Macron returned to power after securing 18,779,641 votes, or 58.54 per cent of the valid votes, according to the preliminary results released Sunday night by the French Interior Ministry.

Macron's rival, far-right wing candidate Marine Le Pen, gained 13,297,760 votes, or 41.46 per cent.

The ministry said that some 48,752,500 citizens had registered to vote, but only 35,096,391 voters cast their ballots during the runoff, representing an abstention rate of 28.01 percent.

The final results of the presidential election will be announced by France's Constitutional Council after verification.

In 2017, Macron and Le Pen also competed for the French presidency in a runoff, during which Macron was elected with 66.1 per cent of the vote.

"An answer must be found to the anger and disagreements that led many of our compatriots to vote for the extreme right," Macron was quoted as saying by BBC in his victory speech on Sunday night. "It will be my responsibility and that of those around me."