign ▁language ▁other ▁than ▁French . ▁English , ▁while ▁far ▁behind ▁French ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁number ▁of ▁speak ers , ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁foreign ▁language ▁of ▁choice , ▁since ▁French ▁is ▁oblig atory , ▁among ▁educated ▁youth ▁and ▁profession als . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Eth n olog ue , ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁there ▁are ▁ 1 , 5 3 6 , 5 9 0 ▁individuals ▁( or ▁approximately ▁ 4 . 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ) ▁in ▁Mor oc co ▁who ▁speak ▁Spanish . ▁Spanish ▁is ▁mostly ▁spoken ▁in ▁northern ▁Mor oc co ▁and ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Sah ara ▁because ▁Spain ▁had ▁previously ▁occupied ▁those ▁areas . ▁Sign ific ant ▁portion ▁of ▁northern ▁Mor oc co ▁receives ▁Spanish ▁media , ▁television ▁signal ▁and ▁radio ▁air w aves , ▁which ▁reported ly ▁facil itate ▁compet ence ▁in ▁the ▁language ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁After ▁Mor oc co ▁declared ▁independence ▁in ▁